Redefining Beauty Through Plants and Place
Aging in today’s world is often seen as something to resist. We’re taught to chase youth, to erase wrinkles, to cover greys, to wage war on time itself. But at ʻOhi ʻOhi, we believe beauty doesn’t fade with age — it ripens. The longer we live, the more wisdom we carry, and our skin tells that story.
We don’t believe in “anti-aging.” We believe in aging with grace — with intention, nourishment, and connection. And we believe the plants around us — especially the ones we grow with our own hands — hold the key to that kind of beauty.
This is the heart of ethnobotanical skincare: a way of tending to your skin that is rooted in the land, informed by traditional knowledge, and aligned with the rhythms of nature.
It’s slow beauty. Seasonal. Soulful. Sensory. And incredibly powerful.
What Is Ethnobotanical Skincare?
Ethnobotany is the study of how people and cultures use plants — for food, medicine, ceremony, clothing, and yes, skincare. It’s where botany meets tradition. It’s the knowledge passed down from grandmothers and healers, from the forests, gardens, and kitchens.
Ethnobotanical skincare goes beyond ingredients and dives into relationship. When we make our face oils, we aren’t choosing herbs just because they’re trendy. We choose them because they thrive in our climate. Because we know how they feel in our hands. Because we’ve seen how they support the body, inside and out.
It’s not just about what plants do — it’s about who they are, where they grow, and what they mean to the people of that place.
At ʻOhi ʻOhi, our skincare line is born from our Kaua‘i garden. Every face oil, balm, and infusion begins in the soil. We grow or harvest herbs like gotu kola, moringa, noni, tulsi, and papaya leaf. We dry them in the sun, infuse them slowly in kukui nut oil, and bottle them in small batches with prayer and care.
These are not plant extracts or synthetic copies. These are real plants, used whole, in their original, untamed form.
Whole Plant Skincare vs. Isolated Actives
Most commercial skincare relies on isolated compounds — vitamin C, retinol, peptides — stripped from plants or made in labs. While these can be effective, they’re missing the full story. When you take one part of a plant and leave the rest behind, you lose the natural synergy that made that plant powerful in the first place.
Whole plant skincare keeps everything intact. Instead of extracting and refining, we infuse the entire leaf, root, or flower into oil — allowing all the nutrients, antioxidants, and energetics to work together.
For example, when we infuse moringa, the oil then contains not just vitamin A and E, but also over 90 nutrients and all the plant’s fatty acids and antioxidants. It’s calming, clarifying, and helps balance the skin without stripping it.
Whole plants are more gentle. More bioavailable. More in tune with our bodies. And they carry something synthetic products never can: a sense of place.
When you use our oils or balms, you’re not just moisturizing — you’re connecting with the land of Kaua‘i. You’re feeding your skin with something real.
Seasonal Skin and Listening to the Body
Just like food, skincare should shift with the seasons. Our bodies have different needs in summer than in winter, after childbirth versus before menopause, in dry weather versus humidity.
That’s why our Laʻau face oil changes with the seasons. One season it might be papaya leaf for exfoliation and brightening. Another, banana leaf for healing.
This seasonal approach isn’t a gimmick — it’s rooted in Indigenous wisdom and traditional medicine, where timing is everything. The plants that grow at certain times of year often align with what our bodies need in that moment.
We don’t fight those rhythms — we flow with them.
This rhythm also helps customers tune in. Instead of sticking to one skincare routine all year, you learn to feel into your skin’s needs. You reconnect to your senses. Your intuition wakes up. And your skin responds.
Embracing Aging as a Spiritual Journey
In many cultures, aging is revered. Wrinkles are signs of laughter. Freckles are memories of sunshine. Grey hairs are proof that we’ve lived. But somewhere along the way, Western beauty culture convinced us that all these signs were flaws.
We see things differently. Aging isn’t a problem to solve. It’s a process to honor.
When we speak of aging with grace, we’re talking about something deeper than appearance. We’re talking about growing more connected, more confident, more embodied.
Ethnobotanical skincare becomes a ritual in this process. Applying oil becomes an act of care, reverence, and affirmation. You’re not trying to look younger — you’re trying to feel rooted, present, and well.
And as we age, the skin benefits deeply from plant allies that support regeneration without forcing it. Gotu kola, known for its wound-healing and collagen-supporting properties, is one of our favorite herbs for this reason. We grow it ourselves. We love it. We use it in our balms and oils.
Our Process — From Garden to Glass
Here’s what makes ʻOhi ʻOhi skincare different:
- We grow or harvest the herbs ourselves. Many of our ingredients come from our own land in Kilauea. Others are sourced from top quality, organic ingredients that align with our integrity.
- We use slow infusion. Herbs are dried, crushed, and steeped in organic kukui nut oil for weeks — allowing the full plant essence to emerge. No quick methods. No high heat.
- We hand bottle each batch. With prayer, gratitude, and UV-protective glass. We keep our batches small to ensure freshness.
- We don’t use preservatives, fillers, or extracts. Just whole plants and organic oils.
- We honor the seasons. Our Laʻau oil changes with what’s growing.
This isn’t mass production. It’s plant medicine, made with love.
How to Begin Your Own Ethnobotanical Ritual
You don’t need a drawer full of products to start an ethnobotanical skincare practice. Just one oil. One moment of presence.
We suggest starting simple:
- After cleansing your face, apply a few drops of your favorite ‘Ohi ‘Ohi oil or balm to damp skin. Inhale. Pause.
- Notice the scent, the feel, the way your skin responds.
- Use your fingertips to gently massage your face, neck, and chest.
- Breathe. Give thanks. You’re not just applying oil. You’re applying years of wisdom — from the plant, the soil, and yourself.
Over time, this becomes more than a routine. It becomes a return to self.
Beauty That Nourishes Land, Body, and Culture
We believe the future of beauty is slow, local, and alive.
When we choose to work with what we can grow, we step away from harmful chemicals, microplastics, and unnecessary imports. We honor our elders, our ʻāina (land), and our bodies.
We also create economic resilience — a way to support local farming, handmade goods, and small-scale production.
We invite our customers to think bigger than “clean beauty.” We invite them to think connected beauty. Where skincare isn’t about perfection — it’s about participation.
Participation in a more regenerative world. Participation in your own healing. Participation in what it means to grow old with grace.
The Beauty Way Is a Return
In Hawai‘i, beauty isn’t a product. It’s a presence. It’s the way you move through the world, how you care for the land, how you nourish your body and relationships.
Ethnobotanical skincare is one path toward that beauty.
It’s a return to the plants. A return to rhythm. A return to yourself.
And the older we get, the sweeter that return becomes.
— From our garden to your skin, with aloha,
Megan & Justin ʻOhi ʻOhi