Our Story

How a skin reaction became a movement for clean beauty transparency.

🌸

Lena Nakamura

Founder & Formulator

The Beginning

A Reaction That Changed Everything

In 2016, I had a severe allergic reaction to a product labeled "all natural." When I researched its ingredients, I found parabens, synthetic fragrances, and petroleum derivatives hiding behind botanical marketing.

That moment changed my life. I spent the next year studying cosmetic chemistry, learning to read INCI lists, and discovering the EWG Skin Deep database. What I found shocked me: most "natural" beauty products contained ingredients rated 5-8 on the hazard scale.

PureAura was born from a simple belief: you deserve to know exactly what goes on your skin, where it comes from, and that it's genuinely safe. Every ingredient we use scores 1-2 on the EWG database. No exceptions.

Our Journey

From Vision to Movement

2016

The Awakening

After a severe skin reaction to a 'natural' product filled with hidden chemicals, founder Lena Nakamura began researching ingredient safety.

2017

The Research

Spent a year studying cosmetic chemistry, EWG databases, and traditional botanical remedies from around the world.

2018

PureAura Founded

Opened our first studio in Portland with 5 treatments and a radical promise: full ingredient transparency.

2019

EWG Verified

Became one of the first salons to achieve EWG verification for all products used in treatments.

2021

Product Line Launch

Launched our own clean beauty product line, formulated with ingredients scoring 1-2 on EWG.

2023

B Corp Certified

Achieved B Corp certification, recognizing our commitment to social and environmental responsibility.

2026

Today

Serving 5,000+ clients with 50+ organic ingredients, zero compromises, and the same founding mission.

Our Certifications

🐰 Cruelty-Free

🌱 Vegan

🌿 Organic

✅ EWG Verified

🏢 B Corp

Global Sourcing

Our Ingredient Partners

We source directly from trusted organic farms and cooperatives around the world.

Japan

Bamboo, Green Tea

Sustainable bamboo forests in Kyoto and shade-grown tea gardens in Uji.

India

Coconut Oil, Turmeric

Small-holder cooperatives in Kerala, fair-trade and organic certified.

Chile

Rosehip Oil

Wild-harvested rosehip seeds from the Patagonian Andes.

Ghana

Shea Butter

Women's cooperatives in Northern Ghana, hand-processed.

France

Lavender, Kaolin Clay

Organic lavender fields and ancient clay deposits in Provence.

USA

Jojoba Oil

Organic desert farms in the Sonoran Desert, Arizona.