ABOUT NAPUA’ALA

For as long as I can remember, probably from around the age of five, when asked ” what do you want to be when you grow up?” My answer was always the same; I want to to be the lady that does hair!

After graduating from Kahuku High School, I enrolled at Honolulu Community College-Cosmetology school, where Chemistry would be a required course. Yuck! During my studies, I learned how to make soaps and lotions. Making these products by hand fascinated me! I graduated and became a Cosmetologist in 1984. I hoped that “one day” I’d have my own body care line.

Well, as we all know, “Life happens” and I became a wife and a mother of four children with very little spare time. My family was and always is my top priority. Dreams of my body care line were put on the back burner.

In 1990 my husband and I decided to relocate to Utah. We lived there for seven years. I missed the smells of Hawaii’s flowers, my favorite being  the pikake. On visits home to Hawaii, I’d search store after store hoping to find a body care product that really smelled like pikake. I wanted a bar of soap, some lotion, or a spray that I could take home to Utah that would remind me of my Hawaii home.

What a huge disappointment! There were “Hawaiian” scented products on the market, but they were awful! Nothing I found smelled like pikake to me. Voila! a lightbulb moment: If  I can’t find it, I’ll make it! Eighteen years later, lots of hardwork including the last five years to perfect my products, my “one day” has finally arrived. I’m very happy and proud to share my Pikake scented body care line with you!

A local pikake lei maker sampled my soap and body spray and without looking at any of the labels simply said “Now that’s pikake!” I knew I’d done it right. Napua’ala (which in Hawaiian means ‘scent of the flower’) was born.

My pikake scented soaps and sprays are a local favorite and my most popular products. I also have Plumeria, Coconut Verbena, Gardenia, white Ginger and Maui Rose -also known as Lokelani. My product line includes soaps, lotions, body mists and sugar scrubs. I’m continuing to explore and develop new products.

Products were photographed on the North Shore of Oahu at Shark’s Cove Beach. Beautiful photography and great scenery! We locals have a saying, “lucky we live Hawaii.”

Me kealoha pumehana,
Lora Silva
[Creator of Napua’ala]

Special mahalo to:
Kurtney Silva my husband
Keola, Palili, Polou, Puanani Silva my children
Bonnie Naluai my mom
Robert Naluai my dad
Sandy Puakahi my aunty
Family and Friends: For all your packaging help and manning the booths at fairs:

Leialoha Aana, Ivey Keave, Alisa Silva, Evette Loo, Jessica Loo, Mason Loo
Cire Loo, Evonne Asifoa, Paoa Naluai,