Latest / Skin Anarchy / Harnessing The Power Of Nature’s Nourishing Potential ft. Natural Radiant Life Co-Founder, Rhonda D.

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Harnessing The Power Of Nature’s Nourishing Potential ft. Natural Radiant Life Co-Founder, Rhonda D. · Skin Anarchy

• 0:01
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• 1:06
  SPEAKER_04: Hi guys, welcome back to another episode of Sculture Anarchy.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_04: Today I have a wonderful guest with me.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_04: I am a huge fan of indie brands, and I really, really love discovering brands that are very uh nature-based.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_04: And you know, just this idea of really incorporating naturally occurring ingredients, um, you know, just things that just should be in the product that we use.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_04: So without further ado and me ranting too much, I want to introduce you guys to the founder of uh Natural Radiant Life, uh Rhonda Daniels.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_04: Welcome to you, Rhonda.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_04: I'm so excited to host you.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for having me.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: I appreciate it.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: And I am uh I am one of three.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so there are three of us that uh founded Natural Radiant Life.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: Uh my two business partners, Sherry Fields and Lakeisha Gage Woodard.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm happy to represent the brand uh on behalf of all three of us today.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, that's lovely.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_04: Um that's even better because I feel like women come together, we make you know, magic happen.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_04: So that's pretty cool.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_04: Um so I want to actually dive in, Rhonda.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_04: I would love to learn about you and the other co-founders and just really about the brand, you know, like where it began, how the you know, the whole process started, and really your career and what led up to just wanting to start a skincare line.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, okay, so there's a lot to unpack there.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: So I'll start with the three of us.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: We have been friends for over 30 years.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: We met through an organization called the Jackie Robinson Foundation.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, all of us got that scholarship to go to college.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: And so we've known each other, we've worked in that organization in their alumni um association and um over the past 30 years.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: Once you graduate, you kind of move on and to, you know, do other things with the foundation.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: Years ago, we were all business partners in a home-based business and did exceptionally well.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: So think, you know, most people think home-based, like Mary Kay, Avon, uh, wasn't it wasn't those companies, but similar concepts, um, in skincare, in plant-based skincare.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: And we did very well and spent about uh close to 10 years working in that business.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: Unfortunately, the company did close its doors in 2009, and so we all went back to our respective lives.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: I we all have MBAs, all marketing uh MBAs.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: I'm also marketing and finance, but I had fallen in love with skincare, and what I did is stay in the skincare space.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: So I've worked for dermatological dermatological brands, I worked for several of the largest skincare brands in the in the country or in actually in the world, and this particular venture came about.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: Interestingly enough, we were all individually on our own clean skincare journeys for different reasons.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: I've suffered with rosacea most of my adult life.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um, my one founder has an autoimmune condition that you know pushed her into looking to take toxins out of her life and skincare and body care products.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: And then my other partner um has suffered with cystic acne.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: And so, as I'm gonna call it fate, but I think it's sort of divine intervention, it came together right before the um world shut down for COVID.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: I had been working for a company, was laid off, like sadly, so many other people had that experience.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: But in the process of figuring out what was next, it was that proverbial fork in the road where I said, you know what, I've always wanted to do my own thing again.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: And I didn't know what it was going to look like, but in the process of looking for my next opportunity, I met with uh a product manufacturer, and we were able to, you know, start conversations around, well, maybe we could bring something together.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: You know, he's a scientist, I'm a marketer, how can we make this work?
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: And so that was really how the brand started with um this, what I'm gonna call a chance meeting that I don't believe was chance.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then calling Sherry and Lakeisha and saying, hey guys, I think that I may have something.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: And would you like to partner up again and bring something to life?
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: And so it took us about six months to look at formulas and figure out what we wanted to do, knowing that we wanted to chart this uh clean beauty journey.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: And we launched in September of 2020, so literally right in the middle of all the craziness of the pandemic and all of that.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_04: Wow, I give you props for that.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_04: I know that's that must have been very, very difficult, you know.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_04: And I I think it's interesting that you mentioned that, you know, you have a background um with brands and and just this business side of things and understanding, you know, what it takes to have a successful brand.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_04: Because, you know, that's something that I think a lot of founders struggle with.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_04: You know, I interview a lot of like new founders and oftentimes they're like, Well, I thought, you know, well, I came up with this idea, and I think everyone believes that, you know, whatever idea you come up with, it's gonna be the next big thing, you know, and it's gonna be um huge, but like managing expectations is a part of the beauty business that I feel like a lot more entrepreneurs were kind of you know just aware of, you know.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_04: I I know you mentioned you have an MBA and you have the background, and I love that because I think it really, really hones in on like what to what you want to create and how to approach business.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_04: You see what I'm saying?
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_04: Like it's it's it's something that I feel like a lot of entrepreneurs just don't know they don't they don't do it and they really don't know where to look to like to be able to do that.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_04: So I think that's that's phenomenal.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_04: And I and I really love that you know, you've been very careful with how you've crafted the brand and how it's available.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_04: And that's where I want to ask um you the question of you know, this idea of like accessibility and also talking about the whole concept of the line because you know, for everyone listening, um, I really urge you guys, by the way, whenever I'm interviewing a founder, I urge you to go check out the brand as we're speaking because I think that helps a lot.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_04: So for natural radiant life, just go to natural radiant life, all in word.com and follow along.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_04: But um, Ron, uh, you know, I want to talk to you about the product, you know, like what were the the first product that you guys really wanted to come out with?
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_04: And um, what was, you know, the the real essence behind it?
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_04: What was the white space that you guys were trying to fill?
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so we um first part of that we launched what originally was seven products.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: Um they were all in the anti-aging facial care um product line, things that people would typically use every day.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: And part of what we wanted to do, I mean, all three of us are African-American women, and we looked at and did research on what types of clean beauty products, vegan beauty, organic beauty products, are out there that are targeted for women of color.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: There aren't that many.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: A B, statistics show and research has shown that a lot of some of the mainstream products that have been marketed to women of color contain a lot of toxins.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of people are uneducated about what you should do with the back of a label, A, read it, and B, understand what some of these ingredients are and how they can affect our hormones and our uh endocrine system and all of these things.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_00: And so, as consumers, we need to educate ourselves, but we wanted to be educators of a consumer market that looked like us, that probably shopped similarly to us, and then even for those that may not, to say, hey, we want you to be better informed around what you're putting on your skin.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: We we understand you want to preserve your youth, you you, you know, you you want to look good, but don't do it at the expense of using harmful and toxic chemicals to achieve your goal because there are ways to do it that are clean and organic and vegan that use plants and herbs, and you know, one of our unique selling propositions is that we use 100% fresh fruits, vegetables, plants, herbs to create products that aren't going to harm the skin.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_00: We like to call it nutrition for your skin.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: And so when you think about, you know, so for so many of us as kids, we were told, Oh, you need to eat your fruits and vegetables because it's good for you.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_00: We've essentially taken that same concept and created skincare products that are good for your skin.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and so that really was the the when you ask about white space, that was the space that we wanted to fill.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: The products have a very unique formulation and using fermentation, which leads to, you know, these really great probiotics that are good for the skin, um, but doing it to an underserved community um in this clean beauty space.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_04: No, I think the line is actually very brilliant because you do have no fluff product, you know, and when I say that, um, for everyone listening, you know, if you go onto the website, you start reading a little bit, you you clearly see it, you know.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_04: And um, I really wanted to, you know, hats off to you, Rhonda, honestly, and your team, because I love how you've explained all the ingredients for every product.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_04: I love that.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_04: I think that is so key.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_04: And going back to the point you made about, you know, uh really kind of gearing the brand towards people who, you know, they they're not really represented in this space, you know, um, and they want to learn, you know, just educated consumers who don't feel like they they find a fit in skincare.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_04: So I think this is so brilliant of you.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_04: You know, you guys have put the ingredients right there.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_04: You've also included exactly in layman terms why it works, you know, that's what people want to see.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_04: And I think that it's so important, you know, again, when you're crafting a brand, to have this like very 360 approach, you know, regardless of what demographic or what audience you're you're pitching to, it has to make sense.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_04: It has to be something that you can't, you know, kind of I guess uh replace.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_04: You know, it has to have a place in your routine that is very sp very special for it.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_04: And I think that's really the key these days, especially since the market is so saturated and it's very, very difficult.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_04: You know, for example, I'm looking at your um the clay cleansing bar, you know, and I really love this product and the way you've um brought together so many wonderful ingredients, you know, and uh going back to your point, you know, you have this mineral clay in there.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_04: And I think when we talk about clay-based products, for example, like a clay mask or you know, a clay uh cleanser or whatever, what we're really talking about is this like uh detoxification or like cleansing of the skin.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_04: So you're getting rid of excess sebum oil.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_04: And as a lot of us know, us women of color, we have more stebum and oil production.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_04: That's just a fact, you know what I mean?
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_04: Like, and so like I think that it's so awesome that you've really like you haven't ignored that, you know, and that's really then the why I'm mentioning this is because you know, I recently had a conversation with a dermatologist, and we were talking about how there is a huge difference between brown skin health and other, you know, uh shades of skin, because it really does impact uh how your skin functions physiologically, you know, the amount of melanin you have expressed in your skin.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_04: So that's very, very important.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_04: So I really, really love that you've got these products that are genuinely geared towards, you know, the the skin conditions and the skin problems that we deal with, um, those of us who have more melanin rich skin.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and one of the things that was really important to us um was we know that traditionally uh women of color tend to age um later in life, but you still need to take good care of your skin.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: That being said, we wanted products that also addressed um dark spots in hyperpigmentation, which tend to be um at a higher instance or a higher concern for women of color, especially because I know if I get a cut, it immediately turns dark.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_00: If I get a bug bite or whatever, it turns dark, and so I'm fighting that, like you know, keeping my skin tone even.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_00: People who suffer with you know melasma, and of course, we can't make any medical claims, but using products that help to keep the skin tone even, to keep skin soft and supple, um, to get rid of you know what we quote unquote call ashy skin, and so you our body products, our shea butter, um, body butter, our body serum, you know, the body lotion that's very nourishing, and that clay cleansing bar is actually our number one selling product.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_00: Like, we cannot keep it on the shelf.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_00: That is men buy it, women buy it, people buy it for their kids.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it is an amazing product for all the reasons that you described.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_00: That clay not only is so detoxifying to the skin, but it also is nourishing, and so it's doing this double duty at the same time, it's helping to you know pull the toxins out while also pushing in all these, you know, 80 plus nutrients.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: And so um, that is a huge, uh, huge seller, huge product.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and my business partner, uh Lakeisha, has found multiple uses for it, one of which is she cleans her glasses with it, of all things.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know that you cannot keep your glasses, like you always touch them, their fingerprints on them all the time.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: And when she told me that, I thought I thought that sounds crazy until I tried it.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_00: And I was like, oh wow, that really does work.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: So a very interesting factoid about our clay cleansing bar, in addition to it being a shampoo bar, you can shave with it, you know, just a great all-around product.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_04: I love that.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_04: And honestly, you have to give her um, you know, a huge like round of applause from me because it's a beautiful product and it's a beautiful set of ingredients that you guys have included in there.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_04: So yeah, it's I can definitely see why you can't keep it on the shelves.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_04: And you know, just to like kind of compliment it, you've got a mask as well for clay.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_04: For all you clay masked lovers out there, they've got a beautiful mask, and I love the ingredients in this one.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_04: They've got the rare earth mineral clay, the aloe vera, they've got um the seaweed in there and olive oil.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_04: I really, really want to talk to you about this one, um, Rhonda, because the olive oil is so like I feel like it is such an underrated ingredient, like, especially for women and men of color, because I kid you not, like my fiance, he's African-American and his hair is curly, but it's not like it it he can manage it.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_04: But he literally told me when we first started dating, he was like, I can't use anything except olive oil in my hair.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_04: It's the best hair product I've ever used in my life.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_04: And I'm like, really?
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_04: And he's like, Yeah, I use that's what he uses.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_04: And I was like, hmm.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_04: So then I started playing around with olive oil for my own self and I use it for my skin.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_04: I use it for like all sorts of like cleansing, like taking makeup off.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_04: It is such a hero ingredient.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_04: Like, I cannot get over how good it is.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_04: So I would love for you to talk about this product too, because it's got the aloe vera in there too, which is great for people with um, you know, inflammatory skin conditions like rosacea and psoriasis.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_04: So can we uh dive into this one too while you're you know explaining the clay products?
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so here's an um interesting, interesting factoid about this product.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I'm not sure when this is going to air.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_00: So we are actually phasing it out to come out with a new and improved product that I I can't say yet, because it hasn't um it hasn't launched, but um this product will have it will also have olive oil in it.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um but it will be it will be this um clay mask uh 2.0, I'll call it that.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_00: But um, so the funny thing about olive oil is as a kid I remember my mother putting olive oil on her skin and I thought she was nuts.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_00: Like I didn't understand why in the world this woman would be putting olive oil on her skin, and you know, keep in mind, this is years ago before you know clean beauty and organic beauty and all this was even a thing.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but it is so rich for the skin and for the hair, and you know, I mean, if you even just if you're ingesting it, you've got all those benefits as well.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_00: But anti-inflammatory compounds and you know, going to your point about rosacea, which is an inflammatory response, um, and so it is in several of our products, but it's also one of the ways that um, you know, we've we've thrown in some of those anti-aging, anti-inflammatory while still um being you know, moisturizing and healing to the skin.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it has antioxidant properties, which are great, you know, especially as we're out and about and all the smog fog and all this other stuff that's going on.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_00: And so that clay mask was a really, really popular product, multiple uses.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_00: Um, we do a Facebook Live, and I used to talk about multiple uses of it.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_00: One of the things is as people are moving to more natural deodorants, it was a great way to do an underarm detox because you've got that clay in there to help out, you know, underarm toxins.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, if you're moving from a traditional antiperspirant to a natural deodorant, you know, there's a little transition period.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and it was one way to help, you know, increase the speed of that transition period.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_00: But I'll be excited to um, you know, maybe if I get to come back and talk about what this new the new version of that uh of that product will be.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: But it's on sale.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_00: So if anybody, you know, whenever this this uh airs, if you see it on the website, grab it.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's because it is on sale.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_04: Yes, please grab it, like for real.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_04: No, it's I think it's brilliant, and I really, really love that you brought up the underarm declaration because this is oh my gosh, this is something I wish more people spoke about, especially being a fellow woman of color.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, and also, you know, before I go there, I wanted to say one thing.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_04: Sorry, I might have like a crazy brain right now.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_04: I'm like on so many tangents, but um, I wanted to say one more thing, and that is I feel like black culture and Indian culture have so many parallels, it blows my mind.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_04: Because when you were talking about your mom using olive oil, my mom, I watched my mom use coconut oil, Rhonda, literally for everything.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_04: I was like, mom, why are you always using coconut oil?
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_04: And she's like, it's great, it works for everything.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_04: So when I was, you know, as I grew up, she would put it in my hair, she puts it on her skin, she would put it, you know, like we talked about ashing it, she would put it on our elbows or wherever the hell she needed, you know, uh moisture, literally.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_04: And she was like, I she swears by it, you know?
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_04: And so it's like I feel like this natural, this need for using natural ingredients is very much ingrained in our cultures because I've really seen it time and time again.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_04: I really have.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_04: Like, you know, whether that's aloe or whether that's an oil, whether that's, you know, um, whatever it is for you, you know, and I think this is the cross-cultural phenomena that I think uh we really, really overlook as a beauty industry, you know, especially when we're having this clean beauty, natural beauty uh conversation.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_04: We just we don't incorporate the culture around all of that enough.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_04: And I think we really should, because there's a lot there, you know.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I think, you know, like I'm just as I we I started down this path with natural radiant life and you know, looking at ingredients and deciding what's going to go in certain products, and our uh body serum is rich with vitamin E.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_00: Again, going back to childhood.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_00: I remember my mom taking a vitamin E capsule and like popping it and putting it on a cut or scar.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_00: And so it's almost like this full circle moment of from when I was a kid, things that my mother used to take care of her and take care of me and my skin.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_00: Again, that I thought she was a crazy lady because the stuff on the counter didn't have that, but I didn't know better at that time, right?
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_00: You're just buying whatever's popular, whatever's being advertised or pushed to you on television.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_00: And so now, here, many, many moons later, as an as an adult and as a brand owner, I'm saying, hey, mom knew something, whether she knew why she knew it, but she was on to something as you know, your, I'm sure your your mother and grandmother and stuff were too.
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_00: And now we're having this resurgence of using things that come from the earth that were here to heal us anyway, that our bodies are better able to work with and to adapt to because they're natural to our environment versus these toxic um chemicals that have been made to, you know, fast forward the process.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: Process, if you will, but at the at this um expense of our health in many cases.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_00: And so that's the part that we're proud of in terms of what we're bringing to market.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_00: We're very intentional with what we put in it.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_00: No, no artificial colors, no artificial fragrances.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_00: Fragrances affect your endocrine system.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_00: And so what you smell in our lavender serum, for example, are lavender flower buds that were soaked in the oil.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_00: And so that's the scent and the lavender essential oil.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so we're we're very, you know, very intentional.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, my partner, Sherry, is really our product guru and and you know handles that part, but very intentional with what we uh our do's and don'ts in terms of the pro uh what we put in the product.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_04: I love that.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_04: I really love that.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_04: And you know, here I I want to bring this topic up because I think you're honestly the perfect person, and this is the perfect brand for me to really speak on this.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_04: And it's been on my mind a lot, like for many years, actually, especially as a physician.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_04: Um, I feel like, you know, in medicine we learn about different demographics of people and what they're predisposed to in terms of like certain endocrine pathologies or like, you know, whatever, right?
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_04: And we were taught things that are like it's like as if you're being brainwashed into believing this stuff.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_04: And I really get mad about this.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_04: And I actually tell my students this is like you need to stop believing you know, norms.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_04: Because, for example, let me let me give an example for everyone listening.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_04: We're taught from day one of medical school, day one of any medical practice, whether you're a nurse, anyone treating anybody, you're taught African Americans have a higher prevalence of heart disease and diabetes.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_04: Okay, but you're never told why.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_04: You're never told where it came from.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_04: There's no such thing as just a person being born and being predisposed to diabetes and endocrine problems.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_04: Endocrine problems result from in prolonged exposure to certain stimuli.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_04: So whether that's, you know, uh products that are not suited for you, or whether that's, you know, using products that are not, you know, they're available because nothing else is available, you know, in the area that you live in, or there's so many socioeconomic reasons for this.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_04: And I'm very, very passionate about this because I really believe that it's been propagated in such a terrible way.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_04: And so when I think about brands like yours, it makes me so happy to see what you're doing.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_04: Because let me tell you, the endocrine issue is getting worse and worse, you know, Rhonda.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_04: And I'm sure you know this for everybody, regardless of, you know, uh race, age, sex, doesn't matter.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_04: Because what now we're looking at polyglandular problems.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_04: You know, your adrenal glands are getting messed up, your thyroid glands are messed up, your pituitaries messed up.
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_04: Why?
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_04: Because we keep using products that have preservatives in them.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_04: We keep using products that have, you know, just these chemicals, these like lab-derived chemicals in them.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_04: So this idea of moving into a natural, you know, more natural playground when it comes to skin health is not only, you know, the obvious next step, but it's actually very, very um, I think innovative and truly cutting edge.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_04: And I and I really love that all of the products that you guys have available, they serve a purpose.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_04: You know what I mean?
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_04: Like they're really things that people need on a daily basis.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_04: They're not BS products.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_04: And what I mean by BS products is like, you know how people have like 18 facial moisturizers on their website?
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_04: Why do you need why do you need all that?
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_04: You know what I mean?
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_04: And it's like you've got like beautiful, like, you know, for example, there's a um uh like a set for just men.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_04: Like if you are, you know, shopping for your husband or your, you know, your whoever, brother, what whatever, go you there's a set, it's already available.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_04: There's the cleansing bar in there, there's the hand cream, and then there's the body lotion in there.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_04: That's what men need.
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_04: That's what they use.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_04: You know what I mean?
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_04: So it's like you've already made it easy, and I really love that.
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_04: And I think that it's such an important um, it's important for us to highlight your brand because it's doing something that is going to have a long-term effect, I think, for people's health, which is a positive effect, obviously.
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_04: And that's I I would love to see more brands follow in suit and really kind of lead, you know, follow your example um in this because it's it's really, really important, the especially now, you know.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, in today's age.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you know, I appreciate you saying that because I, you know, certainly can get on a uh soapbox of my own about you know the predisposition of women of color for things like uterine fibroids.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_00: I don't believe we're just naturally predisposed to that.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_00: I absolutely believe it is it is um environmental.
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um and so, you know, the things that we're using on our bodies, you know, that we're they're that we're ingesting, and you know, we can't solve it.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_00: When I say we, I mean natural radiant life, right?
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_00: We can't solve for all of that.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_00: But what we can do is not contribute to it.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, and so that is the space that is important to us.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_00: How do we become part of the solution and not part of the problem?
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_00: And in our small little way, we're part of the solution by offering an altern an alternative to women who A may be looking for it, or B may not even know that they're looking for it, but through an education process are open to saying, you know what, I'll try that.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_00: And and that happens a lot.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_00: Well, now that the world is opening back up and I'm starting to do in-person events.
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_00: And when women come and we talk, and you know, I ask them, well, tell me about your skincare concerns, like what what keeps you up, or what do you look at in the mirror and go, oh, I wish that was different, or whatever.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_00: And then when they sometimes tell me some of the stuff that they're using, I have to keep a poker face because I'm thinking, oh my God, do you know what all is in that?
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_00: Do you understand what you're doing to your skin?
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_00: And you don't you don't want to be that person where you're just like, oh my god, that's trash.
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_00: So I always ask them, are you open to learning about clean beauty options that could help you achieve the same goal?
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_00: And if they say, you know, no, I really like what I have and it's fine, then okay, no problem.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we're not for everybody and we don't intend to be.
• 28:20
  SPEAKER_00: But for the person who says, Well, you know what, I never even knew that this was an option, I'd be interested in learning more, then there's an open door for an education process around.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_00: So I'll use this as an example.
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_00: A radiant C serum is vitamin C, 15% oloscorbic acid, but it also has organic purple sweet potatoes, which are a natural form of retinol, you know, that yes, yes, who knew?
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, and and that's actually one of my favorite, favorite products.
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_00: Great for brightening the skin, great for fine lines, also great for any um those pigment challenges.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_00: So people who may have, you know, suffered with acne and have some acne scars.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it's a wonderful, wonderful treatment that is a you know, 15%, which is the same as a clinical grade that you would pay three or four times more, depending on who you buy it from, but also a very effective product and and one of our one of our big sellers too.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_04: I love that.
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_04: I really love that.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_04: I love that you're actually, you know, trying to find alternatives.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_04: I think that that is so it people aren't doing that, especially for things that are like heavily prescribed, like retinol, you know.
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_04: It's like I have this conversation every time.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_04: I kid you not, every time I have a dermon, I literally have this conversation.
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_04: I'm like, well, what about all the freaking, you know, the drugs that we're using and they're causing terrible reactions?
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_04: And they're like, well, you know, they're FDA approved.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_04: I'm like, well, that doesn't mean anything.
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_04: That just means that they've been around for, you know what I mean?
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_04: It's just been around for a long time.
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_04: Like, I literally the other day, and I'm gonna share this with you because it's so relevant and it's so to your point that I actually had, I did, I don't know what I was thinking, but I used a product and I really hate benzyl peroxide, just to preface.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_04: Um, I really hate benzyl peroxide for everyone listening.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_04: If your dermatologist is prescribing you benzyl peroxide, say no.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_04: Okay, just say no.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_04: But I had um I put benzyl peroxide on my face.
• 30:17
  SPEAKER_04: It was a product that had it in it.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_04: Rhonda, when I tell you my whole face got crispy, it was like literally like like paper, like cracking pay.
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_04: It was like terrible.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_04: It was like a chemical burn to the next level.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_04: And I was just like, what the actual heck is going on?
• 30:39
  SPEAKER_04: And I literally at that moment realized this is why we need natural skincare.
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_04: This is why we need natural products.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_04: You know why?
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_04: Because just like your mom used to put vitamin E on her wounds, my mom used to put turmeric on her wounds.
• 30:52
  SPEAKER_04: I grew up with that.
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_04: So that's the first thing I went and I made a mixture of turmeric with water and I put that on there.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_04: And my mother was like, you know, gloating, of course, and she's like, see, there's nothing better than old, you know, just old age remedies.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_04: You know what I mean?
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_04: Like rubbing it in.
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_04: It's like it's such a it's such a valid um concern and a thing that we need to address as an industry is this idea of, you know, if sweet potato extract or, you know, um the chemical that's active, the active component in it can help reduce the signs of aging like retinol does, help with skin cell turnover.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_04: Why not utilize that over a prescription retinol that's being, you know, it's gonna cause some sort of side effect because it's synthetically made in a lab.
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_04: That it doesn't make any sense.
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_04: So I think that there's a lot of, you know, there's a lot of conversation that needs to happen around this space.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_04: And I absolutely love that you're just, you know, you're just putting it out there, you know, you're not you're not like dilly-dallying about it.
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_04: I feel like a lot of brands are like, well, yeah, we're gonna be eventually coming out with products that are more natural based, and they do this and they, you know, they mimic the f efficacy of this, you know, like Botox, for example, but then they never do anything about it.
• 32:08
  SPEAKER_04: I hate that, you know?
• 32:10
  SPEAKER_04: So it's it's really cool.
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_04: I'm glad that you're doing it.
• 32:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I, you know, we have been so fortunate, there's just no two ways about it to work with an amazing product formulator who is brilliant.
• 32:23
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, the stuff that he knows is is scary.
• 32:26
  SPEAKER_00: And so, you know, as we sit down with him and we're like, you know, we're always thinking about what are my concerns or my friends' concerns, you know, what are the things that they're talking about, um, and and bringing it back and saying, okay, what about this?
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_00: And what if we what if we do that?
• 32:41
  SPEAKER_00: And well, let's tinkle with this a little bit.
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_00: And so that part is fun, you know, because running a business is is not for the faint of heart by any stretch of the imagination, but um, I couldn't imagine doing anything else at this point.
• 32:55
  SPEAKER_00: Like this is this is the it for me, and it took me a long time to to get here and and to be okay with no longer being in like the corporate rat race, but I wake up every day just so grateful to have this opportunity to do something that I believe in and that I love and to do it with two people that I have the utmost respect for, and and so it it really has just been um a gift.
• 33:20
  SPEAKER_00: There's no other way I can describe it.
• 33:23
  SPEAKER_04: Well, I'm a huge fan, you know, it's to say the least, I'm a huge fan of the brand.
• 33:27
  SPEAKER_04: I think your products are truly brilliant.
• 33:29
  SPEAKER_04: I've had nothing but great, you know, results.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_04: I've felt it feels good to use them, you know.
• 33:34
  SPEAKER_04: It feels like you're using something that's genuinely nourishing your skin.
• 33:38
  SPEAKER_04: And I know that's a really hard thing to kind of put your finger on, but I think anyone listening who's a skin nerd like me, you know what I'm talking about.
• 33:46
  SPEAKER_04: Like when you apply a product and it just soaks in or it just makes your skin feel more plumped up or just more protected, that's what I'm talking about.
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_04: And I've I've had that experience with every single product of yours that I've tried, and that speaks for itself.
• 33:59
  SPEAKER_04: You know, the quality speaks for itself.
• 34:01
  SPEAKER_04: So I think you're definitely, definitely, your whole whole team is doing something very right.
• 34:05
  SPEAKER_04: And I am so excited to see what you guys are coming out with next with that clay mask because I can't wait.
• 34:11
  SPEAKER_00: That sounds amazing.
• 34:13
  SPEAKER_00: Well, we are um exciting things are happening, and and probably by the time this this this is aired, it will have happened.
• 34:20
  SPEAKER_00: But um, we are doing an exciting uh brand relaunch.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_00: We're two years in and we got to a place and we're like, you know what, we can elevate the aesthetic of this brand.
• 34:31
  SPEAKER_00: And so um really excited about what's it's behind the curtains.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_00: I can't pull the curtain yet, but I'm so excited for where we're going with um new product launches coming um with some exciting stuff, and um just just overall, you know, staying, of course, true to our mission and who we are, but just getting the the aesthetic of the brand um to a level that will attract even more uh people to take a look at us.
• 35:06
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
• 35:07
  SPEAKER_04: I'm so excited.
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_04: I can't wait to see everything you guys are doing next.
• 35:11
  SPEAKER_04: And I please let me know um when you do pull that curtain because I will be in the front row of that show.
• 35:17
  SPEAKER_04: So I'm very much excited for that.
• 35:20
  SPEAKER_04: I also, you know, I also want to um just have a I have a simple request for you though, actually, and for your for your formulation team, Rhonda.
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_04: And that is um, I would love to see you guys come out with a product that is genuinely it works because I think you guys are probably one of the few brands that can do it where it helps women of color who have underarm discoloration.
• 35:39
  SPEAKER_04: Because I know that's an issue for us.
• 35:41
  SPEAKER_04: I don't know if you suffer from that, but for me, for a long time, like but when I was growing up, I was bullied over stuff like that.
• 35:48
  SPEAKER_04: You know what I mean?
• 35:49
  SPEAKER_04: Just because I'm like, you know, when you're more when you have more pigment for everyone listening, you know, and if you don't have this problem, like I'll explain it to you.
• 35:56
  SPEAKER_04: For those of us who have more melanin, we deposit that melanin gets deposited in certain areas of your body and it causes more um it's it's just hyperpigmentation and underarm areas is one of those places also on top of your knees happens for a lot of women of color, right?
• 36:12
  SPEAKER_04: You know what I'm talking about.
• 36:13
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it's so unknowing.
• 36:15
  SPEAKER_04: And it's like, you know, and it's there's nothing out there really that works.
• 36:18
  SPEAKER_04: Like I haven't had a single product I've tried that's worked for it.
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_04: So if you guys can come up with it, I will be your first customer.
• 36:26
  SPEAKER_00: Well, thank you for that tidbit.
• 36:27
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna go back.
• 36:28
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, no, I'm telling you guys, I mean, honestly, I think you guys could come up with it, and I really think it's needed in this industry.
• 36:35
  SPEAKER_04: So I would love to see a brand, you know, such as yours do it because I hate seeing brands that don't know what they're talking about come out with those kind of products and then they just fail, you know.
• 36:44
  SPEAKER_04: So but yeah, thank you, Rhonda.
• 36:47
  SPEAKER_04: This has been wonderful, and I'm so excited that you came on and I love the brand.
• 36:51
  SPEAKER_04: And for everyone listening, I hope you took my advice and checked out the website as we were discussing.
• 36:56
  SPEAKER_04: I will tag everything in the concept art for this episode.
• 36:59
  SPEAKER_04: And yeah, it's been such an honor to host you, Rhonda.
• 37:02
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you so much.
• 37:03
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for having me.
• 37:04
  SPEAKER_00: I have so enjoyed this conversation and um I look forward to uh continuing to, you know, do what I do, but also to continue to hopefully bring some great products to uh to the to the market.
• 37:17
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
• 37:18
  SPEAKER_04: Can't wait.
• 37:19
  SPEAKER_04: All right, for everyone listening, make sure you guys uh do me a huge favor and go on to Apple Podcasts and rate and write us a written review, please.
• 37:28
  SPEAKER_04: I am begging you.
• 37:29
  SPEAKER_04: That helps so much.
• 37:30
  SPEAKER_04: It's our bread and butter, helps us get up there in the charts.
• 37:33
  SPEAKER_04: Um, and yeah, if you could do that, I would really appreciate it.
• 37:36
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you so much, and I will be back next time.
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_04: Hey guys, so I hope you love that episode.
• 37:43
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• 37:48
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• 37:50
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• 38:05
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• 38:12
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• 38:20
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• 38:22
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• 38:26
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• 38:36
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• 38:42
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• 38:47
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you.