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What is Henna?

It is a plant grown in several countries throughout Africa and Asia. The first record of henna use is from Ancient Egypt! Henna powder is derived from the fresh leaves of the Lawsonia inermis plant and stains the skin a rich brown color. The henna paste I use on skin is of body art quality and USDA organic. All paste applied is made by me along with essential oils, sugar, and water. Skin sensitivity to henna is low.

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What About Black Henna?

Real henna powder stains the skin brown. There is no such thing as “black henna.” Henna that stains your skins black, red or any other color other than brown, contains a chemical called PPD which is known to cause extreme scarring, burning, and blisters to skin.

Rule of thumb- if the artist doesn't’ make their own paste, or does not know what's in it- that is a red flag. 

If their henna smells like gasoline, ammonia, or hair dye- it has PPD.

ALWAYS ask your artist what about their paste and henna application process before proceeding to get henna from them- it will avoid a trip to the hospital if you end up getting "black henna.”

What is Jagua?

Jagua, or Genipa Americana, is a fruit primarily grown in South America that stains your skin a blue color. It has ties to ceremonial and everyday use by the Indigenous Tribes there. The jagua gel is derived from the jagua fruit. Note: if you have an allergy to citrus fruits- the use of jagua is not recommended for topical application on skin. 

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More info here

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Aftercare

Henna

  1. Once you have the paste on the skin, let it dry and leave it on! (Takes 15-20 min to dry + keep on for at least 1-2 hrs). The longer it stays on, the darker your henna will be

  2. Once dry, let it fall off on its own

  3.  Protect the stain with something oil based before every shower such as coconut oil (vaseline also works too). This helps reduce the fading process. Don't scrub it in the shower. It will fade it off quicker.

Jagua (blue ink)

  1. The drying process may be a little longer for jagua (approx 30 min). Due to the potency of this fruit-based ink, keep it on only for 1-2 hours. 

  2. Once dried,  gently rinse off the jagua gel with warm water. Make sure you rinse thoroughly because it can stain your fingers easily. 

  3. Once you have the stain, protect the jagua stain with a safe body oil before showers. Note: On the 1st night with the stain, be sure to cover it up to avoid design transfer due to ink potency. 

DIY Lemon Juice Sealant for Henna Art

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This is perfect for applying onto your newly done henna art when it dries, so you give the natural dye in the paste more time to bond with your skin cells and develop a deeper color. You may have seen me apply this at fairs in a little bottle. Well, now you can make your own easy recipe in the comfort of your home whenever you get a henna done!

What you need:

  1. A small cup or bowl to mix the ingredients

  2. Two halves of a sliced lemon

  3. One tablespoon of granulated sugar

  4. A paper towel

 Application

  1. Squeeze the two slices of lemon into the cup or bowl.

  2. Add the sugar.

  3. Mix together until the sugar dissolves into the lemon juice (this doesn't have to be perfect).

  4. Wet the paper towel with the sealant, but don't over-saturate it. Wring out the paper towel lightly before applying it to the dry henna paste.

     

  • This sugar content in this mixture will add sticky moisture when applied lightly on the dry henna design with the paper towel so the pieces will not prematurely flake off.

  • If you use too much of the sealant, it can make the paste runny and compromise the design, so use the sealant carefully.

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