Favorite Founders: Henné Organics' CEO & Founder Laura Xiao
On organic beauty and being a girlboss
FAVORITE FOUNDERS
The story behind my favorite brands, from the people who created them
Laura Xiao, CEO & Founder of Henné Organics (@henneorganics)
You may have noticed I talk about Henné Organics a lot. It’s because I love it. Not only does Henné work; the ingredient quality is exceptional. It works on the very most sensitive skin and leaves your lips, skin, and hands the brightest, most hydrated they’ve ever been.
I met Laura Xiao via Instagram a few years ago and we immediately hit it off. We also happen to have babies a couple weeks apart! I was always a fan of the brand, but being able to put it on my son every day has made me love the brand even more (yes, I put face oil on my four-month-old, I am not ashamed). P.S., it’s all Leaping Bunny approved!
Do you have a beauty secret?
Lots of lip balm and face oil. :)
What inspired you to create Henné?
I like to describe it as a combination of inspiration and desperation. The inspiration primarily came from two of the countries abroad I lived in (primarily Sweden but a bit of inspo from New Zealand as well). The beautiful nature and focus on natural ingredients in consumer products were what I had been looking for in the States but couldn't really find back then.
The desperation came when my Swedish fiancé (now-husband) and I moved back to the U.S. and landed in Nevada. The brutal heat and dryness wreaked havoc on both of our lips. At that time, I was in my mid 20s with no previous experience—or connections—in the beauty industry. I had dreamed of starting my own organic beauty brand but thought it was a pipe dream or something I could perhaps attempt to do much later in life. I've got to thank those cracked, gnarly lips that the Vegas climate gave me because that was the kick in the butt I needed to take the leap and launch Henné Organics.
What was Henné’s first big moment?
I'm not sure if there was one specific moment, but by the time we reached about the one year mark, I felt that we had established proof of concept and the business actually had legs.
Another big milestone was when Henné was about 2.5 years old. That was when both my husband and I could truly work on Henné full time and financially support ourselves just on Henné alone. Up until that point, both of us had been doing other types of work on the side to pay the bills (web development for my husband, design and branding work for me).
What’s your product creation process like?
I try to combine my creative side with my practical side. I never want to launch a new product just for the sake of having more SKUs or to meet the fast-consumerism pressure to always have “newness” coming out. Every Henné product we launch HAS to be a hero product. It needs to be a product that I absolutely love and can stand behind 100%; anyone who knows me well is very aware that I'm a perfectionist and will tweak something hundreds of times until it’s perfect. The product also needs to be something that is timeless and that there is a real demand for, not just made of whatever ingredient is trending on TikTok right now.
The formulation process used to be just between myself and my husband, but these days it's something that our whole production team does together. After the formula is finalized, I move on to the design and branding side of it, including planning the lifestyle photoshoot(s). I don't want to make this answer a novel, so I'll wrap it up and say that one thing that helps my creative juices flow is great music (Beach House is always on the playlist).
Is there anything you haven’t made but want to?
Yup! I've got a list of them. Not going to spill the beans quite yet, but we do have a new product launching this fall, and I hope the rest on my list will come to fruition in due time.
What’s in your handbag ?
Now that I'm a mom, my "handbag" is usually just a diaper bag stuffed with all the essentials for our little girl. If I'm out and about on my own though, here's what I carry:
Henné staples (Luxury Lip Balm, Citrus or Blomma hand cream, at least two tints [Editor’s note: my personal favorites are the Bare and Azalea; Bare for a “your lips, but better” polish that goes with everything, and Azalea for days that I need a dose of power pink (which is quite often)])
I love SLG's (small leather goods) so whatever is in rotation that week (currently a black croc Saint Laurent cardholder)
Cellphone
Keys
Alcohol sanitizing wipes
A couple of Ricola cough drops (in case throat gets itchy)
Pack of tissues
Sabre pepper spray + Smith & Wesson tactical pocket knife (don't mess with Laura haha)
Floss (hate getting food stuck in my teeth!)
What’s your beauty philosophy?
Do what makes you feel your personal best.
Favorite drugstore buy?
Band-Aids, foot tape for blisters, and an item that's NSFW (I'm sure you can figure it out).
What’s the best advice you’re ever received?
Celebrate the victories and milestones, especially the small ones.
Favorite under-the-radar product?
It's not really under the radar anymore, but I love a good derma roller.
SPOTLIGHT ON…
My favorites from the line
Henné Organics Illumine Face Oil
This is the heavier of the two Henné facial oils (it’s the one on the left in the picture above). I use Serene (the one on the right) in the daytime, and Illumine at night to maximize skin regeneration. It’s full of brightening ingredients, fatty acids, phytonutrients, and essential oils, and it smells delish. My skin is super sensitive, and I’ve never reacted poorly to this oil. It’s also gorgeous under makeup if you’re one of those girls who needs more moisture during the day.