Henna Tattoo or Jagua? What are you seeing?

I had a few disappointed customers at the shop last Saturday. They brought in samples of Jauga body art and were hoping that I could do a henna tattoo similar to the ones they found online.  Most often the answer is no. 

Jagua is more of an ink.

Henna is a paste. 

Jagua stains the skin a blue/black color and is made from a plant found in the Amazon. 

Henna stains the skin a red to reddish brown (or black cherry red if we are lucky). 

Jagua is shown on the back, thighs, the neck, and the upper arms. 

Henna is for hands, arms, feet and legs! 

I will no longer try to accomodate those who want a henna on the thigh, back or neck. I will do an upper arm band with the statement that you will not get the same rich stain as you would if you put henna on the palms of the hands or the inner wrist. 

Even if I bring the best paste possible to the event, if you do not follow the aftercare tips, then you may not get as dark a design as is possible. 

Please be sure you have No lotion, No sunscreen and No hand sanitizer on your skin. To work, henna has to actually come in contact with your skin! 

Notice the henna is darkest at the fingers. Lighter on the arm.

Please put the henna where you are going to be able to keep an eye on it through out the day. The best color happens when people leave the paste on 4 to 8 hours. 

To get really good color, please sweat?? If you go home to an air conditioned room set at 72 degrees you will not get the same dark stain as someone who wanders about the arts markets or walks by the river for a few hours. 

Henna is a heat activated body art! Heat is good. 

Things that are not good for henna: 

Washing the paste off. ( Scrape off & then apply a natural oil.) 

Removing the paste in less than four hours. 

Cholrine water. 

Swimming pools. 

So, most of the photos you see on my pages are photos of the henna paste on the skin. Sometimes people send me the “affter” photos.  

The best after photos /best color designs are from those women who really work to get the best color. Here are some tricks they use to get good color:

They have the design applied to their hands!
They stay warm.

They may dab the design (or spray it) with their own lemon juice/sugar/water mix through the day. 

They may sleep with a sport sock on their hand. 

They might oil the design and then blow dry it for 5 minutes off an on through out the first day. 

It takes 48 hours for the finished color to appear on the skin. This gives lots of time for you to help the process along. 

Of course many people get great color without doing anything extra at all. 

I write this because I want  you to have the best, darkest, longest lasting henna tattoo possible. Also to emphasize I do not do Jagua. 

Shant!! 

Henna Tattoo - Paste On & Paste Off - This is Henna Tattoo

Here is a photo of a lovely peacock henna tattoo. Notice that the henna picture on the right looks like black henna - of course it is not.  

The photo page left is henna paste on the skin. The photo on page right is a photo of the henna paste on the skin.

As you will see from further posts, henna takes a different color for each person. Natural henna tattoo, which is drawn on the skin, will always be a reddish brown.

All colors of skin accept henna tattoo.  Your aftercare determines whether you get dark color or not.

This is a photo of paste on the skin (again page left) and a good finished color on page right.

Those who will keep oil on the skin after the paste has come off will get far better color than those who do not.

As well, those who let their design get good and hot - who spend time in the sun, or use the plastic glove provided will also get a darker stain.

It will always take 48 hours for the finished color to show up. Good aftercare information is available on my site - as well as on this blog.


As you scroll down the page you will see that each client chose her own stye, and that some had a darker finished color than others.

Some clients will give have a more red stain, other more brown and still others may get a black cherry read.

I have fresh henna powder and use a very find mix of organic lemon juice, "henna tea" and essential oils to give you a fine dark color.

I always welcome "after" photos from my clients. It really helps people understand what henna tattoo really is.



The final tattoo is a traditional pattern. I enjoy doing traditional henna style very much.

All the henna on the page is  freehand tattoos, however sometimes clients bring in a design from the web.

Often these designs are done in a body paint, but sometimes they are henna tattoo.

Please enjoy the designs here, or go window shopping for others.

I offer walk in henna tattoo at Midnight Sun, 1055 Park Street, Jacksonville, Florida each Saturday. Just walk in between 12:30 & 5:00.

Designs start at $15. I am not open any other day of the week. Private parties and corporate events may be scheduled.

Black Henna? No such thing! Henna paste on & paste off! The real color of henna tattoo.

I receive so many calls from people wanting black henna. It is surprising to me that after all the public service announcements about the dangers of "black henna" that people are still confused about this topic.  There is no such thing as black henna. th
To the left is a photo of henna paste on the skin.

This paste on the skin can appear to be black henna.

I make fresh henna paste for my clients. This assures you will have the best finished color.  How well you care for your design determines the quality of the finished color.

Keep the paste on for at least 3 hours. The longer the paste stays on the darker your finished color will be. If you will walk in the sun, or at least stay active so that your blood circulates and you are warm, the henna will give a better color.

Also, after you take the paste off, please keep a layer of olive or coconut oil on the design area. This will keep the henna warm, and keep water out of the skin.  Keep your hands out of chlorine water, avoid scrubbing your hands,

If you take good care of your henna tattoo you can have a finished color that looks like this!

This is the color about 24 hours after the paste has been removed.

Henna takes 48 hours to give its darkest stain on the skin. Many clients will sleep in a sock or mitten to help get a dark color.

I offer you a plastic food service glove to help you "sweat" the henna design.

This is an art form that comes from very hot climates - Africa, India and the Middle East. Air conditioning is not common.

In the USA we seem to think that 72 degrees is the ideal temperature...... however 85  - 95 degrees is the best temperature to keep then pores open. If you sweat a bit, this is also good, it keeps the paste moist on your skin.

If you scrape the paste off and do not see color right away, do not be alarmed. Many people have a very light stain at first.

Please: No Lotions, No Hand Sanitizers! No petroleum products on your skin before or after henna. These often chemical products will pull the color away. Natural lotions only.

See you Saturday at Midnight Sun. 12:30??

Henna Tattoo for Women of Color

Here is one of many photos taken at a spa day party I was so happy to attend.

Many people see photos of henna tattoo on European skin and think that perhaps henna will not give a good result of different shades of skin.

Mehandi is not a European art form, but comes from the cultures of Africa, India and the Middle East.

Henna stains best on the palms of the hands for people of all races and skin types. The next best color of stain occurs when the henna is applied to the back of the hand.

This photo features a simple, yet elegant henna pattern applied to the back of the hand.

This is not black henna, rather a photo of the paste on the skin.

Notice how the pattern makes the hand more lovely.

Good henna designs always make the hand more attractive.

All henna tattoo is by Ann George of Spirit Vision Henna - photos are taken by Ann George & are protected by copyright.

Here are a few more images from the same spa day.

Please notice that while all are henna tattoo designs for the back of the hand, each is different, and compliments the style of each woman.

Black Henna FAQ

A caller today was asking about the henna powder I sell. The caller wanted to know if it was black henna. I am blogging my answers to all his questions for those who are new to the henna process, as well as for those who are shopping for "black" henna.

First, I do not sell black henna... and to the best of my understanding there is no such thing. Henna powder is the result of grinding fresh henna, leaves. The resulting color left on the skin may be affected by the region where the henna was grown, the ground and climate. Fresh henna gives the deepest color, and good artists all have a special recipe. I publish mine on line for your review.

Chemicals may be added to the henna powder before it is packages & shipped to make it dye the hair different colors, but this is not the kind of henna I use for body art. I have heard of lots of things that may be added to henna powders that are sold for body art, and it is important to know that some of these chemicals that can burn and scar the skin.

I sell Jamila henna that is harvest fresh, finely ground, fragrant & does not contain any additives. The first photo in this post is a picture of the henna paste being applied to the skin using a henna cone.

Most photos in this blog show pictures of henna past still on the skin. I am sometimes able to publish photos of the finished color, which will always be a shade of red to reddish brown. This paste will be removed after a period of time, and the finished color will develop over the next 48 hours.

If a client takes very good care of her henna tattoo, allows the paste to remain on the skin for six hours or more, takes care to keep the henna moist, using lemon sugar glaze, or just to remain outdoors in the the sun, it is possible to get a very dark finished color that seems to be black.

This color is really a deep black cherry red. The second picture in this post shows the results of fresh henna powder, mixed with lemon juice, herbs and essential oils to create the paste I use for my clients.

As you can see the finished color is darkest in the center of the palm. The palm always takes henna best, the color will be lighter as the pattern moves up the arm.

I always provide an informed consent listing all ingredients in the paste as well as offering aftercare instructions and tips to get good color. Henna is a heat activated body dye, so I try to offer henna tattoo in the summer time. Other posts in this blog will have photos of henna that is wrapped to help give the darkest color possible.

I hope this post is helpful. Be sure to visit the FAQ page at Spirit Vision Henna for more information.