Jagua is the most recent temporary tattoo service
offered by A Rainbow Studio.
Although it leaves a blue-grey or blackish stain
on the skin, Jagua is NOT black henna.
Henna is never black. It is always brown.
There is nothing that changes the color of
henna. If someone tells you they have black
henna, they are putting something besides
henna on your skin.
It is important to understand this because
sometimes people use black (or color) hair die
and call it henna. Hair die has chemicals in it that
can be dangerous for some people.
I'm sorry about the rant on so called black henna
but I feel everyone needs to be aware that not all
products on the market are safe.
So always ask questions especially if you are
putting any material on kids.
Now, back to Jagua.

The product comes from the eatable fruit of the
Genia Americana plant found in the rain forests
through out the world. Jagua stains the skin
bluish grey or bluish black for about 1-2 weeks.
Everyone's skin is different so it is difficult to say
how dark the stain will get or how long it will last.
The best results are when the material is placed
close to the hands or feet where the skin is the
thickest. However, really good stains can be
obtained in other locations such as the lower
back, shoulder, arm etc.

One of the best ways to get the darkest and
longest lasting stain from Jagua is to leave the
material on your skin as long as possible.
We suggest at least 2 hrs but 4-6 hrs is better.
Another way to get the most out of Jagua is to
avoid scrubbing the area with a wash cloth.
Finally, avoid chlorine in the pool or jacuzzi as
much as passable and the stain will last longer.
You can put oil and lotion on the tattoo any time
after you remove the Jagua.

Now that I have explained some facts about
Jagua, let me tell you how we will apply the
material to the skin.
First, the area is cleaned with alcohol.
Then the design is drawn on the skin with Jagua.
The area must stay exposed, without contact with
clothes or water for as long as possible and
nothing touching the tattoo, (like hair, shoe
strap,purse etc.) until the material is removed at
least 2 hrs after it is applied.
Jagua looks like jelly when it is first put on the
skin. It is extremely easy to smear and it will stain
everything it comes in contact with including
clothes and furniture so be careful. After about 1
hr., the tattoo will dry to the touch, then you
won't have to be so careful with it. Even though
the Jagua is dry to the touch, it must be
completely removed before going to sleep. If it
isn't taken off, there is a good chance it will
smear on the sheets and stain other parts of the
body. There is no way to correct this if it
happens. You can only wait until the skin wears
off. So be careful.

There are two ways to remove Jagua. You can
simply let the material fall off on it's own. Don't
peal it off because it will leave a space in the
design. Or, if it is really stuck, gently rub water
on the area and loosen the Jagua. If you use
water from the sink, shower or jump in the
ocean, make sure the material is completely off
the skin. If any of it pools any were on the skin, it
will stain. Don't use soap or a rag, just your hand.
You need to feel it and it feels sticky. It's like
having pineapple juice really stuck to your skin.
You need to get the sticky part completely off
your skin. It is most important that none of it
remains on the skin. So be careful. If you can't
reach it, get someone to help if you can. If you
can't find someone, then use a towel but make
sure you get the material completely off your
skin. Use lots of water.
When the Jagua is removed,the tattoo will
disappear completely. In about 10 to 20 hrs the
stain will be dark. Usually 48 hrs after it is
applied, the stain will be as dark as it will get and
it should last a week or two.

Jagua stains both dark and light skin equally as
well. The difference is the contrast.
I am including some samples of Jagua so you
can get some idea of what it looks like when it is
applied to the skin and when it has stained the
skin.

We have a lot of designs to choose from at our
shop in Waikiki. Jagua is drawn directly on the
skin without a stencil. Our artists are able to do
custom designs but not copyright art such as
Playboy Bunny, Superman logo, Mickey Mouse
etc. We can also work from cell phones if you
have a design or want to look something up.