Reviving Ancient African Beauty Secrets: Luyana Natural Skincare's Journey to Clean and Natural Beauty

Growing up as the daughters of African immigrants in the US, our mother often shared her knowledge of natural products she grew up using like mango and mafura butter, or marula and baobab oil that she had learned about from her mother and her grandmother before that. However, living in the west during the 80s and 90s meant that there was no physical access to these ingredients, so we resorted to using products like cocoa butter and vaseline.

Growing up in the US during this time, we were fed a steady diet of Teen Vogue and Cosmopolitan where almost every page was advertising the latest chemical-laden cosmetic craze. Naturally, we gravitated toward such products as they were readily available, not to mention the desire to fit in with all the other kids we were growing up with. 

Cut to a couple decades later and we have left the US, having moved to Denmark and embarking on a new journey to live our best Nordic lives. All the while, we had begun to make more conscious choices of what we were eating as well as using more natural products. Imagine our surprise when a routine checkup at the doctor in Copenhagen reveals the development of multiple tumors! (Luckily they were benign.)

This health scare prompted us to really start looking into the number of chemicals and synthetic ingredients we had been exposing ourselves to. Much to our surprise and horror, we discovered that through the skincare products and makeup we were using, we had potentially been exposing ourselves to over 500 chemicals daily; Chemicals like BHA, Formaldehyde, Phthalates, and Parabens which  have been linked to reproductive disorders and cancer. This was devastating as we were no strangers to beautifully coloured nails and a bold lip!

After this, we tried in earnest to look for products that were safe, but even those that claimed to be “clean” or “natural” were filled with chemicals and synthetic petroleum-based ingredients. At this point, we had both become parents and it increased the urgency to find safe products not only for ourselves, but for the next generation. The safest thing for us was to know precisely what was going into the products we were using, so we decided to make our own!

Enter Luyana Natural Skincare ✨

We wanted to make products that were 100% natural, clean and effective. We suddenly remembered all the ingredients our mother told us that her mother and her grandmother used to use. We did a bunch of research and decided to tap into the ancient wisdom of our African heritage and rediscover natural ingredients that have been proven effective and safe over centuries of use. 

Each of our products is a celebration of ancient wisdom and the uniquely potent power of African botanicals. We source all of our ingredients across the continent with intention and hand-make our products with love in Denmark. 💕 

We’re on a mission to spread the love and hope you’ll join us in this celebration. 

Much love,

Mari-Anne and Melinda

Founders, Luyana Natural Skincare