OLAYINKA & SABA OF MELANIN ESSENTIALS
THIS WEEK WE'RE TALKING TO OLAYINKA & SABA WHO ON THE JOURNEY TO EMBRACING THE UNIQUENESS OF THEIR CURLS, COILS, AND KINKS, CREATED A BUSINESS TO HAVE OTHER WOMEN DO THE SAME!
BLK+ GRN: Why do you do what you do? OLAYINKA: My name is Olayinka Credle, and I, along with my co-founder, Saba Williams, create organic hair and body products for women of color who deal with the time and maintenance struggle of curly/kinky hair. I do this because I used to feel shame and discontentment being a black woman with kinky hair, which was only because my hair type wasn’t maintained with the right products nor advertised in a positive light. SABA: I, too, struggled with my perception of beauty at a young age because I went to a school where I was one of the three black girls in my class. There, I always noticed the difference between my hair experience and those of my friends, and it weighed on me because my hair seemed too complicated (i.e. shower caps/plastic bags in the pool). I do this because I am all about empowerment and enjoy hearing the stories of how people have experienced breakthroughs from using our products, especially after years of experiencing problems with their skin and hair. BLK+GRN: What was your "Aha Moment" and when did your vision start to manifest? SABA: It all started when we decided to stop relaxing our hair and committed to embracing our natural kinks and curls in 2010. As we embarked on this journey, we realized that there weren’t many products tailored to our hair texture that worked, and we struggled through a lot of trial and error for two years with products that claimed to enhance our curls. So, in 2012, we headed to the kitchen of our college townhome and began formulating our own natural products. Olayinka focused on hair, while I concentrated on body products. At this time, we had no dreams nor aspirations of starting a business. It was just a pain point that we refused to experience any longer. OLAYINKA: Once we started using our own homemade products, the word began to catch wind and our friends and families started using them as well. Then, a good friend recommended us to enter a local social enterprise business competition that started with a 12-week incubator night class that was designed to help us (and 9 other entrepreneurs) establish our business model, brand, and mission. After the classes, we brought our idea to the local community and raised $8,000 through a crowdfunding campaign. From here, we were selected as one of the five finalists to pitch our business idea to a panel of judges and a sold-out auditorium of 300 people. We took first place and used the resources, business pro-bono services, and $7,500 cash prize to launch Melanin Essentials.
BLK+GRN: How is your brand green? Why was this important to you?
- Only use certified organic, all-natural, and chemical-free ingredients
- Natural, plant-based scents
- No artificial coloring
- Non-GMO + cruelty-free
- Biodegradable and recyclable packing materials
“NOW THAT WE’VE FOUND A WAY TO EMPOWER WOMEN THROUGH OUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES, I WANT TO EMPOWER THE NEXT BLACK GIRL WHO WAS JUST LIKE ME. IT FEELS AMAZING TO KNOW THAT WE’VE CREATED PRODUCTS THAT ADDRESS THE VERY AREAS THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE INSECURE ABOUT.” — OLAYINKA & SABA
BLK+GRN: What’s your favorite black-owned brand on BLK + GRN?
OLAYINKA: I can’t choose one, but my top are hunnybunny and Unsun. SABA: This is tough because there are so many well-branded products with great missions! But I am eager to try the Choiselle coconut wax candles, handmade jewelry by Mahnal, and Mischo Beauty nail lacquer. BLKGRN: Why do you think it is important to Buy Black? SABA: For the black community specifically, we are already starting off as a systematically oppressed and underserved community. We need to build up our fellow small business owners, start-ups, and entrepreneurs who have the same skills, talents, and experiences as other people but many times lack the resources and support to allow their businesses to thrive. OLAYINKA: As a sociologist, one of the most interesting facts and trends that I see is that the power of the Jewish and Korean dollar in their community allows them to build powerful communities and resources due to the dedication and support of their own people. However, the black dollar is spent almost everywhere else but within our own community. As more platforms are created to incentivize black consumers using their dollars on black businesses, our communities will, too, get stronger. BLKGRN: What’s your self-care routine? OLAYINKA: As a mom of three, it’s really hard to find self-care time and you rarely do things for yourself. So, what I’ve been doing more is finding time away from home. Usually, I go out to eat alone or go to the mall to buy myself something or get my eyebrows done. My main goal here is to refrain from buying something for my husband and children so that I can intentionally focus on my needs. I want to get to the point where I am incorporating consistent hair and skin regimes, but I am not there yet. Soon! SABA: I enjoy eating plant-based foods as much as I can, try to incorporate morning devotionals along with some herbal tea, and sticking to my facial regimen. Particularly Fridays or Sundays, I like to wind down with an at-home mani or pedi (or hair and facial masks) and watch telenovelas. And lastly, I enjoy down-sizing my belongings to create a more open home and build my capsule wardrobe because, for me, minimalism is a great thing, and I find joy in simplicity. BLKGRN: Anything else coming soon? Right now, we are focusing on expanding our body products so you can expect the launch of a new body product by this summer. Our biggest and most desired product launch is our hair conditioning system, which is taking a larger financial investment, but it’s in the works!
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