What is the essence of Leahlani Skincare?
Leahlani Skincare is a beautiful blend of Hawaiian nectars, tropical beauty oils, vibrant botanicals, and the most gorgeous blend of aromatherapy you have ever experienced. My intention is that you find a deeper connection with your skin and your products, transforming your skincare routine into a ritual of beauty that you look forward to every day.
Why did you lean towards holistic skincare when you began your “healing” journey?
I knew, intuitively, that my skin was trying to tell me something. I was 25 years old and developed full-blown cystic acne, and had been experiencing horrible ovarian cyst ruptures and pain that caused me to drop out of school and be put on full-blown bed rest for four weeks. I was recommended a surgery to remove my ovaries, so I was left thinking… there has to be another way. It was fate that led me to find a holistic esthetician school on Maui, and I knew that was where my journey towards healing would begin. Before this, I wasn’t paying attention to the signals my body was telling me until it started showing up on my face. With skincare and even healthcare, there are quick fixes. These quick fixes are often band-aids, covering up underlying issues. I chose the slower route, and the holistic approach to healing… to me it just made sense. Plus, I knew I wasn’t alone – so many people suffer from skin conditions, and I just wanted to be able to help. And after working one-on-one with my clients as an esthetician, I knew that there was a way I could help more people on a much larger scale – and this was the catalyst for starting Leahlani Skincare.
What is one of the most valuable lessons you learned while working in a spa?
I learned about connection, healing, and the power of touch. I learned how to become a messenger, to help convey the messages that my client’s body and skin were trying to communicate to them. I learned how to help people take care of their skin, and their spirit, through practices of self-care and self-awareness. It was transformational.
From those of us stuck in an office all day: does “island life” ever affect your (and the company’s) overall productivity? ?
That is a great question! You know, Kauai’s a magical place. One side of your house can be raining like crazy, while the other side is dry and sunny. As I type this, I am sitting at my desk and looking out the window to blue skies and sunshine – and an hour ago, it was grey skies and raining. The only time I notice a shift in overall mood in the studio is when there are times where it has been raining for weeks at a time – everything (including productivity) starts to feel damp. But nothing lasts forever, and the rain always brings rainbows and gorgeous waterfalls.
What are some of your more personal daily rituals which help you stay balanced & centered?
I love walking outside the studio for a break. We are on four acres, and two of the acres are a forest with a gorgeous waterfall and stream running through it. There are various fruit trees, so I nibble on citrus or cherries and just take a few deep breaths, connecting with the earth. I also try to take an hour yoga class every evening, it gives me something to look forward to and really helps me to mellow down at the end of the day. I also have the two sweetest cats in the world, and any moment I have to snuggle and play with them makes my heart swell.
Leahlani has quickly grown to be one of the leading natural & organic skincare brands in all of Hawaii ~ what are some of the toughest obstacles you’ve faced along the way?
Wow, thank you! There have been obstacles every single step of the way. I have learned as of late to not look at them as obstacles, per se, but rather as little speed bumps or detours. My background is as an esthetician and formulator, so learning how to be a business owner and CEO has been a journey of its own. I am involved in nearly every aspect of the business, and there are times where it can seem completely overwhelming. But at the end of the day, I LOVE what I do – and I have only scratched the surface of what I want to do with Leahlani. When we launched our website in 2016 – we had to move the business two weeks after. We completely grew out of the space in a matter of weeks. Two years ago, we had to move into a bigger space. Learning how to scale up as an artisanal, small company has brought with it its challenges, but it has also been equally rewarding. Learning to step out of my comfort zone has probably been one of the most difficult things I have had to overcome. I have always shied away from having the spotlight on me, I am not shy, I would just say I am more introverted and prefer one-on-one instead of talking with a group of people. It is getting easier, but it is definitely something I struggle with. I have an amazing team, an amazing husband and family, and an absolutely incredible group of friends that are so supportive and loving. I am not sure what I would do without them.
Are most of the ingredients in Leahlani products sourced from the islands?
Our honey-based products (Honey Love, Mermaid Mask, and Meli GLOW Illuminating Nectar Mask) are made up of about 75% local Hawaiian ingredients. We do source our raw honey, some of our essential oils, salts, and sea silt from the Islands. But we also do source the best ingredients that we can have shipped to us from all areas of the globe. I am extremely picky, so I may get one or two essential oils from a certain supplier – and the others from other suppliers. It depends on the vibrancy and potency of each ingredient. Hawaii is a difficult place to grow a lot of the ingredients that we use in our products, it rains a lot here and the climate is very humid. But our studio is on acreage, and we are working on growing ingredients that we can use in limited edition, seasonal products. I cannot wait to share this with everyone!
In what ways does sustainability play a role in the company’s production process?
We are a small business with a very unique formulation process. Everything we do with Leahlani is done in-house. There are no private labs or pre-made bases that we use in our formulas. Each ingredient arrives to us in its pure and raw form – and every product is made in intimate and fresh batches weekly. We purchase our ingredients in smaller quantities and more often – so that we have the freshest, seasonal crop at all times. Our studio is solar-powered, and we use an energy saving system that gives us hot water on demand. We are also able to recycle about 90% of the packaging material that comes into our studio – we use it to package large domestic and international wholesale orders, and we have a few business owners on island who are able to provide us with their excess packaging material for us to re-use. Every ingredient we use is cruelty-free, and with the exception of our honey-based products, most all of our products are vegan. We will be working throughout this year and into the next on growing our very own ingredients to use in limited edition and seasonal formulas. When you live on a little island, you realize how large your impact truly is – and we do our very best to be mindful of our ecological footprint.
What lies in Leahlani’s near future?
So much! So very much. I have been doing a lot of traveling lately, and we have so many exciting projects in the works. Lets just say there may be a lot more Leahlani signature facials coming soon to spas near you.
Any final words you’d like to share with our readers?
Gratitude. Leahlani chose me, and I am just grateful to be along for the ride. Being able to connect with you all, and to be entrusted with caring for your skin is both an honor and a huge blessing. Thank you so much for letting me share with you all.
Tags: Behind the Brand, Skin Care
J. R. Thesis Smith is a mixed-race millenial in the dawn of their 30s & a wordsmith of sorts. They've spent most of their waking life in the U.S. – in the urban sprawl of NYC that is New Jersey, in the depths of its suburban echoes – but always dreamed of making their way across a bigger pond, to a place where opportunity would knock a little more often. After completing their training at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts (effectively spending three poor years in NYC) as a dance major, they gifted themselves a semester of studying abroad in Berlin, and in doing so kept a vow made in early adolescence – thereby inciting a metamorphosis of promise into full-bodied intention: to eventually fully emigrate to Berlin, the first space that had ever allowed them the freedom to find their own breath, their pace of existence. Now that they finally live there, they're learning how to breathe again – striving to become a more active member of the Undercommons as they continue on the odyssey that is their self-realization as an artistic being. Their most resonant hope is that they will be able to say what is true & necessary & kind; that people will find the time to listen, to themselves and each other; and that their voice will inspire other voices to speak out in turn.
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