Tell us a little bit about your background.
My name is Heather Urquhart, and I am the Founder, CEO & Master Formulator of Huna Skin Inc. My educational background is mainly in Sciences, while my work experience lies in Business. I have a Science degree majoring in Botany & Microbiology. I am a Chartered Herbalist and a certified Natural Cosmetic Formulating. Before starting my own company, I worked in the corporate world in the areas of Pharmaceuticals and other regulated products, with leadership roles in the functional areas of marketing, sales, and trade distribution. Part of why I love leading the charge at Huna is because I really feel like I’m drawing upon all of my background, experiences, skills, and education- it’s totally my perfect storm.
Why did you decide to start your own company?
My own skin issues led me to start formulating my own skincare, and I was already a Botanist with a solid understanding of plant science. I was able to fully resolve my own skin issues and felt empowered.Friends & family saw the difference in my skin health and they began using my formulations. Although I had never intended on founding a skincare company…before I knew it, I had a small local customer base and Huna was born. Huna began as a company in November 2014 and has evolved into a fully vertically-integrated leading-edge skin health company with growing, processing, research, formulating and manufacturing all in-house.
When I started building Huna as a company, I felt an intense motivation and inspiration to create something that is right, fair, sustainable, good, and positive. During my time in the corporate world, I saw and experienced a lot of business aspects that had very real negative impacts on the world, the environment, and on people. That didn’t sit well with me, and I knew that I could create something better. I think that is why people try to drive change in the world- because they are fundamentally frustrated with how things currently are and they know they can create something that is better- more sustainable, more effective, safer and healthier.
What makes your brand different from other beauty brands?
Huna is truly unique and differentiated from other beauty brands, from the inside out. First, Huna grows their own botanical ingredients on our organic family acreage in Canada that we lovingly call The Huna Homestead. Over 130 acres of beautiful forest, meadow, and over 12,000 square feet of Huna Skin Nutrition Gardens with over 40 different species of organic plants growing. In full bloom at the peak of summer, the Huna Skin Nutrition Gardens are breathtakingly stunning.
Huna hand-harvests the botanicals during their peak of ripeness under the natural prairie sunshine, processes the botanicals, then transports them to the Huna Labs at the University of Manitoba. Huna is the first clean skincare company in the world to partner with a major University for production and research, and the University is home to Huna Labs, Offices and Manufacturing. Huna is fully vertically-integrated as a company, which means we control the entire process from ‘seed to serum’, so to speak. Huna grows the ingredients, harvests, and refines them, develops our own exclusive proprietary active ingredients, conducts high-level botanical research, formulates, manufactures, packages, and ships out every Huna product with love, attention, and meticulous care.
Huna combines the concepts of herbal medicine, botanical science, and high-performance beauty to create a unique brand with fresh ingredients and science-based products that are incomparable to any other brand on the market. Huna products are Organic, Ethical, Sustainable, Plant-based, Vegan & Vegetarian, Certified Cruelty-free, GMO-free, Gluten-free, Biodegradable, and packaged responsibly in UV-protected recyclable frosted glass.
Describe your brand in three words.
Herbal medicine, Botanical Science, and High-Performance Beauty. Okay so that was more like three phrases rather than three words, lol! 😉
Without giving away too many of your secrets, what do you anticipate your growth to be next year and what is your direction for the future of the brand?
Huna’s direction for the future definitely involves growth and expansion into the US retail and spa market. Huna offers a full professional-size back bar and we have a licensed professional esthetician on Team Huna. Therefore, Spa and Esthetics are a big focus and growth area for Huna.
We’re also busy right now formulating and developing new scientific plant-based products to expand our current product offerings in Huna Skin Nutrition skincare and Huna Herbal Internal Beauty Teas. Huna will be launching an incredibly innovative plant-pigmented and plant-based color cosmetic range called Huna Plant Cosmetics in 2021…so excited for that! We are always developing cool new innovations, but we only launch products that are true show-stoppers.
This 2020 will bring the launch of Huna Firming Face + Neck Lotion, Huna Herbal Hyaluronic Acid Serums, and Huna’s exclusive Botanical Body Nectar- an incredible luxury body oil infused with high-% Calendula flower extract and a beautiful live Calendula flower…just 200 bottles are made and sold every year, and they go so fast!
What is the best piece of advice someone gave you? What advice would you tell a budding entrepreneur?
Best piece of advice someone gave me is the same advice that I would pass along to a budding entrepreneur- “it is extremely difficult to work ON your business, if you are always working IN your business”.
I’m an extremely hands-on person. I like to lead by working with my team. In fact, I still handcraft every Huna product that leaves our facility, I oversee Huna’s Research & Development, I formulate every Huna product, I am the marketing face of the company, and I like to have my hands in sales so I develop close relationships with our retail partners.
If you’re like me and you’re always working within your business in specific day-to-day roles & responsibilities, it leaves significantly less time to work on your business- and working on your business is how it actually grows. Although I still oversee and have my hands in a lot of different pots, our team has grown and I now trust others to the roles & responsibilities that I used to have total ownership of. Empowering others is empowering yourself. Trusting others to care about the dream as much as you do- I think that is true leadership…it is the definition of leading by example.
What did your Cosmoprof North America experience mean to you?
We’ve only just attended Cosmoprof [North America] so far, and we were so incredibly impressed by the grand size, attendance, wide scope, and credibility that Cosmoprof offers to both exhibitors and attendees. We look very forward to exhibiting at WeCosmoprof this October 2020 and at Cosmoprof Las Vegas in the Discover Green section in June 2021!
Finally, what’s an interesting fact about you people would be surprised to hear?
I have an Autoimmune Disease called Hashimoto’s Graves Disease, and I treat it naturally using a combination of plant medicine, yoga, meditation, and other healthy living practices. I was recommended surgery and a lifetime of medication to treat my condition, and I rejected that option for a natural, holistic, and healthy recovery and healing instead.
As a plant healer and healthy living enthusiast, I really ‘walk the walk & talk the talk’… I fully live the lifestyle of Huna, and I often share and encourage our Huna Tribe (followers) to take on healthier living practices with nutrition & cooking, fitness, yoga, meditation, healthy & safe personal care products, plant medicine, and so much more. Living well is living empowered. It feels so good to take ownership and control of your health back, and I want to share that power with as many people as possible.
ABOUT HUNA SKIN INC.
Huna is Canada’s leading innovative, science-based, organic, sustainable and plant-based Skincare and Cosmetics company. Huna is a multi-award-winning brand founded by Botanist, Herbalist & Natural Cosmetic Formulator Heather Urquhart, born out of passion for herbal medicine and plant-based healing. Huna’s unique approach includes growing over 40 different organic botanicals on their family acreage in Canada, hand-harvesting the plants under the golden sunshine, processing, and transforming the botanicals into Huna’s exclusive Proprietary Active Botanical Complexes which contain scientifically-proven and herbal medicine inspired ingredients to optimize skin health, deeply nourish, and bring out skin’s natural radiance and healthy glow. Named ‘Best Organic Skincare Manufacturer in North America’ (March 2019), Huna products are proudly Organic, Plant-based, Vegan & Vegetarian, Certified Cruelty-Free, GMO-Free, Gluten-Free, Ethically and Sustainably developed, and Biodegradable.
To learn more about Huna Skin Inc., Click Here.
Categorized in: Spotlights