Frequently Asked Questions
Product Use & Education
Hapé is a traditional Amazonian botanical snuff that has been used for generations by Indigenous tribes in ceremonial and spiritual contexts to support grounding, clarity, and connection.
It is typically administered using a kuripe (self-applicator) or tepi (administered by another), and is always approached with prayer, intention, and respect. Beginners are encouraged to start with a very small amount and to create a quiet, intentional setting.
All hapé is provided for educational purposes only, and individuals are responsible for their own relationship with these traditional medicines.
Choosing hapé is an intuitive process. Each blend carries its own traditional lineage, strength, and energetic quality.
We recommend reviewing our educational guides and instructional videos, which share information about each variety we carry and how to work with hapé respectfully—especially for first-time users.
Traditional hapé blends do contain jungle tobaccos, which naturally include nicotine.
Hapé is not intended for habitual, recreational, or social use. It is traditionally worked with ceremonially and approached with intention and respect. Indigenous cultures commonly practice periods of abstention to maintain balance with the medicine.
If you ever feel a sense of dependency, we recommend taking time away from working with hapé and focusing on restoring balance before resuming.
For additional support, visit fourvisionsintegration.com.
We recommend beginning with a very small amount, roughly the size of a dime or less. Starting small allows you to build awareness of how your body and system respond.
Our instructional videos provide visual guidance for beginners and are highly recommended before first use.
You may find support through our Four Visions Youtube Channel.
Here is a video from our founder, Mariah, on application:
There is no universally “correct” time to work with hapé. Some people choose mornings for clarity, while others work with it later in the day for grounding.
We encourage trusting your intuition and always approaching hapé with prayer and intention rather than routine or habit.
Hapé is a tobacco snuff and is legal to travel with within the United States. When traveling internationally, regulations vary by country. We recommend reviewing your destination’s customs requirements before traveling.
Hapé does not expire, but it can lose potency over time. For long-term storage, we recommend keeping it in an airtight container and storing it in the freezer to maintain freshness.
Yes. Sananga is a fresh plant preparation with no preservatives. While it undergoes a heat pasteurization process for transport, it should be refrigerated upon receipt.
Properly stored, sananga has an approximate 6-month shelf life. If it develops a strong sour odor or visible mold, it should not be used.
Yes. A burning sensation is a normal part of the traditional sananga experience and typically subsides within minutes.
Our botanical tinctures have a shelf life of up to two years or longer when stored properly.
Store your botanicals in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heat. Keep tinctures tightly sealed and herbs in airtight containers to preserve freshness and potency. Proper storage helps maintain the integrity and shelf life of your plant medicines.
The alcohol used in our tinctures is gluten-free; however, we are not a certified gluten-free facility. If you have a severe gluten allergy, please take appropriate precautions.
Each tincture includes recommended usage instructions on the bottle. Tinctures may be taken directly or diluted in water.
Our tinctures are formulated to not contraindicate one another; however, we always recommend consulting your healthcare provider before beginning any new herbal products.
- Dried herbs, teas, and steams: 1–3 years
- Ceremonial cacao: 1–2 years when stored in a cool, dry place away from heat and sunlight
Yes. All of our ceremonial-grade cacao is third-party tested for heavy metals, including lead and cadmium, to ensure safety and purity.
Our most recent testing showed:
- Lead: Not detected
- Cadmium: 0.12 ppm, well below the legal safety threshold of 0.9 ppm
These results are consistent across our cacao sourced from Belize, Tanzania, Guatemala, Mexico, and Ecuador.
We are deeply committed to providing clean, high-quality cacao that you can enjoy with confidence. Every batch is carefully sourced and tested to meet strict safety standards while preserving the integrity and traditional preparation of the plant.
Yes. While many of our botanicals can be prepared as teas or taken internally as directed, a small number of herbs we carry are for external use only and should not be ingested.
These plants are traditionally used in plant baths, topical preparations, or external medicine making, such as salves, creams, lotions, or sprays.
Herbs intended for external use only include:
- Anima Zarrandango
- Borrachero
- Chondur
- Destrancadera
- Yagé leaves
We always recommend following traditional usage guidelines and product instructions carefully. If you’re ever unsure how to work with a specific plant, our team is happy to help guide you.
Plant baths are traditionally prepared as an herbal infusion, not by placing loose herbs directly into your bathtub.
To prepare a plant bath:
- Add the herbs to a large pot of water
- Gently simmer for 30–45 minutes to create a strong herbal infusion
- Strain the liquid
- Pour the prepared bath slowly over your body
Rather than soaking in a bath, plant baths are traditionally poured over the body for several consecutive days, often in prayer, reflection, or with clear intention. This method honors the ancestral “plant bath technology” used throughout Amazonian and Indigenous traditions for energetic, emotional, and spiritual cleansing.
For a step-by-step demonstration and deeper guidance, we recommend watching our instructional video.
