ALL ABOUT JAGUA?

Jagua is another natural plant dye and used as a safe alternative to chemical ‘black henna’ – which we know now is not henna at all and very bad for the skin!

Usually Jagua is extracted from the sap of a fruit tree which is not suitable for those with a Tropical Fruit allergy. To be safe for everyone, I make my Jagua from an Asian species of the Gardenia flower; dried, powdered and mixed with water and gum to make a gel.

It can be made up at different concentrations, giving the option of any colour from pale blue through to almost black. See my photo gallery for pictures of different colours. The one above is at the highest concentration.

It reacts with the collagen in your skin to create a blue/black stain that looks like a permanent tattoo. It is most suitable for mature skin and darker skin tones. Unlike henna, which needs thicker skin to absorb through for a dark stain (the reason why it works best on younger skin and needs to be kept on the skin for a long time) – Jagua works quickly on anyone.

It is more expensive than henna and comes in a colourless gel form, which I mix with blue food-colouring so I can see to draw with it.

IT IS A NATURAL ALTERNATIVE TO THE CHEMICAL READY-MADE ‘BLACK’ HENNA CONES.

AFTERCARE FOR YOUR JAGUA DESIGN
Once you have had your Jagua design and it has dried, you are good to go. It is flexible and you can move around – but don’t touch it, rub it, or brush against it. Its dye is more potent than henna and hardly noticeable – so it is easy to transfer it to another part of your body by accident. Make sure you wash your other hand regularly just in case.

Leave it on for at least an hour to ensure it will last a couple of weeks. But it starts to stain after 20 mins. Please be aware that Jagua stains very easily – if you accidentally touch it, wash your hands immediately, or you will have a blue stain on other parts of your body! – Even if you can’t see anything!

I once did a design on a friend’s leg in the summer. She accidently put one leg over the other without thinking and the next day had part of the design on the other leg!

Never wipe it off before it has dried – you will end up with a smudged blue mark an hour later!
Let it flake off, or pick off any bits left. Then wash your hands immediately.
You might think it hasn’t worked, as your design is very faint or invisible…..don’t be fooled… it’s there.

Wait…..and after an hour or so you will start to see it get darker. When you wake in the morning – pop, you have a dark blue tattoo that darkens further over the next 24-48 hours.
Keep away from chlorine, bleach, and harsh cleaning products. Wash around the design and it will last longer.

The same as with henna, as it fades use a little baking soda mixed with hand wash and use this paste to gently rub away the last of the design.

If you want to get rid of it quicker (you smudged it etc) then use a little bleach or peroxide on a cotton pad. Dab the design and rub very gently a few times a day. It will be gone in two days.