Exploring Life & Business with Lyn Pacificar of Herbalaria

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lyn Pacificar.

Hi Lyn, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My parents are Filipino immigrants who came to the United States in the 1970s. My dad settled in a little-known farming city called Oxnard, where he had humble beginnings sorting and packaging tomatoes. My mom arrived in Newark, New Jersey, with barely five dollars to her name to pursue her career in pharmacy. It was a bi-coastal relationship that began when mutual friends introduced them, and eventually they became “pen pals.” Long story short, they fell in love, married, and moved to Los Angeles.

Although I was born in America, my parents made sure I grew up knowing where I came from—the languages, foods, protocols of honor and respect, and especially the stories of my ancestors and the healing traditions passed down through our family. As an only child, I was inquisitive about my family’s origins from an early age. I was fortunate to be raised in part by my paternal grandmother, who answered my many questions about her island culture, spoke Waray and Tagalog with me, and shared stories and legends of ghosts, witches, and otherworldly experiences from her own life. My parents also encouraged my creativity from a young age, nurturing talents like art, dance, and cooking traditional Filipino food—many of the dishes I still cook for my own family today.

Some of my earliest memories of healing come from watching my father practice traditional methods in our home. My father was a manghihilot, a traditional Filipino healer who worked with prayer, massage, specialized oils, and energy work. People would come through our doors and enter his healing room while others waited in the living room. When they left, they often felt noticeably better—or completely well. As a child, I would watch him make oils using ingredients he brought back from the Philippines. These preparations were made through ritual, with each ingredient carefully added—herbs, moss, ground minerals, and coral infused into a coconut oil base. I didn’t fully understand it at the time, but I knew I was witnessing something sacred, and that healing would eventually become part of my own path.

When I was 12 years old, another important relationship took root in my life. My aunt introduced me to bayabas, the Filipino name for guava, at the Hollywood Farmers’ Market. She taught me to see the tree not simply as a plant, but as a living relative with medicine and wisdom to share. My aunt died of breast cancer a few years later, and her memory lives on through my relationship with the guava tree, whom I lovingly refer to as Mama Guava.

In 2015, I traveled to the Philippines and met my father in Surigao City. It would be one of the last times we would be together. Before his death that September, he told me that I would receive a full energetic transference when he passed. Within Filipino traditions, this can be understood as an inherited spiritual capacity or “third eye”—a power that can be passed from one generation to another.

During that trip, I traveled to Tinuy-an Falls in Bislig, Surigao del Sur, and later to the Hinatuan Enchanted River. It was during this journey that I knew something had transpired. I felt a profound connection with the spirits of the land, almost as though they were telling me to bring our healing knowledge across the ocean to America.

Three days after my last conversation with my father, he passed away.

That experience changed the direction of my life. One evening while meditating, I received an ancestral message to reclaim our ancient plant medicine and bring greater awareness to Philippine culture through my experience as a Filipina American lineage healer. I felt called to elevate the way we see ourselves and the value of our own traditions by creating products rooted in Indigenous wisdom.

That revelation became the seed of Herbalaria. Today, guava is foundational to our skincare, spiritual supplies, and Diwata Adornments—from our Bayabas Guava Leaf Skincare Collection to our original Bayabas Guava Leaf Bundles and amulets crafted from her fruit. Mama Guava became a bridge between what I inherited as a child and the contemporary products I eventually created to share those traditions with others. What began as a deeply personal calling has grown into something much larger than I could have imagined: a family business that has made Filipino traditions meaningful and relevant today.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There are no smooth roads when you’re building a business. In many ways, the adventure is in the ups and downs—the losses, the lessons, and the moments that become the biggest wins.

Herbalaria is also a very unique company, and that has brought its own set of challenges. When we first started, our children were still young, in school, and needed our full attention. My husband, Gilbert, and I were also active members of many different communities with commitments of our own. Learning how to balance family, community, and building a business made time management essential.

We’re both creatives and naturally tend to work at night, so I’ve had to learn how to adjust my schedule around early meetings, family responsibilities, and everything else that needs to get done. It has gotten much easier with time. I’ve learned that business, much like a person, needs time to mature. Each year brings more experience, clarity, and a better understanding of what deserves our energy.

Perhaps the greatest challenge, however, has been building a company around Indigenous knowledge and folk healing that has historically been dismissed or devalued. Philippine folk traditions were often belittled under colonization, particularly because our animistic relationship with nature and the spirit world conflicted with Catholic doctrine. That history created a disconnect from the intrinsic value of our own ways of knowing and healing.

For Herbalaria, part of our work has been helping people recognize that Filipino heritage extends far beyond symbols, food, or cultural references printed on a T-shirt. We want to remind our community that we have always held sophisticated relationships with plants, our environment, our bodies, and the spiritual world. We have rich pre-colonial traditions of magic, medicine, and ritual that are worthy of being remembered, and lived. Our knowledge has value. Our traditions have meaning. It is our inheritance and right to reclaim.

There are, of course, practical challenges: accessing the funding needed for growth and operations, working with seasonal ingredients like guava leaves, navigating the immense competition within the skincare industry, and continually adapting to an ever-changing social media landscape. But through all of it, we remain grounded in the value of what we offer and the integrity of who we are. The road has not always been easy, but I believe that building something culturally meaningful and impactful on every level requires focus, strength, and the courage to embody your authenticity fully—so that you can meet whatever challenges arise without compromising the values and purpose at the heart of the work.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Herbalaria is a Filipina-owned, family-run wellness company rooted in the botanical wisdom and folk healing traditions of the Philippines. Founded in East Hollywood (Gabrieleño Tongva and Gabrieleño Kizh Territory) in 2016, Herbalaria grew from my calling to honor what I inherited from my family and create a space where Filipino traditional healing could be shared, experienced in an authentic and contemporary way.

I am an albularya, a Filipino folk herbalist and healer, descending from a long line of healers and mystics on my father’s side of the family from Leyte and Samar, with connections to Pampanga and Ilocos. My mother’s family comes from Mindanao, Panay, and Bicol, associating me to several regions and cultural traditions throughout the Philippines. I am also a Katuuran, an initiated Filipina Shaman. My shamanic and animistic practice incorporates prayer, ritual, diagnostic readings, spirit communication, and ancestral mediumship. As the Founder and CEO of Herbalaria, I feel a deep responsibility to honor the integrity of what has been entrusted to me while translating this knowledge into offerings that can be meaningfully experienced today.

My relationship with herbal formulation began when I was a teenager, creating custom preparations for friends—from love powders and herbal incense mixtures to oils formulated with specific intentions. Over time, I developed a deeper understanding of plants, ritual, and the ways these elements can work together. Today, most of our products are made by hand in small batches, often within ceremony, with careful attention to their ingredients, purpose, and energetic intention.

We create botanical skincare, spiritual supplies, ritual tools sourced directly from the Philippines, and Diwata Adornments, our line of jewelry and wearable art centered around amulets and talismans as forms of protection. Our offerings bring together nature, cultural teachings, ritual, art, and contemporary wellness. From our Bayabas Guava Leaf Collection to handcrafted oils, hydrosols, botanical preparations, incense, and ritual bundles, each offering carries a sense of purpose and place.

What sets Herbalaria apart is that we don’t separate wellness from culture, spirituality, or our relationship with the natural world. Our products come from our own lived experience, not simply cultural concepts we reference. Through Halamanism™, I teach exploration of Philippine magic and medicine through workshops, educational programs, and community gatherings.

My service to the community is another important expression of this work. Through Herbalaria, I am called upon not only as a maker and educator, but as a ritualist to help people mark significant moments in their lives. I have been invited to facilitate public blessings, land acknowledgements, community gatherings, celebrations of marriage, rites of transition, and celebrations of life. My role is to listen to what the moment is asking for and draw upon prayer, ancestral ritual, and guidance to create a meaningful container for those gathered.

This work is woven throughout Herbalaria. The same relationship with plants, ancestors, spirits of the land, and ceremony that informs our products also informs the way I serve people directly. Whether someone encounters Herbalaria through a bottle of guava oil, a piece of Diwata Adornments jewelry, a workshop, or a ceremony, my intention remains the same: to create offerings and experiences that help people cultivate a deeper relationship with themselves and the natural, spiritual world.

One of the things that has made this journey especially meaningful is seeing how our offerings have touched people’s lives. Knowing that something we created has helped someone experience a sense of healing, comfort, connection, or peace of mind brings me tremendous joy. It reminds me why I create: to make offerings that matter, carry meaning, and reflect the culture from which they come.

One example of this work is our Bayabas Guava Leaf Bundles. They grew from my relationship with Mama Guava, our family’s guava tree, and from an ancestral directive to create a more sustainable, culturally connected alternative to the overharvesting of white sage. We were the first to introduce the practice of burning guava leaves to the Filipino American community and wider Filipino diaspora as a way of cleansing energy and making spiritual offerings. For us, these leaves are not simply a substitute for another plant relative. They represent our own relationship with the land and link us to the stories of healing that our ancestors have always told.

What I am most proud of is that Herbalaria will celebrate its 10-year milestone this September. It has been a long time coming, and when I look back, I see just how much we have grown. There is so much to be grateful for, especially our customers, who have become like family to us and have supported us throughout this journey. Our customers are why we exist, and their trust has allowed us to serve our community in a way that extends far beyond the products we create. What we have built together is rooted in relationship, culture, service, and a shared sense of being—something I believe is at the heart of what makes Herbalaria so meaningful.

While Herbalaria is anchored in our family’s Filipino heritage, it is not limited to Filipinos. We welcome anyone who feels called to learn, experience, and connect with the plant wisdom we share, while honoring where those traditions come from.

We hope to continue expanding Herbalaria beyond the boundaries of East Hollywood and eventually be present around the world, sharing the gifts of Mama Guava and a living legacy that can continue to be honored and passed down for generations to come.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is that as a trailblazer, people will always follow in your wake. When they do, I know I’ve done my job: I’ve reached someone deeply and given them something meaningful to hold onto.
I’ve also had to accept that some of the knowledge I share may be extracted, repackaged, or appropriated without credit. That can be difficult to accept, but I’ve learned not to let it distract me from the real work. My responsibility is to serve the ancestors, share what I have been entrusted with, and recognize when it’s time to move into the next chapter. Ego has to be set aside in that service.

For me, pivoting is part of keeping the work alive. It allows me to follow what is emerging, while also discovering the parts of myself that are ready to be expressed—especially as an artist. In a world where AI is increasingly blurring the boundaries between inspiration, imitation, and authorship, I value the integrity of creating from lived experience and knowing the origins of what I bring into the world.

Ultimately, I’ve learned that success is something I get to define for myself. It isn’t measured solely by recognition, status, or business growth. My real measure of success is appreciating my blessings, enjoying the peace I’ve created with my family and in my home, and knowing that I chose this life and how I want to live it. Everything else is a bonus.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://herbalaria.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamherbalaria/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamherbalaria/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/herbalaria/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynpacificar/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Herbalaria

Image Credits
Marns Motions
Madeline Arenas – Cubrix Photography
Nikki Boutte Photography