Ojon Corp. is putting all its beans in one basket, so to speak. The main ingredient in its new skin care line, Rare Harvest, which launches this fall, is the Tawaka cacao bean.
“During a visit to the rain forest in Honduras, we saw a lady using the secret blend on her lips and skin,” said Denis Simioni, founder and chief executive officer of Ojon. “She then brought me to the Tawaka village and showed me how the exotic blend of ingredients was produced. The natural antiseptic formula not only heals cuts and bruises but also helps heal skin while keeping it moisturized.”
Known for using ingredients found in ancient tribal remedies, the two-year-old Canadian company will introduce Tawaka Ancient Tribal Rejuvenating Cream for the face, body and hair in the U.S. this fall as a one-year exclusive on QVC Oct. 23. Other Ojon hair products are available in 1,200 doors including Sephora, Nordstrom, salons and spas. The skin care cream, in the Rare Harvest range, will sell for $55. The cream will also launch in Canada and England this fall, with a Japan rollout scheduled for next year. Following the exclusive one-year deal with QVC, the company plans to take the skin care range into Sephora. Items in the collection will be available in limited quantities during peak harvest periods.
Ojon is named after the tree that bears palm nut oil — the core ingredient in the company’s hair treatments.
By January, Simioni plans to expand Rare Harvest to include a cleanser, conditioner and body polish, all using Tawaka cacao as the key ingredient. Industry sources estimate all four items could generate about $10 million to $15 million in first-year retail sales.
By combining Ojon oil with savage cacao, achiote, cupucu and passion fruit, the company created a natural formula designed to hydrate the skin and promote exfoliation and cell renewal, while reducing fine lines and wrinkles and increasing firmness and elasticity. According to Simioni, the cream contains the antioxidant equivalent of 204 pounds of blueberries in one 6-oz. jar. The cream can also be used as a leave-in treatment for dry, damaged or chemically treated hair to smooth and restore moisture.
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According to Simioni, the “hybrid” version of the cacao tree used in many products typically grows only 3 meters tall. Instead of using this genetic version of the tree, the company decided to use the “wild” version of the savage cacao tree, a plant dating back to the Mayans, which ranges from 35 to 40 feet tall.
According to Allen Burke, QVC’s director of beauty merchandising, Ojon is the number-one hair care brand sold in terms of volume during the spring season on QVC.
“Simioni has an amazing reputation for discovering products no one else knew existed that are results-oriented,” said Burke.
The company gives a portion of the proceeds back to the producer communities from the rain forest, such as the Tawira people. Ojon also selects a community each year to build a school and create a scholarship fund.