04.17.12
Family Secret
Happi chats with an up & coming ethnic skin care brand.
By Melissa Meisel
Dixie Bits of New York, NY is Trinidadian/African-American owned and operated personal care company on the rise. It specializes in bath and body products like Whippa Peel body wash and lotion, Rave in Beauty Body Wash and lotion and Sweet Sugar Darlin Brown Sugar Body Scrub. The brand recently released 100% soy candles in yummy scents such as grapefruit & vanilla and lychee & red tea.Products are sold online at www.dixiebits.com and in specialty boutiques in the city.
Company founder Dixie Lincoln Nichols took a few minutes to talk to Happi about building an independent personal care brand.
Happi: How and why did you start your company?
Lincoln Nichols: Dixie Bits was launched in June of 2011. However, it was in the making since I was 6 years old. Growing up in Trinidad, I watched and helped my grandmother gather fruits and herbs to prepare meals and skin portions for the family. My favorite memory was helping her extract coconut oil in an iron pot on the stovetop. Using simple ingredients in and around the home like brown sugar, avocados, coconut oil, oranges, lemons and limes, just to name a few, she combined multiple ingredients to make her concoctions. The result was always beautiful, healthy, glowing skin. She’d created a totally organic lifestyle for us.
Dixie Lincoln Nichols |
Utilizing the internet, which has a wealth of resources, I researched laboratories that were willing to do small runs. I found the right one and they worked with me to tweak and bring my formulations to life.
Dixie Bits Collection |
Lincoln Nichols: In the five months since the company launched, we’ve been featured in notable print and online publications like Redbook and Essence online, working mother blog, beauty blitz and more.
Happi: What’s next for Dixie Bits?
Lincoln Nichols: In 2012, we’ll be improving our branding. We plan on taking our product international and we’ll also be adding feet care and hair care products.