Discover the unique story behind the creation of the Rahua luxury brand and the secret ingredient that made it all happen.
In the middle of the Amazon rainforest lay a secret waiting to be discovered by two creatives, Fabian Lliguin and Anna Ayers. At the time of their meeting, Fabian Lliguin was a hair stylist in New York City and Anna Ayers was a fashion designer. The two met while Fabian was working on Anna’s hair in a NYC salon one evening. As Anna was the last customer in the salon and it was late, Fabian invited her to dinner to finish a conversation that had started while he was doing her hair. While discovering their mutual passion for nature, art, and environmental work over dinner, they fell in love. Lliguin, being of Incan descent, had always admired the lush quality of the Amazon rainforest, its rich textures and colors that were also an aspiration for Ayers work. When Lliguin discovered that an oil company was threatening the health of the Amazon, the couple got alarmed and founded Ecoagents®, an NGO that protects the Amazon, its people, and its cultural heritage.
Through various environmental mission trips, the couple deepened their love for the rainforest, increased their appreciation of Amazon people, and fell further in love. On one mission, the couple met with the indigenous Quechua-Shuar tribes. Lliguin was struck by the women’s extraordinary radiant, strong, luscious, and long hair.
Upon asking them how they achieved such healthy hair, the women let the couple in on an Amazonian secret: the use of rahua, a natural oil that comes from the Ungurahua nut. The rare oil is hand-harvested by Quechua-Shuar tribes through a ceremonial practice. After the trip, the couple brought some rahua back home. Lliguin’s clients were blown away by the way the oil transformed their hair, restoring and replenishing it in an entirely natural way. This discovery inspired the couple to begin a collaboration with the Quechua-Shuar women, and a hair and beauty line was born.
Rahua® by Amazon Beauty® honors the rituals, independence, and wisdom of the Amazon people. The line helps the Quechua-Shuar tribes create and sustain local economies that keep the Amazon alive and healthy. The brand hopes to empower indigenous groups to uphold their traditions, remain guardians of the rainforest and maintain the balance of nature. The Rahua® brand includes 26 earth-friendly, sustainable, clean, natural, and plant-powered products enriched with the rare, non-toxic, hand-harvested, Amazonian secret: rahua. Unlike other synthetic silicones and botanical oils, Rahua® enters the hair cortex, repairing it and smoothing the cuticle.
With a purchase from Rahua® comes an assurance that you are helping to preserve the ancient wisdom of the Amazon rainforest. The couple has made a lasting influence on the beauty industry, showing how natural products can achieve remarkable results, all the while supporting and nurturing the environments the ingredients are derived from. Beauty products, the couple believes, can be powerful means to connect with nature, the fresh, colorful, biodiverse, precious Amazon green forests, and the tradition embedded in it.
For more information go to https://rahua.com
