Kama Hagar’s Eco-Lux Hawaiian Skincare Brand Helps Companies Become More Ethical and Sustainable

With the beauty industry growing at a rapid pace, it’s comforting to know there are female-run companies that are committed to creating products that are not only better for our health, but are environmentally conscious. These values ring true for indie brand, Mukama Botanica, a sustainable, luxury, skincare brand— founded by Kama Hagar, a Hawaiian healer and yoga/meditation teacher.

This business-savvy beauty lover took Mukama Botanica from a middle school hobby to a successful e-comm business that donates proceeds to non-profits that help restructure company programs to be more ethical and sustainable. We talk to Kama about her inspiration for starting Mukama, her commitment to sourcing Mukama’s ingredients ethically, and how we can contribute to the health of our environment through beauty.

Kama, tell us about how your upbringing in Maui inspired you to create Mukama - an eco-friendly, handmade, luxury skincare line?

Skin Superfood Serum, $99, High Vibes Face Mist , $55

I grew up part-time in the jungle of Huelo, Hawai’i in a home my family named, "Mu," after the mystical, lost Pacific continent. This place, alive with pure magic, vibrant fruit trees and fragrant, blooming flowers, secret waterfalls and sacred mana (energy) inspired my every move. This land taught me everything about the power of nature and the importance of connecting with and honoring it. My last days at Mu before my family sold our home, I studied Hawaiian healing with native healers and elders.

With a love for self-care and beauty, I knew that whatever I created in the world must leave no negative trace... so I launched Mukama Botanica. Mukama means "child of Mu" in Hawaiian.

We love the phrase you coined 'selfless self care.’ Can you explain what that means to you?

Thank you! Mukama Botanica is 100% organic, natural, vegan, handmade luxury skincare inspired by Hawaiian botanicals and enveloped in recycled packaging. We took a vow to never deliver just another product. We vowed to only create products that heal, inspire, and give. Our mission is to show the world how to selflessly take care of ourselves.

3% of your proceeds go towards restructuring corporate programs to be more ethical and sustainable. Tell us more about your plans/program to help companies be more environmentally conscious.

We donate 3% of proceeds from our Skin Superfood Serum to As You Sow - an incredible nonprofit whose mission is to "promote environmental and social corporate responsibility through shareholder advocacy, coalition building, and innovative legal strategies." We strongly believe that working to restructure major leading company programs is the key to healing our planet and healing humanity on both preventative and restorative levels. In 2018 alone, As You Sow worked with McDonald's to stop their use of polystyrene foam cups globally and Cargill, Hershey, Mars, and Nestle to investigate and prevent toxic, heavy metals in their chocolate products.

We imagine sourcing organic ingredients could prove to be challenging. What was the process of developing a skincare line? Tell us about roadblocks you ran into as you built your company.

It was definitely a challenge. Finding the manufacturer I work so closely with now was also a major challenge. Some roadblocks I ran into were as general as unit numbers being too high and as crazy as being turned down because my bottles were square, not round. My manufacturer helped me research the background on each ingredient's source down to the personal lives of the company founders. Crazy? Yes, but worth it - we promised truly ethical, high vibe skincare.

How did you decide what products you wanted to create? What was it like perfecting the formula? How long did the entire process take?

To ensure my personal products were as clean and natural as possible, I have been crafting my own skincare since I was in middle school. Though I loved crafting these potions, I never planned to sell them. As a pretty bad skin-picker (don't follow in my footsteps here!), I knew I needed to create something to help fade my facial scars. With nothing natural on the market, I did my own research and experimenting. After a few months, mastered a serum-oil-hybrid that helped all of my superficial facial scars completely fade and brighten. It was actually my boyfriend who said, "sell this stuff!"

The story of our second product, High Vibe Face Mist is a little more flowery: while studying with my kumu (teacher) of Hawaiian healing, I mixed together tangerine, sandalwood (used in Hawaiian ceremony to connect to the gods and the earth) and rose water. All of which are extremely healing and balancing to the skin. By this point, I had upgraded from mixing in my kitchen to working with my genius manufacturer. She tweaked the recipe to pH-balance each and every batch.

What do you think the future of skincare looks like? Five/Ten years from now?

I believe the future of skincare is pure and selfless. I think people are starting to get how important what goes on our skin is, but only recently are people starting to understand that it doesn't just stop at our skin and bodies. Our planet can't take anymore chemicals in our waterways or plastic packaging in the bellies of animals. 100% natural, vegan, organic, recycled and biodegradable are the future.

How can beauty lovers make more environmentally conscious purchases?

I pretty much live by "if you can't eat it, don't put it on your skin." Read the labels - it's beyond pronunciation - truly do your research with every product you consider. It's worth your wallet, your body and our planet.

What’s the best piece of beauty advice you’ve ever received?

"Listen to your body."

We’re firm believers that women can have it all. How do you balance your personal life and running Mukama?

Aside from having a positive mindset, I feel so lucky to be doing what I love in a beautifully holistic and integrated way. Whether I'm teaching or practicing Hawaiian Healing and meditation, taking a salt bath, blogging, walking in nature or crunching numbers for new skincare products, it's all empowering people to love themselves, love the planet and practice selfless self-care.

Kama is Living A Life Curated…

Last show you binged watched: Love is Blind

Favorite book to recommend: The Circle by Laura Day

If you could have lunch with any woman, who would it be? Adriene Mishler

Coffee or tea? Matcha