Our October membership partner is.... Ceremonia! We sat down with founder, Babba Riviera, to learn all about her hair care brand, Ceremonia.
What was the inspiration behind Ceremonia?
Ceremonia was born out of a mission to bring back the “care” in haircare and to see more representation for Latinx individuals. For so long, the hair category’s been dominated by traditional big box and celebrity stylist led brands that often contain silicones and harmful chemicals to disguise hair under heavy styling. Building a clean, effective hair ritual that could produce transformative results without compromise has been table stakes for us since day one, while tapping into the richness of Latin culture and the sacred beauty rituals that have been passed down for generations. There are so many powerful natural ingredients that are native to the Latin American region and so much of what we see in the beauty industry today stems from our culture — but interestingly enough, Latinx still lacks representation within this category despite being one of the biggest spenders and largest demographics. Ceremonia is on a mission to change that by celebrating the richness of our culture and foster representation.
What was the first Ceremonia product?
We launched with our heritage scalp remedy oil, Aceite de Moska. This is a pre-shower treatment featuring a potent blend of oils that helps restore your hair’s health from the scalp down. Since scalp health is the foundation to overall hair health, we wanted to enter the market with this powerful product first to establish ourselves as a hair wellness brand. It’s a great weekly spa-like ritual that reminds us to slow down and unwind with a moment of self-care. It’s won awards, received raving reviews from our community, and has truly helped me on my own hair journey so much. I've finally been able to grow out my childhood hair again, enjoying fuller, shinier and stronger hair, which I’m especially grateful for since going through the roughness of postpartum hair. I can’t recommend this little miracle oil enough!
How often do you wash your hair? Are you team air dry or team blow dry?
I’m very much team air dry. I try to wash my hair less often, usually 2x a week. One of those wash days I use our Sunday Reset Duo (featuring our scalp scrub and hair mask) to reset my hair and scalp with some extra love. My typical post-shower routine consists of plopping my hair into our microfiber Guava Hair Towel to speed up air dry time and reduce frizz, detangling with our Rescue Spray, and using a combo of our award-winning Guava Leave in Conditioner for a boost of moisture, the Pequi Curl Activator to enhance my natural waves, or the Pequi Styling Gel when I want a sleek middle part and to smooth out flyaways. I’ve completely stopped using heating tools and harmful styling products to embrace a more natural and low-maintenance look.
How do you define beauty?
Beauty is a form of self-care for me. Growing up, I observed my mom carve out time to soak in long baths and we knew not to bother her during this sacred time. She showed me how beauty can be a form of self care and self love, and how important it is to honor that time with oneself. It’s taking a moment to be present and do something that makes you feel good. My beauty rituals are built on this idea and I take a health and wellness approach with a minimalist touch—beauty doesn’t have to be complicated or involve a lot of steps, and it doesn’t have to be about the surface level. That’s ultimately what Ceremonia’s ethos is as well, embracing natural beauty that makes you feel more like yourself.
Red, white or rosé?
Rosé
Favorite way to unwind at the end of the day?
Evening time is when I usually carve out space for me-time and indulge in my beauty rituals for a sense of spa at home. My go-to is our Scalp Power Duo — I apply the Aceite de Moska directly on my scalp and follow with a gentle massage with our scalp massager to stimulate blood flow circulation. This duo helps balance the scalp, strengthen the hair, boost whine and promote healthy hair growth. I then put on our Spa band and leave the oil on overnight, washing it off with shampoo and conditioner in the morning. I usually pair this ritual with a face mask, some of my favorites include the Tata Harper Clarifying Mask, or the cannabeauty brand MANTLE’s Dream Mask which is an overnight mask you can sleep in for glowy and plump skin.
Best entertaining advice.
To hold a speech. More often than not, we shy away from interrupting a gathering, but the reality is that there is no greater gift to a group that has chosen to spend their valuable time with you than to take a moment to share how much their presence means to you, share your intentions for the evening and help set the tone for the night. I’ve noticed how guests leave feeling much more connected and special after an intentional speech from the host.
What’s a song that you can listen to on repeat?
The Girl from Ipanema just never gets old for me when it comes to hosting!
