Get to Know Us! 4 Things to Know About LaB.OTANICA

LaB.OTANICA began with the vision to spread the ancient secrets of plant magic to a new generation so that in a world full of “filters" and unrealistic beauty standards, we invite you to fall in love with the skin you live, and to learn to appreciate with your authentic, unfiltered beauty. Through intense study, a rich personal lineage in herbalism, intuition, and countless years in the beauty industry, our founder Meelesa Luna has formulated a line of clean, natural skincare and created a community that celebrates authentic beauty in all of its phases, as well as deep respect for the earth, and the natural world. 

Whether you’re a long-time fan of LaB.OTANICA products, or you’re brand new to our brand we invite you to join our community of plant magic lovers, and get to know our history. We’re honored to be a part of your skincare journey. 

1. LaB.OTANICA is a woman-owned, Latina-owned company.

Meleesa Luna, founder and owner of LaB.OTANICA, was born and raised in Costa Rica and comes from a lineage of medicine women. She created LaB.OTANICA to honor the knowledge of her ancestors and to spread their knowledge of plants and the healing powers they possessed. 
 

Costa Rica is one of the most biodiverse places in the world, so it’s no surprise that growing up around lush tropical rainforests, rich volcanic soil, and countless species of plants inspired Meleesa’s path. As she grew up, Meleesa learned the secrets of plant medicine from her ancestors and other powerful herbalists in her community. She realized that the healing benefits of plants far exceeded that of the many chemicals and man-made ingredients found in many modern skincare products. 

After working in the beauty industry in the California, Meleesa began looking for a way to incorporate her roots and the knowledge of her upbringing with her passion for high luxury herbal skincare, and LaB.OTANICA was born.

Meleesa found that creating products that worked in harmony with nature and the natural cycles of our bodies was in alignment with her personal path. She’s been passionately pursuing the creation of the highest quality natural skincare ever since, expanding upon the knowledge passed down from her ancestors and growing into a powerful medicine woman and herbalist. She believes that beauty is a vibration, and when your body, mind, and spirit are in alignment your beauty will shine through. 

“After working in the beauty industry for years and learning so many dirty beauty secrets, I decided to return to my roots and the healing powers of plants,” says Meleesa. 

Her goal of offering people and the planet a higher vibrational line of plant-based, cruelty-free, organic products continues to be realized with each new addition to the LaB.OTANICA skin care family.

2. All products are handmade in small batches in California, using high quality ingredients from Costa Rica and around the world.

Each LaB.OTANICA product is handmade with love and intention. Meleesa Luna uses only the highest quality ingredients which are ethically sourced from around the world in a way that is friendly to people and the environment. She formulates each unique blend for the optimum effectiveness so that each LaB.OTANICA product serves as a multiuse skincare superhero, and each product is able to target multiple skincare concerns from fine lines and wrinkles, to hyperpigmentation, to frustrating breakouts. 

Each and every batch of LaB.OTANICA skin care products are created with intention and positive energy, honoring the cycles of the moon and nature. Meleesa incorporates the powerful charges from crystals to boost the healing properties of her herbal ingredients even further. When you use LaB.OTANICA products you’ll feel the difference because each product is botanically designed and energetically aligned to nourish your skin and balance the mind. You’ll sense that they are made with so much love and positive energy. Each batch is created in Los Angeles, California where Meleesa lives, gardens, and makes magic every day.  

3. LaB.OTANICA incorporates the ancient wisdom of herbalism and plant magic into each and every product.

If you take a look at the ingredients list of any product in the LaB.OTANICA skin care line, you’ll find it jam packed full of potent botanical ingredients, and none of those toxic chemical filler ingredients that no one can actually pronounce. 

Say goodbye to carcinogens like parabens, PEGs, and formaldehyde and say hello to gorgeous herbal skincare superheroes.

A few of our favorite ingredients that can be found in many of our products include:

• Calendula flower
• Chamomile flower
• Rose oil
• Ylang Ylang
• Sea buckthorn
• Coffee Fruit

And so many more!

4. The name LaB.OTANICA honors the traditional “botanicas” or herbal apothecaries of Latin America.

Botanica is the Spanish word for botany, but it also refers to small traditional shops that sells plants and potions used for healing a variety of ailments. In contrast to modern pharmacies, botanicas were often run by women, who had passed down the secret knowledge of plants and their healing powers for generations. 

These botanicas can still be found in many Hispanic and Latino communities around the world, and they became a favorite place to visit for Meleesa when she was growing up in Costa Rica. She loved admiring the various plants, talking with medicine women, and learning about all types of natural remedies to heal the body, mind, and spirit. Unlike Big Pharma, these small shops never made their proprietors obscenely wealthy. The shops remained small, but mighty with a focus on healing members of the community naturally, with love and sacred intention.