Hanahanabeauty
3 known investors
Hanahana Beauty is a shea butter-based clean skincare, beauty and wellness brand sourcing from a women's cooperative in Ghana.
Also known as hanahana beauty · Hanahana Beauty · Hanahana Beauty Co.
Founders & leadership
Investors · 3
Also in the syndicate · 1
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Hanahana Beauty is a skincare, beauty and wellness brand built around shea butter sourced from the Katariga Women's Shea Cooperative in Tamale, Ghana. Its product range centers on shea body butters in scents such as amber vanilla, bamboo coconut, lavender vanilla and unscented, alongside glow butter minis, gift and mini sets, an exfoliating body bar, face products and a fragrance spray, with listed prices ranging from about $12 for smaller body butters to $55 for a fragrance spray. The company states its formulations combine pure shea butter with naturally derived fragrances and oils, avoids ingredients it characterizes as harmful or toxic, does not test on animals, and positions its products for all skin types with an emphasis on very dry skin and melanin-rich skin.
The brand pairs its product business with a social impact program it calls the Circle of Care, a benefits circle intended to give women in the cooperatives it sources from access to health care, education and economic growth opportunities. Hanahana Beauty completed a rebrand that changed packaging and jar sizing — moving to a wide-mouth, double-walled jar — while keeping existing formulas unchanged, and it says it works with manufacturers on fair trade practices. Community-facing programs include an ambassador program called Shea Society and a creative series called Glow Room.
Founding story
Founder and CEO Abena Boamah-Acheampong, a creative entrepreneur and mental health advocate, built the brand around shea butter's role in Ghanaian culture and a goal of showcasing Black women globally, working with the Katariga Women's Shea Cooperative in Ghana. A company profile lists the legal entity as Hanahana Beauty Co. with a founding year of 2019, and the founder marked nine years in business in 2026.
Business model
Hanahana Beauty sells branded shea butter body and face care, fragrance and merchandise primarily through its own e-commerce site, supplemented by wholesale and third-party retail distribution. After a period of large-scale specialty retail distribution at Ulta Beauty, the company has refocused on direct-to-consumer sales, which the founder describes as giving the brand ownership of the customer relationship and customer service, and better economics than wholesale.
Revenue comes from product sales at listed retail prices on its e-commerce site, with promotions, sets and sale pricing, plus wholesale/distribution accounts handled through direct inquiry and sales through retail partners such as Revolve and Skintellect. The site also solicits donations to its Circle of Care social impact program.
Traction
The brand reached 500 Ulta Beauty doors after a 2023 launch in 350 locations before exiting the retailer in 2026, and marked nine years in business in 2026. A company profile lists one employee and total capital raised of $136,950. In 2023 the founder was seeking $1.5 million in funding and had secured $360,000 from small venture capital investors and a16z's TxO program.
Latest developments
In March 2026 the founder announced Hanahana Beauty's departure from Ulta Beauty and a refocus on direct-to-consumer sales, retaining availability via Revolve and Skintellect. The brand is deepening its presence in Ghana through Accra pop-ups and local distribution partners, with plans to expand across Africa and potentially move to full-scale production on the continent, and it marked its ninth year by gifting nine months of free product to its top nine customers.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Hanahana Beauty is an indie, founder-led clean beauty brand competing in a crowded and consolidating beauty market. Its founder has publicly described the capital requirements of mass specialty retail — estimating at least $1 million in working capital to enter retail — as a constraint for small brands, citing scaling at Ulta without commensurate capital injections as the reason for the brand's retail exit.
The brand differentiates on a transparent, cooperative-based shea supply chain in Tamale, Ghana, a social impact benefits circle providing health care, education and economic opportunity to cooperative women, clean and largely vegan formulations, and products developed with melanin-rich skin in mind.
Technology
Products are formulated from pure shea butter sourced from the Katariga Women's Shea Cooperative combined with all-natural oils and naturally derived fragrances. The shea body butter and exfoliating body bar are described as vegan, and products are not tested on animals. Packaging uses a wide-mouth, double-walled jar introduced with the rebrand.
Go-to-market
The company relies on owned e-commerce with email capture and first-purchase discounts, seasonal promotions and sale events, an ambassador program (Shea Society), a creative content series (Glow Room), founder-led social media communication, podcast and press appearances, and public relations and brand partnerships managed through an outside agency contact. Retail distribution has included Ulta Beauty (exited in 2026), Revolve and Skintellect, plus pop-up events in Accra, Ghana.
Consumers seeking clean, naturally derived body and face moisturizers, particularly those with very dry skin and melanin-rich skin, as well as buyers who prioritize ethically sourced ingredients and social impact; the brand also serves wholesale and retail accounts.
Geography
Headquarters listed in Chicago, United States, with sourcing and a growing commercial presence in Ghana, including pop-ups in Accra and partnerships aimed at expanding distribution nationally, with stated plans to grow across Africa and explore full-scale production there. Online orders ship domestically via USPS.
History
The brand grew as a primarily direct-to-consumer business before entering Ulta Beauty in March 2023 with a launch in 350 doors, later expanding to 500 Ulta locations. In preparation for retail it completed a full rebrand, transitioned to a contract manufacturer and took on new vendors with minimum order quantities of 5,000 units per SKU, with packaging and production costs exceeding $100,000. In March 2026 the founder announced the brand's exit from Ulta and a refocus on direct-to-consumer distribution, while remaining available through Revolve and Skintellect.
Risks & controversies
The founder has described undercapitalized scaling at Ulta Beauty, with funding largely directed to procurement based on retailer-supplied projections, leaving limited budget for marketing, staffing and sales infrastructure, and citing costs such as $10,000 per week for front-of-store placement. Loss of control over customer experience across a large door count contributed to the retail exit. She also noted difficulty raising capital, with investors requiring proven retail traction and a funding environment for diverse founders that tightened after an earlier surge.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 5
launches, deals, and filingsFounder Abena Boamah-Acheampong announced via social media that the brand is leaving Ulta Beauty after reaching 500 doors and refocusing on DTC, while remaining available through Revolve and Skintellect.
The brand held pop-ups in Accra and is working with local partners to expand distribution in Ghana, with plans to grow across Africa and explore full-scale production there.
The company introduced updated packaging and sizing, including a wide-mouth, double-walled jar, while keeping existing formulas unchanged.
Hanahana Beauty debuted at Ulta Beauty in 350 locations, later expanding to 500 stores.
The founder was seeking $1.5 million and had secured $360,000 from small venture capital investors and a16z's TxO program for underserved founders.
$360K source ↗
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Hanahanabeautyhanahanabeauty.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Hanahanabeauty do?
- Hanahana Beauty is a shea butter-based clean skincare, beauty and wellness brand sourcing from a women's cooperative in Ghana.
- Who founded Hanahanabeauty?
- Hanahanabeauty was founded by Abena Boamah-Acheampong.
- Who are Hanahanabeauty's investors?
- Hanahanabeauty's investors include LongJump Ventures, Capitalize VC.