As founder Kapua Browning tells it, Honua Skincare was born from a desire to combine her passions for skincare, Hawaiian culture and healing botanicals.
Browning has been an esthetician for more than 20 years, but also grew up in a family that would utilize natural, traditional Hawaiian healing methodologies.
“When I became an esthetician, I decided to join forces with my husband who had been a student of laau lapaau at the time, to create an apothecary spa and line for my facial clients that offered products made with both Hawaiian plants and modern skincare ingredients and technology to address the root cause of skincare conditions,” she explained.
Before long, the demand for those products grew beyond what she could provide at her treatment room, and Browning launched Honua Skincare in 2015. The brand features a range of skincare products, including cleansing creams, serums, moisturizers and more, utilizing Hawaii botanicals such as olena, kalo and lilikoi.
In addition to e-commerce operations, the Oahu-based Honua Skincare can be found in retailers throughout the country, as well as a few international locations, and it has earned mentions in national publications such as Allure and Elle.
But when asked what accomplishment she is the proudest of to date, Browning highlighted the company’s efforts to help others: “being able to support Hawaiian farmers, donate to Hawaiian charter schools and reforestation projects ... and really make an impact on the community through sharing our healing skincare.”
Within the next year, Browning aims to expand the company’s distribution locally to have a presence in spas and boutiques on all islands. She also noted that she wants the company to have a larger warehouse space, and possibly its own flagship spa.
Browning said one of her goals as a member of Mana Up’s Cohort 9 is “to collaborate with other like-minded businesses.”
“If we can partner with the right companies and raise enough money and awareness, we are also hoping to open an extraction facility where we can help other local businesses that want to use Hawaiian-grown ingredients and help our Hawaiian farms add value to some abundant ingredients,” she said.
PBN is partnering with Mana Up to announce the 10 newest entrepreneurs joining Cohort 9 of its product business accelerator program, with profiles on each company slated to roll out one at a time through June 4. Stay tuned to pacificbusinessnews.com, and check out the June 7 print edition for the full roundup.
