Jagua Info & Care

All About Jagua

The jagua "berry" or Genipa Americana (or huito) is a fruit that grows best in the tropical climates of South America. It has anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties and has been grown by indigenous people to help with insect bites and skin rashes for centuries. The genipin in unripe jagua is actually a colorless compound which, when applied to skin and being exposed to oxygen, chemically reacts with the keratin to create a deep blue stain. The Shipibo tribe of the Peruvian Amazon have used jagua as a form of cultural body art expression for centuries, and now the rest of the world is also learning about the beautiful joys of jagua. 

Jagua should never be misunderstood as a "different kind of henna" as it has no ties to the henna plant, henna cultures, nor the land where henna grows. Jagua is a completely separate form of body art so we should abstain from calling it "jagua henna" or anything other than jagua or huito. (This does not apply to recipes where henna and jagua are mixed to create a "jagua henna blend").

I get my organic Jagua from a sustainable farmer and manufacturer in Peru. They not only juice the unripe jagua berry but they also dehydrate the liquid to create a concentrated jagua powder. Jagua powder has a longer shelf life, and is usually mixed with water to create the juice.

Jagua Dye (Genipin)

My jagua gel recipe consists of my jagua juice, organic cane sugar, gluten-free xanthan gum, and organic lavender bulgarian essential oil.

The element that actually stains the skin is called genipin and its potency naturally diminishes over time with exposure to oxygen, temperature, and acidity of the recipe. Keeping jagua gel frozen helps preserve the genipin's ability to stain skin. An acidic recipe also helps stabilize the genipin.

How to Get (and Keep) a Rich Stain

The info above is all very important to know when you are trying to get a good jagua stain. It is also important to know that humans have several layers of "outer" skin (the epidermis), and as gel sits on the skin, the dye molecule slowly seeps into these layers of skin and binds to the keratin (protein) in our skin cells. So although you may think your "jagua design is fading," that is not what is actually happening. Your own skin cells on the outer layer are falling off and new skin cells on the inner layer are being created. Knowing all this, getting a rich stain is more self-explanatory.

  • Starting off with a high-quality jagua gel cone from fresh ingredients is the first step.
  • Clean (slightly exfoliated) skin without any lotions or sunscreen helps absorb the dye into the skin.
  • The longer you can keep the gel on, the deeper it can penetrate into the skin!
  • Remove the gel design by thoroughly washing it with warm soap and water
  • Avoid chlorine pools for as long as you'd like a dark stain
  • Before showers, you can apply some pure oil on the skin to help repel water
  • Try not to exfoliate your skin

A jagua stain starts off a light yellow color (OR COMPLETELY INVISIBLE) and takes 72 hours to fully oxidize and reach its mature navy blue color.