Tongan coconut based products made by Island Rose Dream attracted interest from beauty professionals at the Beauty Expo Australia held in Sydney in August, as part of the Pacific Trade Invest (PTI) Australia’s Pacific Showcase.

The trade expo helps Pacific businesses to connect with international buyers and to get direct feedback from the market.

Founder of Island Rose Dream, Rosie Akauola-Fine said it was a great opportunity to be part of the showcase and the response she received has been positive.

“It’s allowed us to get valuable feedback and leads from the industry. It’s also helped raise awareness of who we are.”

Her company's products include scented coconut body oils and coconut sugar scrubs.

Three other Pacific Island beauty enterprises also took part in the expo showcase, including Nama of Fiji, Natural Fiji Pty Ltd, and PNG’s Oshin Organic.

Jeremy Grennell, General Manager Exports of PTI Australia said it “was great to see the level of interest in beauty products from the Pacific Islands”.

“The natural ingredients used and story behind the products are real points of difference.”

Island Rose Dream beauty products are handmade using traditional methods in the rural villages of Kanokupolu and Lapaha in Tonga. The products are then labeled and packaged in Melbourne, Australia and distributed worldwide.

Rosie hopes to build demand internationally so women in rural villages in Tonga can enjoy a steady income. She aspires to put Tongan coconut oil and beauty products on the international map.