07/14/2026
Quick henna lesson because I love letting you behind the curtain… 👇🏽
Did you know natural henna can give you more than that classic red-brown stain? It’s true — but not in isolation.
Here's the stain profile baseline, beauties:
🌿 H E N N A • The classic. Natural henna paste is prepared from the leaves of the henna plant. This yields a warm-toned stain that starts out as a pumpkin orange and matures into a deep red-brown over 48-72 hours.
🍈 J A G U A • The newcomer. (Kind of.) This is also a natural paste or gel that is prepared from the juice of the jagua fruit. While it is comparatively “new” to mainstream use, it has been used by indigenous peoples across the South and Central Americas and the Caribbean islands for centuries. This yields a cool, tattoo-esque stain that begins light blue, light grey, or even translucent on the skin and matures into a blue-black color over 24-48 hours.
📌 A major note here: Jagua is NOT "black henna,” and please never let anyone put that on you as it’s (a.) not even henna — it’s essentially black hair dye — and (b.) it’s extremely toxic and unsafe for use on skin. Real jagua is both safe and gorgeous.
💁🏽♀️ H E N G U A • The best of both worlds. My custom blends of both henna and jagua, prepared in different proportions and with a number of varied methods. Depending on its preparation, this yields a stain that begins as a bright red-orange and matures into anywhere from maroon to burgundy to a deep black-cherry stain over 24-48 hours.
Lately I’ve seen a loooooot of content cross my feed where these different products are being mistaken for one another, where artists are not educating their clients properly, and where folks are unhappy with their experiences because they’re ill-informed in their expectations. It’s my hope that this bit of information can help resolve some of those things.
As for me and my clients? Well…
When I have time to play — like in an Extended Session — I can layer these tones across a single design for depth that's genuinely breathtaking.
One piece, multiple shades, all from plants that are safe for use on the body and potent enough to adorn you for weeks at a time. 💙
…and regardless of which paste we use, I provide my clients with best practices for both before and after their sessions, too.
This is the kind of artistry that's only possible with fresh paste and an artist who actually knows her craft — and the kind of insight that only comes from an artist who genuinely cares about your experience. 🤌🏽
Want to see what we can do with tone and time?
🗓️ Reserve an Extended Session with the jagua upgrade and let's create!
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PS. Wanna see both henna and jagua in a design together? Take a look at my last post for an example! 😘
