BeautyTalks with Ashley Osborne, HempHera CEO/Founder

What inspired the name HempHera?

In Greek Mythology, Hera is considered the Queen of the Gods. She is the Goddess of all goddesses, The Goddess of women, marriage, fertility, childbirth, family, royalty, queenship heirs, kingdoms, and the air. She represents so many things that women all can feel a connection to and see a bit of themselves in her and what she represents. Also, men can admire her strength and power equally. Hera represents something universally powerful, much like HempHera as a brand is universal – it is for everyone.

What motivated you to start HempHera? How did it all come to fruition?

For as long as I could remember, I was completely captivated by ancient mythology. I equally felt enchanted with nature. I have always loved to explore even if it was a daily hike through the woods where I grew up. Fast track to high school and I’m picking plants apart under a microscope. We truly have a beautiful planet. HempHera was inspired by some of my favorite luxury skincare brands and icons, as well ancient formulations from mythology all over the world, but knew these formulations were missing something - CBD. Knowing the power and benefits of CBD, I wanted to create a luxurious, natural brand with the best ingredients. Every formulation, every product name, every packaging design was created to reflect whatever goddess it was named for Like Mami Wata and BioMarine properties or Magu and her herbs for our herbal teas. 

How does HempHera maintain all-natural and organic ingredients?

We operate almost completely vertical, we take pride in the fact that we formulate, produce, package, label and ship our own products. We bottle by hand and create small batches that ensure quality and consistency. We operate 100% farm to table with our Cannabis, hemp extract. All of the curation and extraction takes place in our facilities. We have increased testing parameters to ensure the efficiency and quality of our natural ingredients sourced are through quality providers. I know from start to finish where and how every ingredient is sourced and harvested and we source for benefits - much like our brand being universal so is our sourcing. I’m actually finishing this interview from Tulum, Mexico. I am here sourcing for our new line! 

Tell us about the science behind HempHera!

This is by far my favorite topic! Science X Nature = HempHera! We use NanoAmplified hemp extract in every single product. Nanotechnology is the term given to those areas of science and engineering where phenomena that take place at dimensions in the nanometre scale are utilised in the design, characterisation, production and application of materials, structures, devices and systems. Basically, we break our CBD into millions of microscopic particles which are then absorbed into your skin at a much faster rate and allows you to absorb more of that extract. Standard CBD particles measure at about 2000 nanometers, but a human cell can only absorb particles no larger than 60-80 nanometers, which is why a lot of products never really absorb or benefit our skin. In fact, they kind of sit on that top layer and actually can clog pores, especially troubled or irritated ones.

How has the introduction to hemp/cbd infused skincare changed the industry?

Great question. I think everyone, regardless of age or gender, wants to feel comfortable and beautiful in their own skin. Without the filters, without photoshop, without needing any kind of editing - people want to feel beautiful. Healthy skin has always been thought to reflect overall wellness. There are so many amazing skin care brands, with their own unique style or “IT” factor - alot of these brands inspired my own brand and formulations, unfortunately, not everyone can use them. While Cbd skincare is safe for ALL skin types, it is really designed for mature, troubled, and/or irritated skin. The antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory benefits of Cbd topically are unbeatable. It’s nice to see something come to life that can give EVERYONE that healthy glow they’re after. 

“While CBD skin care is safe for ALL skin types, it is really designed for mature, troubled, and/or irritated skin.”

What is your staple HempHera product and why?

Oh man, I wish I could pick just one! We have a continually increasing variety of products for a very particular reason, our skin is also continually changing. My skin isn’t the same every single week. Sometimes I’m dry. Sometimes I’m nearing my Moon Cycle & I have a little irritation. For these reasons, we think it’s important to use all of our product lines. I can confidently say however, that Mermaid Glow is our flagship line! 

Could you share a skin care secret with us?

The best skincare routine, is a consistent one - regardless of what product or brand you use. 

Walk us through your morning routine!

My morning routine will also vary from week to week, but currently I am back up earlier than usual to beat the heat! Someone who is very inspiring to me made a statement at a seminar once that if you have somewhere to be at a certain time, you should be up 5 hours prior to that arrival time. At first I thought that was insane, now I am starting to notice a major shift of energy as far as smoothness and timing! So I am up daily by 5am ET. The first hour of the day is really just me waking up, stretching, aligning my thoughts and plans for the day, making my morning coffee (I always have 1 nice cup). Typically at least twice a week during my shower I use our 3 in 1 Orange Scrub as a facial exfoliant. We use poppy seeds for exfoliation, no plastic beads, salts, or sugars. It really gets my skin primed and ready. Then I run through one of our lines, or maybe even pick through multiple lines. I might use my Tsubaki Toner but follow with DopeSkin BioMarine Serum. Again, it really depends on what my skin is telling me. We currently do not have a specific product for SPF although Cbd has a natural spf of about 8, so after I get my serum on and absorbed, I love to use Shiseido or Cle de Peau for spf. My go to is UV50 Protective Cream. I like to get my spf on before any heavy moisturizers seal my skin in. I finish with Mami Wata or HydraRose Moisturizer! Then I start digging into my daily tasks usually starting with an hour of computer work followed by my most difficult physical task of the day. 

What has been your most memorable moment with HempHera?

I honestly think just the entire being of the brand itself is the most memorable to me. I have created this entire brand from start to finish myself. I designed my own packaging, I create my own labels, I formulate my own products, I fill every bottle with my own hands, I label them myself, I pop my own boxes together, and I put the shipping label on every single shipment. It’s really been a super humbling experience. 

“I have created this entire brand from start to finish myself.”