A San Diego Company is Celebrating Native American Culture Through Beauty Products

A San Diego-based skincare company, N8iv Beauty, has been featured in Time Magazine, honored for being the first Native American Indian skincare company to reach nationwide fame. KOGO's Laura Cain talked to the founder, Ruth-Ann Thorn.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
A unique San Diego company has been honored by Time magazine.
Coco's Laura Kane talked to the creator of Native Beauty
about being the first Native American Indian skincare company to
step into the national lamelight.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Native Beauty was created by Ruth am Thorne after her
daughter said something to her while they were shopping for
face products.

Speaker 3 (00:22):
About four years ago. When we were out sapor. We
were looking around and she just simply said to me, cha, mom,
where's the Native American section. I was really surprised to
know that there had never been a Native American beauty
brand ever brought to market, and it really started making
me think about being a young person and never seeing

(00:44):
a Native American on the cover of a magazine.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
Thorn says that moment changed everything. She worked for years
using ingredients found on Indian land, including an element that's
the real star of the show.

Speaker 4 (00:58):
Because we're bringing acorn oil into our brand, which is
something we've used for twenty three thousand years.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
Native Beauty has been named one of two hundred of
Time Magazine's Most Influential Companies in America. As a way
of giving back, Native Beauty donates a percentage of sales
to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women movement. Thorn says
the Native American population is becoming front and center, not
only in the beauty industry but in many ways, and

(01:25):
it's about time.

Speaker 3 (01:27):
It's just such an honor to hold space for our people.
And you know, when you think about a lot of
us have generational trauma, and it's time now for us
to set that example for that next generation. I feel like, hey,
if I can do it, anyone can push the envelope
as Native American people.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
Laura Cane coc News