Behind the Brand

Stephanie Guerra, founder of Kani Botanicals started her line as a simple solution for her struggles with sensitive skin. After years of fighting terrible acne and allergic skin reactions to everything from laundry detergent to lotions, she became heavily interested in more holistic and natural methods of treating my skin. She began to learn about integrative herbology, holistic nutrition and cosmetic chemistry. She also finally began paying attention to her Colombian mother and aunts who always told her to try oils from fruits and plants that she had never heard of. She went from that girl who spent hundreds of dollars a month on “designer” skincare treatments to the one who would spend night after night in the kitchen experimenting on making her own skincare. Stephanie started reading labels and ingredient lists, and all of it made her shake her head.

The real turning point that changed her hobby into the adventure it is today was after traveling some years back to Finland and Sweden. She was really inspired by how the people there protected and nurtured their skin in extreme weather conditions and by their cultural use of saunas. It was then that she realized that her Colombian heritage was very similar to ones she had seen traveling, in that the people that inhabited these harsh areas took care of their skin with use of the similar natural ingredients; As a result, they had amazing skin. After many sleepless nights and constantly tinkering and tweaking back and forth with formulas, she developed Kani Botanicals. Stephanie was sick of seeing overpriced products, whose first ingredients were alcohol or water and were followed by a list of sulfates, parabens and phthalates. Kani is the exact opposite, and will always be handmade products from the best local, organic, fair-trade and vegan ingredients.

Stephanie named her line ‘Kani,’ because her childhood nickname was ‘rabbit’ because her two front teeth came in before the rest. The Finnish name for rabbit is ‘kani,’ and that namesake will always be her favorite animal.

 

Moon Milk

Kani Botanicals Moon Milk is a shimmering and nourishing oil for the body, face and hair that leaves you luminous and smooth. This is never going to make you look like the tin man. The oil is super lightweight, silky and it illuminates you with gold shimmer which complements all skin tones and complexions. To use, you smooth it over your skin, also highlighting your legs, arms, shoulders and décolleté. You can also gently tap it on your forehead, bridge of the nose and cheekbones for a lit from within glow, and then run what’s left on your hands through the ends of your hair to tame any frizz or split ends you might have. This beauty oil also moisturizes and protects dry skin and has the most intoxicating scent of tuberose, jasmine, bergamot and ylang ylang. When I received this in the mail, I could smell it through the box! This is an absolutely stunning product, just like every single product Stephanie puts her heart and soul into at Kani Botanicals.