JUARA was born in a tiny kitchen on the Lower East Side, when four 30-something friends, Metta, Yoshiko, Jill and Tami, realized their hectic life hustle was becoming overwhelming. Together, they sought out self-care rituals to restore their spirits. Head apartment-laboratory chemist, Metta Murdaya shared the healing Indonesian tradition she had grown up with, showing her friends how to grind the ingredients by hand, taking in the colors and smells. She taught them to mix the powders and tonics together for effective yet gentle products, and together, the four friends were hooked. On weekends and after work, they dove passionately into the study of the ancient Indonesian healing tradition of Jamu, which is centered on beauty rituals and wellness. The time they spent mixing and trying their first recipes brought them as much joy as the excellent products they created. “We wanted to make something that would feel good, work well, and remind us that our own wellness deserves daily time and attention. We sought out to brew natural and nourishing ingredient-based products that would chip away at the signs of aging and our everyday stress.” Many years later, JUARA's founding friends have graduated from their makeshift laboratory in that small kitchen, and today JUARA products have grown to worldwide distribution. Even now, the soul-nourishing pursuit of ancient traditions remains core to the heart of JUARA. Thousands of pounds of crushed candlenuts, coffee beans, turmeric, and tamarinds later, JUARA consumers around the globe experience the daily joys of self-care rituals just as Metta and her friends did.