Natural Skincare

Natural Skincare

How this Hawaiian girl is disrupting skincare with her natural products

by Neha Suradkar

Sustainability is not a trend or a buzzword. Sustainability is about leaving our home, our community, and our Earth in a better way than we found it. It means we have to learn and act so that we can sustain ourselves and our future generations to come.” These are the words of Kapua Browning, Founder of Honua Hawaiian Skincare.

An avid surfer and a beach lover, Browning was born and raised in Palolo Valley on the island of O’ahu and was immersed in the Hawaiian culture from a young age. Due to surfing and playing in the sun, Browning started noticing sun damage on her skin and wanted to learn about holistic ways to heal her skin. She joined an aesthetics school and got trained as an aesthetician at the age of 25.

She also studied skincare formulations and cosmetology using both traditional and modern ingredients and technology. After a decade of experience as a licensed aesthetician and extended training in herbalism and product development, Browning began laying the foundation for her own hand-crafted skincare collection, Honua Skincare.

Honua means Earth, Land, or Foundation. At Honua Skincare, they believe that Mother Earth is the foundation of the company. All ingredients they use come from the Earth, so it was only fair to give credit where it was due. They strive to honor and give back to the Earth and named the brand Honua Skincare.

At Honua Skincare, the approach is to treat skin concerns at the root and fix the underlying cause of the skin condition rather than just masking it. They combine the traditional art of La’au Lapa’au (Hawaiian healing with plants) with modern skincare technology.

The ingredients are sourced from different farms to make sure not to over harvest one. They are always in communication with the farms on supply and how they can help to support the farms. Honua Skincare also supports farms and projects that don’t supply their ingredients, ensuring that natural resources are not depleted.

As explained by Browning, “Ancient Hawaiians were true pioneers of sustainability. We have this saying in Hawaiian- I ka wa ma mua, i ka wa ma hope; we look at the past as a guide to the future.”

58As a company, Honua Skincare uses sustainable packaging and source ingredients mindfully. It supports the communities and farms following practices like reforestation, ecological restoration, regenerative farming, and cultural roots to restore land and ecosystems. Read more at https://issuu.com/rareluxuryliving/docs/raremagazinesustainablepages/258