Anna Ayers, Rahua by Amazon Beauty

Cosmetic and personal care ingredients sourced directly in nature and from reasonably unadulterated sites around the globe are a luxury. And often, indigenous populations in those regions are as susceptible to commercial exploitation as the native plants are. Companies like Rahua, with high standards for quality, for society, and for business, are devoted to serving stakeholders all along the supply chain; and in doing so are reinventing the business of beauty.

Here, entrepreneur Anna Ayersshares a profile of herself and the Rahua brand.

Name: ​Anna Ayers, Co-Founder and CEO

Indie Beauty Company: ​Rahua by Amazon Beauty

Launched:​ 2008

Headquarters: ​New York, NY

Size and scope: ​We are available in top-tier retailers such as Sephora.com, Space NK, Net-a-Porter and other select retailers and salons.

Team work: ​ 5 full-time employees and 5 part-time / freelance

Distribution: ​In addition to the retailers mentioned earlier, Rahua is available in the US, UK and EU via rahua.com.

Years in beauty: ​10

Years at Rahua: ​9

Entrepreneurial experience: ​This is my first company.

The business: ​Amazon Beauty and the Rahua brand are passionately committed to creating the most clean and efficacious 100% plant derived formulas on the market – all of which are vegan, organic, sulfate free, paraben free, gluten free and cruelty free. We are dedicated to the preservation of the Amazon rainforest and the indigenous people that live there, and owe the native people a boundless debt for keeping the Amazon, its flora and its fauna in great health for thousands of years.

The wow-factor: ​We are leaders in the luxury and green beauty marketplace providing a product that uses only the highest quality materials that are green and sustainable.

We stand for Rainforest Grown Beauty. We continue to educate thousands and thousands of consumers, who have learned how and why our business contributes towards protecting the Amazon rainforest and the lives of the indigenous peoples who live there. Our mission is to educate people and increase awareness about the fragility of the rainforests through the enjoyment of our efficacious products, our plant-derived ingredients, sustainable and symbiotic sourcing, and of course, our philanthropic efforts. The more support we receive, the more support we can give.

The customer: ​Our customer is someone who takes care of herself physically and mentally. She eats well, exercises and is willing to pay a premium for quality goods that deliver.

Milestone moment: ​We are very proud of the management systems we have invested in and put into place over the last two years. This has allowed us to better run our business and to focus our efforts on key strategic growth initiatives in the US and European markets, all while serving our mission of protecting the Amazon rainforest in even greater ways than we had imagined.

Advice for fellow indie beauty entrepreneurs:​ Find your niche. Be relentless. Give back in the process.

Just one:​ Rahua Elixir