INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY: FEMALE FOUNDERS SPEAK

Every year, International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 as a day that celebrates women's achievement, raises awareness about discrimination and take action to drive gender parity.

This year, the female torchbearers of some of the beauty brands available at KENS Apothecary share their thoughts about beauty, the role of women and how they will continue to #InspireInclusion towards a better world.

Anna Ayers, Co-founder & CEO of Rahua

How does your brand inspire diversity and inclusion for women around the world?

Rahua is as a unifying brand; it brings people together for a common purpose, to preserve the Amazon rainforest and enjoy nature’s gifts. Through Rahua, we share ancient Indigenous rituals with women all over the world that Amazonian women have made and used for centuries. The result of this ceremonial handmade process is a powerful hair oil and a hair care collection that adapts to the needs of all hair types and delivers health and strength to all strands.

What is your go-to product?

One of my all-time favourite is Rahua Leave-In Treatment. It is the second product we created and I have used it almost every day since. It is a rich cream with a high concentration of Rahua oil, keeping hair ends protected from breakage and allowing for hair to grow healthy, strong and long. It offers heat protection and is a perfect daily hair moisturiser with treatment benefits that includes the beloved Palo Santo oil.

Why did you choose KENS Apothecary for your Malaysian market?

Rahua is a global brand created to preserve the Amazon Rainforest and to deliver to our clients the highest performing plant-powered hair care in the market. In many ways, KENS Apothecary shares our values for product quality and sustainability, and it was just a perfect match.

What’s a line that you hold on to?

As women we have the power to create the life we want, shape the world we live in and the future that the next generations will inherit.

Kiho Watanabe, Founder of UKA Haircare

How does UKA inspire customers?

UKA inspires the joy and satisfaction of self-care and how looking after yourself is one of the best things you can do for yourself. We startes our business from a salon and we have professional knowledge and skills to provide solution for hair care. So our customers enjoy our products from their effects, fragrance and packaging.

What’s your favourite product from your own line-up?

I love all my products, especially Better Nail Serum, Color Base Coat and Nail Oil. They are my cuticle livesavers.

Why did you choose to work with KENS Apothecary in Malaysia?

Before we decided to work with Ken, we have talked many times about what he thinks about organic brands. Ken has a passion and he understands our brand concept and potential well. Besides, KENS Apothecary offers brands with cutting-edge skincare technologies and niche fragrances from around the world to meet the needs of diverse tastes, skin tones and skin types.

Can you share one quote to inspire women?

Find an imagery that makes your heart tremble with joy; and enjoy the trial and error that comes afterwards.

Margaret de Heinrich de Omorovicza, Founder of Omorovicza luxury skincare

How inclusive is beauty?

I believe beauty, by its very nature, is inclusive. Beauty's inclusivity stems from its profound ability to resonate with every individual, regardless of gender, ethnicity or background, and by nurturing a sense of well-being and inner contentment that transcends physical attributes. Beauty celebrates the unique and diverse ways in which each person experiences and radiates it.

What’s your go-to product?

My favourite Omorovicza go-to products currently (as they are always changing) are the Queen Essence and Queen Serum – they both work instantly and make such a visible difference to my skin, that I cannot live without them.

Why did you choose KENS Apothecary to partner with in Malaysia?

Stephen and I chose KENS Apothecary because of Ken. We love Ken and the company he founded and what he stands for, and we love his team and his philosophy. In this business, there are some clear, leading lights – the type of folks you work a bit harder for and Ken is one of them.