Into the Jungle with the Founders of Rahua Beauty
BWB gets to know Rahua’s founders, as well as the meaningful story behind rainforest grown beauty and its crucial impact.
Grateful for an extra hour of sleeping and snoozing my alarm, I climbed out of bed and headed to Manhattan for a 10:15 breakfast meeting. In just a couple of subway stops and a short walk from my humble abode in Williamsburg, I arrived at Tartinery–a rustic, modern café providing a quiet, caffeinated sanctuary in the middle of a bustling, corporate midtown. While admiring the simple white decor and splashes of terrestrial greenery, I quickly snapped out of my daze when I caught a glimpse of Anna’s luscious locks from the corner of my eye. While her husband and business partner, Fabian, was in the Amazonian rainforest searching for Rahua’s next ingenious product and could not attend, her radiant smile and warm Southern hospitality beamed brightly before us.
After I remarked on the near-perfect bounce of Anna’s curls, she soon began explaining the haircare magic of Rahua’s story, philosophy and production process. From pure, natural ingredients to regular visits to the Amazon Rainforest to meaningful connections with the indigenous people, Rahua has paved its own meaningful path to groundbreaking success in the haircare industry.
[Fabian’s responses]–
YOUR BUSINESS
Your inspiration for starting your business…
Rahua is a business born through our environmental work in protection of the rainforest. Our foundation is built upon a passion for environmental preservation. Ecoagents® is our non-profit organization created to defend and protect the natural areas of the world from pollution, damage, destruction, with an emphasis on the Amazon Rainforest.
Our mission is to empower the indigenous people to create and sustain an economy based on preserving their traditions, while simultaneously remaining strong as the forest’s guardians and protectors living in balance and nurturing its abundance for generations.
While we were on an environmental mission, we were introduced to the rare Rahua oil by the Amazonian women who had this incredibly long, healthy, smooth hair. As a hairdresser by trade, I was amazed at the results I saw when I shared it with clients at my salon. It was this discovery that lead us to founding our company, established with philanthropy built into the DNA. Rahua is dedicated to the preservation of the Amazon Rainforest and the indigenous people who live there. Our mission is to empower the indigenous people to create and sustain an economy based on preserving their traditions, while simultaneously remaining strong as the forest’s guardians and protectors living in balance and nurturing its abundance for generations.
Rahua believes that caring for your hair and skin with clean, non-toxic formulations is an essential part of overall health. Everything we put on our hair, scalp and skin is absorbed into the body. All Rahua products are made with organic, natural and pure plant-derived ingredients. Our inspiration remains twofold: Connecting our customers to nature by providing clean, non-toxic clean beauty products while helping the Amazon inhabitants create a healthy and self-sustained economy.
How to be an effective leader…
We hope to be viewed as leaders making an effort to save the planet by reducing our carbon footprint, thus elevating oxygen in the atmosphere. Our goal is to change the way people look at beauty products so that they understand that they can have highly effective, results-oriented, luxurious beauty products that are created with natural, plant-based, ingredients instead of petroleum-based, toxic chemicals. Through this change, we can make a dent in cleaning up the environment and saving the earth, which is being destroyed by mankind and materialism. We are naturalists and minimalists who live and breathe our ideology every day, and look to share our philosophy with as many people as possible so that they begin to understand the difference they’re able make, no matter how big or small.
New projects for Rahua…
Rahua has many new exciting product launches coming in 2019! In January, we will be launching Rahua Smoothing Hair Balm, a compact, pocket-sized beauty must-have for quick-fix hair care solutions! Lightweight and small enough to slip into a pocket, purse, or pouch, this nourishing, anti-frizz hair balm moisturizes and smooths dry hair. We will also be launching in early 2019 Palo Santo Oil Perfume. Rahua was the first beauty brand to incorporate the natural oil of Palo Santo into the brand’s hair and body care products as a natural preservative along with its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, as well, as its captivating, beautiful scent. This essential oil has quickly become a cult-favorite and Rahua’s signature scent, so we’re thrilled to launch it in an elegant, sleek, rectangular glass packaging with a rollerball application.
[Anna’s responses]–
YOUR CITY: NEW YORK
What you love most…
EVERYTHING! The energy, the fashion, the food, the accessibility… there’s nothing you can’t have in New York!
Favorite afternoon café…
Go-to lunch place…
YOUR DAY
Morning beauty routine…
I start the day with early morning yoga and meditation and wake up with the refreshment of a shower with Rahua Shower Gel. A cup of my favorite herbal tea blend tops it off!
Perfect outfit…
A shirtdress, booties and my favorite jewelry.
Evening relaxation…
Reading, listening to music, and relaxing at home with our young children, including a newborn!
YOUR BEAUTY
Must-have skincare products…
Pai Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser, Patyka Huile Absolue
Favorite perfume…
Our new Rahua Palo Santo Oil Perfume. Palo Santo is my therapy and with the new rollerball application, it’s the perfect way to stay energized throughout the day!
YOUR TRAVELS
What do you always take with you…
The Rahua Jet Setter Kit
Do you have any travel obsessions…
Yes, I love to read when I travel. It’s great to be able to catch up on reading on plane rides.
Latest travel discoveries…
Entering new tribal territories – our key to the jungle!!
Originally from Los Angeles, Alicia lived in Shanghai for 11 years before moving back to the states to attend the University of Miami, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and minors in art and philosophy. Currently residing in New York City, Alicia applies her knowledge of strategic communication and design in her career. She enjoys painting, rugby, exploring, and more often than not, you’ll find her petting someone’s dog.
