You've got questions, we've got answers.
Paste on
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Fresh stain, immediately after paste removal
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48 hours after paste removal
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What is henna paste made of?
Natural henna is made out of only a few simple ingredients, the main ingredient being finely ground Henna leaves. The Henna plant is a tall shrub that's native to North Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. From these shrubs, the newest leaves are sought after for their high dye yields.
Jo makes her own luscious paste from scratch, which consists of: organic henna leaf powder, organic vegan sugar, organic lemon juice, distilled water, and a unique blend of organic essential oils. Each of these ingredients have a very purposeful function in the paste: sugar helps the paste stick to the skin, lemon helps increase the longevity of this perishable paste, and essential oils rich with monoterpene alcohols help release the dye molecules into your skin, and darken more rapidly.
What about Black Henna?
Not-so-fun-fact, Black "henna" isn't actually henna at all! It's a concoction of toxic chemicals mixed into a paste that may or may not have real henna in it at all. The main ingredient in this imposter is PPD, aka Para-phenylendiamine which is black hair dye in extremely high concentrations. PPD is a strong sensitizer, transdermal toxin and potential carcinogen. Meaning, even if you have had zero issues having this applied to your skin in the past, the next time you have it applied could result in severe chemical burns or even anaphylactic shock. If your artist is claiming instant stains, doesn't make their own henna/know exactly what is in it, the cones are shelf-stable (don't need to be frozen) and/or the paste smells funky, stay far away! You will also notice these stains do not have an "ombre" effect up the arm like natural henna does. This goes for all other colors of "henna" on the market.
What about Jagua?
Jagua (hog-wah, or jag-wah) has been gaining a lot of traction recently, and is a very neat natural body art form! Jagua gel is made from the raw juice of a fruit from the Genipa Americana tree originating in the rainforests of South America, where you can find several indigenous tribes that use it as body art. It has several similarities to henna: Jagua gel stains begin a very faint gray and develop over the next 12-18 hours in to a rich blue-black stain and can last for up to 2-3 weeks. Artfully Empowered does not offer this service currently. If you are interested in this service as an alternative to black henna, please reach out, I would love to direct you to artists in the area who do offer this beautiful medium!
I'm pregnant and/or nursing, is henna safe for me and my baby?
Absolutely! Henna is an extremely safe herb, with the added bonus of having calming properties, which one of the qualities that makes it so popular for blessingways and weddings! The organic essential oils I add to my paste have all been approved for use in pregnancy and breastfeeding. However, if you have a citrus allergy or other allergies, please let me know when you book your appointment so I can make a batch tailored to your needs!
How can I prepare for my henna appointment?
Great question! Luckily, there are only a couple simple tips to best prepare for your appointment:
-Please do not use any moisturizing products on the area you'd like done on the day of your henna appointment.
-Shaving the area is always appreciated, but never expected. Copious amounts of hair can inhibit the application process by making it tough for the henna to reach the skin cleanly. Jo can absolutely work with body hair, but it does slow down the process, so please keep that in mind.
-Be mindful that menstruation can effect the staining abilities for some folks if henna is applied during that time.
-Chlorine greatly inhibits staining capabilities. Avoid plans to go swimming in a pool in the days/week after your appointment, otherwise your stain will disappear.
What does the henna aftercare all entail?
Mainly patience!
-Immediately after application, the design will take about 15-30 minutes to dry, depending on humidity and boldness of the design. It's important to remain fairly still during this phase, the wrong bend of the wrist or bump into a table could completely smudge the design and compromise the final outcome.
-Once dry, your design may be lightly spritzed with a sugar sealant spray. After that, it's highly recommended that you stay warm! You can use steam, warm heating pads, or sit beside a fireplace to keep the area warm. The henna dye molecules are more easily released from the paste and attracted to your skin the warmer you are.
-Keep the paste on for a minimum of 4 hours, though overnight tends to yield the best results for stain and longevity. Avoid flaking it off and let it fall off naturally until it is ready. Tools that can help remove sticky paste: credit cards, butter knives, disposable floss picks, vegetable oils (let saturate for a minute and then remove paste), paper towel, or an old hand towel you don't mind staining.
-Once paste is removed, applying moisturizing lotion or balm is highly recommend to protect your fresh orange stain!
-Avoid water on the area for at least 24 hours. If you are needing to shower or get your henna wet before then, apply a thick coat of balm or coconut oil to the area right beforehand.
How long do stains typically last?
You can expect 1-3 weeks depending on aftercare, and area of your body. Stains on the backs of your hands will typically last 1-2 weeks. Areas like your forearms and calves tend to last the longest due to less exfoliation happening in those areas. The richest stains appear on the thick skin of your palms and soles of the feet. The closer you get to the center of your body from there, the thinner the skin and less staining power. Chlorine greatly inhibits staining capabilities. Avoid plans to go swimming in a pool in the days/week after your appointment, otherwise your stain will disappear.
Natural henna is made out of only a few simple ingredients, the main ingredient being finely ground Henna leaves. The Henna plant is a tall shrub that's native to North Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. From these shrubs, the newest leaves are sought after for their high dye yields.
Jo makes her own luscious paste from scratch, which consists of: organic henna leaf powder, organic vegan sugar, organic lemon juice, distilled water, and a unique blend of organic essential oils. Each of these ingredients have a very purposeful function in the paste: sugar helps the paste stick to the skin, lemon helps increase the longevity of this perishable paste, and essential oils rich with monoterpene alcohols help release the dye molecules into your skin, and darken more rapidly.
What about Black Henna?
Not-so-fun-fact, Black "henna" isn't actually henna at all! It's a concoction of toxic chemicals mixed into a paste that may or may not have real henna in it at all. The main ingredient in this imposter is PPD, aka Para-phenylendiamine which is black hair dye in extremely high concentrations. PPD is a strong sensitizer, transdermal toxin and potential carcinogen. Meaning, even if you have had zero issues having this applied to your skin in the past, the next time you have it applied could result in severe chemical burns or even anaphylactic shock. If your artist is claiming instant stains, doesn't make their own henna/know exactly what is in it, the cones are shelf-stable (don't need to be frozen) and/or the paste smells funky, stay far away! You will also notice these stains do not have an "ombre" effect up the arm like natural henna does. This goes for all other colors of "henna" on the market.
What about Jagua?
Jagua (hog-wah, or jag-wah) has been gaining a lot of traction recently, and is a very neat natural body art form! Jagua gel is made from the raw juice of a fruit from the Genipa Americana tree originating in the rainforests of South America, where you can find several indigenous tribes that use it as body art. It has several similarities to henna: Jagua gel stains begin a very faint gray and develop over the next 12-18 hours in to a rich blue-black stain and can last for up to 2-3 weeks. Artfully Empowered does not offer this service currently. If you are interested in this service as an alternative to black henna, please reach out, I would love to direct you to artists in the area who do offer this beautiful medium!
I'm pregnant and/or nursing, is henna safe for me and my baby?
Absolutely! Henna is an extremely safe herb, with the added bonus of having calming properties, which one of the qualities that makes it so popular for blessingways and weddings! The organic essential oils I add to my paste have all been approved for use in pregnancy and breastfeeding. However, if you have a citrus allergy or other allergies, please let me know when you book your appointment so I can make a batch tailored to your needs!
How can I prepare for my henna appointment?
Great question! Luckily, there are only a couple simple tips to best prepare for your appointment:
-Please do not use any moisturizing products on the area you'd like done on the day of your henna appointment.
-Shaving the area is always appreciated, but never expected. Copious amounts of hair can inhibit the application process by making it tough for the henna to reach the skin cleanly. Jo can absolutely work with body hair, but it does slow down the process, so please keep that in mind.
-Be mindful that menstruation can effect the staining abilities for some folks if henna is applied during that time.
-Chlorine greatly inhibits staining capabilities. Avoid plans to go swimming in a pool in the days/week after your appointment, otherwise your stain will disappear.
What does the henna aftercare all entail?
Mainly patience!
-Immediately after application, the design will take about 15-30 minutes to dry, depending on humidity and boldness of the design. It's important to remain fairly still during this phase, the wrong bend of the wrist or bump into a table could completely smudge the design and compromise the final outcome.
-Once dry, your design may be lightly spritzed with a sugar sealant spray. After that, it's highly recommended that you stay warm! You can use steam, warm heating pads, or sit beside a fireplace to keep the area warm. The henna dye molecules are more easily released from the paste and attracted to your skin the warmer you are.
-Keep the paste on for a minimum of 4 hours, though overnight tends to yield the best results for stain and longevity. Avoid flaking it off and let it fall off naturally until it is ready. Tools that can help remove sticky paste: credit cards, butter knives, disposable floss picks, vegetable oils (let saturate for a minute and then remove paste), paper towel, or an old hand towel you don't mind staining.
-Once paste is removed, applying moisturizing lotion or balm is highly recommend to protect your fresh orange stain!
-Avoid water on the area for at least 24 hours. If you are needing to shower or get your henna wet before then, apply a thick coat of balm or coconut oil to the area right beforehand.
How long do stains typically last?
You can expect 1-3 weeks depending on aftercare, and area of your body. Stains on the backs of your hands will typically last 1-2 weeks. Areas like your forearms and calves tend to last the longest due to less exfoliation happening in those areas. The richest stains appear on the thick skin of your palms and soles of the feet. The closer you get to the center of your body from there, the thinner the skin and less staining power. Chlorine greatly inhibits staining capabilities. Avoid plans to go swimming in a pool in the days/week after your appointment, otherwise your stain will disappear.