Q+A with Kaya Essentials
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Kaya Essentials started selling at Unique Markets in 2018. What makes their coconut oil stand out is that it pays attention to how the coconut oil is processed, and the cold-centrifuged technology goes beyond the cold-pressed method. All of the products are cruelty, vegan, and gluten free and are hand poured in small batches in Los Angeles to maintain the highest quality.
What inspired you to start your company/brand?
After working for a Filipino non-profit with a focus on social businesses, I was inspired to create a business that had a social impact at the core of its business model, not as an afterthought.
I also learned about the disparity in the coconut industry in the Philippines and suddenly coconut oil had a whole new meaning for me. At the time I was a commercial model and had my business as my side hustle. I remember early on I first created some lip balms and once I would leave the hair and make up chair, everyone on set knew about it and that each one provided a school meal in the Philippines. From there it was a slow progression of building the brand, and honestly there’s no end to it but I love it. Figuring out the logistics of sourcing from the fairtrade farm in the Philippines was the first and most important hurdle, without that I didn’t have a business.
I grew up with a DIY loving mom and we’d make coconut oil from scratch in the summers in the Philippines and use it as a hair mask. This definitely inspired my formulations. I wanted organic & simple. Organic because what we put on our skin is absorbed into our bloodstream. Simple because I myself wanted to be more in control of my skincare and even as a skincare maker, the scientific jargon and key + full ingredient lists confused me. I also knew the fewer ingredients in an organic formula specifically, the more absorption there is, because there’s not layers & layers to filter through.
“‘Kaya’ in Filipino means we can do it and it exactly captured the feeling I had first looking at jars of coconut oil. ”
Describe a memory or an a-ha moment you had and how you felt?
After learning of the disparity in coconut farming and seeing it first hand with the Filipino non-profit I was working for, I looked at the coconut oil jar I was using back in London. The name of the brand was French and in hardly detectable letters on the back of the jar was “sourced from the Philippines.” I then began to look at the jars sold at the supermarkets and the same thing kept popping up. I read about how the most luxurious European brands sourced coconut oil from the Philippines for their makeup. That was my biggest a-ha moment, where my coconut dreams came to fruition. I could see so clearly what I wanted to create. At the time, it wasn’t really brand orientated but more the impact I wanted to have. Philippines has a very long colonial history of 400+ years and from my childhood I saw how Western goods were always valued to be better. The Philippines has the best technology for processing coconut oil (ours is centrifuged) and I wanted that to be a point of pride for Filipinos everywhere, how argan oil was to my Moroccan girlfriends. When the name of this dream came to me, that was another a-ha moment. “Kaya” in Filipino means we can do it and it exactly captured the feeling I had first looking at jars of coconut oil.
What does your typical work day look like?
Most annoying to say, but there really isn’t ever a typical day per se. In a nutshell, for my mornings I focus on the most important task of the day. I reserve my afternoons for catch-up work & long-term strategy (usually product development or collaborations with other entrepreneurs). In the evenings, it’s a mixture of a hair bun head down making product, to a more therapeutic approach with my favorite playlist or podcast (or silence) in the background.
What’s the most important thing you attribute to your success?
I’d say its having a determined vision for the impact I want to create. To me that is the same when people say know your “why.” The impact has always been at the forefront which has guided me in every challenge & especially with any design decision I had to make.
What is the hardest thing about being a business owner?
I operate way more creatively and the business operation side of things especially at the start was very challenging. At this stage, the hardest thing for me is pitching my brand to retailers or any potential distributors. I’ve always had a fear of public speaking and am working on building confidence in that area.
Where do you see your company in 5 years?
I envision Kaya Essentials in more retail stores and activating in more pop ups in different states. We celebrate with a giveaway for every thousand benchmark we reach with our school meal donations and am dreaming up when we reach 10k and 100k!
Location/When you founded your company: The idea in the Philippines and launched in Los Angeles, 2016.
Your biggest inspiration? Having a social impact.
Favorite “Get Sh*t done” Song: Sigma - Nobody To Love
Dream Brand Collab? Kelsey Meritt! The first Filipina to walk the Victoria Secret fashion show, she's like a brand to us! Also FEED projects & Eileen Fisher.