• Login
    • Join
  • Subscribe Free
    • Magazine
    • eNewsletter
    Checkout
    • Magazine
    • News
    • Formulary
    • Exclusives
    • Top Companies
    • Raw Materials
    • End-User
    • Packaging
    • Directories
    • Events
    • Jobs
    • More
  • Magazine
  • News
  • Formulary
  • Exclusives
  • Top Companies
  • Raw Materials
  • End-User
  • Packaging
  • Directories
  • Events
  • Jobs
  • Current / Back Issues
    Features
    Columns
    Editorial
    Digital Edition
    eNewsletter Archive
    Our Team
    Editorial Guidelines
    Subscribe Now
    Advertise Now
    Top Features
    Stepping into the Spotlight for 2021

    The Independent Beauty Association Supports Sensible Reform

    Essential Workers

    A Clean Commitment

    Deliver & Delight
    Online Exclusives
    Association News
    Breaking News
    Financial News
    Industry News
    International
    Marketing News
    New Products
    News Front
    Packaging News
    Patents
    Personnel
    Regulations
    Snapshots
    Top News
    Live From Shows
    Top News
    Manscaped Expands Further in Europe

    Color Street Gives Back

    Redken's Acidic Range Is 60 Years in the Making

    Honest, Refillable Cleaners

    Nailing It in 2020
    Blog
    Online Exclusives
    Infographics
    Podcasts
    Whitepapers
    Videos
    Expert's Opinion
    HappiTV
    eBook
    Surveys
    International Top 30 Report
    Top 50 Report
    Top Companies
    40. Turtle Wax

    10. Amore Pacific

    6. Beiersdorf

    12. Kosé

    12. Boticário
    Actives
    Functional Ingredients
    Pigments
    Polymers
    Preservatives
    Surfactants

    Honest, Refillable Cleaners

    Nailing It in 2020

    P&G, L'Oréal & Amorepacific Make News at CES

    PurposeBuilt Brands Files for IPO

    Amyris Named a Top Social & Environmental Impact Company
    Air Care/Environmental Fragrance
    AP/Deo
    Color Cosmetics
    Disinfectants
    Fine Fragrance
    Hair Care
    Household Cleaning
    I&I Marketplace
    Laundry Care
    Oral Care
    OTC/Medicated
    Packaging
    Personal Cleansers
    Skin Care
    Sun Care
    Testing

    Beauty by the Numbers: Supplement Sensation

    Manscaped Expands Further in Europe

    Color Street Gives Back

    Redken's Acidic Range Is 60 Years in the Making

    Honest, Refillable Cleaners
    Lab Equipment
    Mixing
    Packaging
    Testing

    Three Form Vertical Beauty Alliance

    Logo Design Trends for 2021 & Beyond

    Coming Clean About Stink

    Henkel Reaches Sustainable Packaging Milestone

    Ross Designs Mixer for Increased Shear
    Contract Manufacturing / Private Label Directory
    Buyer's Guide
    Add New Company
    Corporate Profiles
    International Buyers Guide Companies
    Jeen International

    Sabinsa Cosmetics, a division of Sabinsa Corporation

    Centerchem Inc

    QRS (Quality Resourcing Services)

    Praan Naturals
    Live From Shows
    Meetings
    Webinars
    Snapshots
    • Magazine
      • Current / Back Issues
      • Features
      • Editorial
      • Columns
      • Digital Edition
      • eNewsletter Archive
      • Subscribe Now
      • Advertise Now
    • Breaking News
    • Formulary
    • Directories
      • Buyer's Guide
      • Contract Manufacturing / Private Label Directory
      • Corporate Profiles
      • Add Your Company
    • Raw Materials
      • Actives
      • Functional Ingredients
      • Pigments
      • Polymers
      • Preservatives
      • Surfactants
    • End-User
      • Air Care/Environmental Fragrance
      • AP/Deo
      • Color Cosmetics
      • Disinfectants
      • Fine Fragrance
      • Hair Care
      • Household Cleaning
      • I&I Marketplace
      • Laundry Care
      • Oral Care
      • OTC/Medicated
      • Packaging
      • Personal Cleansers
      • Skin Care
      • Sun Care
      • Testing
    • Packaging
      • Lab Equipment
      • Mixing
      • Packaging
      • Testing
    • Top Companies
      • International Top 30 Report
      • Top 50 Report
    • Online Exclusives
    • Experts Opinion
    • Slideshows
    • HappiTV
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • eBook
    • Infographics
    • Blog
    • Whitepapers
    • Surveys
      • R & D Salary Survey
      • Sales & Marketing Salary Survey
    • Job Banks
    • Events
      • Industry Events
      • Live from show Events
      • Webinars
    • About Us
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of Use
    Breaking News

    The Art & Science of Staying in Business

    By setting out to address eczema, Shea Radiance CEO Funlayo Alabi has improved the lives of more than her customer base.

    The Art & Science  of Staying in Business
    CEO Funlayo Alabi (fourth from the right) in Africa with women shea producers.
    The Art & Science  of Staying in Business
    The Shea Radiance line
    Related CONTENT
    • Seiso JBeauty Launches Ceramide Products
    • Operation CBDeceit: FTC Crackdown on CBD Products
    • Bliss Launches Holiday Products
    • Goop Unveils Clean Lip Balm
    • C’est Moi Expands Into Target in 2021
    12.01.17
    How it all began: My husband and I started making shea butter-based body care products in our kitchen to solve our family’s dry skin problems. I started selling our products at local farmer’s markets on the weekends while I worked full time as a software developer in Washington DC. The farmer’s markets helped us build a following and the confidence to approach our neighborhood natural food store, Roots Market and ultimately, Whole Foods Market. Our quest to find a consistent source of quality shea butter led us to West Africa, where we developed a relationship with the amazing women who harvest the nuts and process the butter. The revenue made from the sale of shea butter provided the women with additional income to clothe, feed and educate their children. This connection completely shifted the heart of our business. It became clear that our success would have a direct impact on the lives of the women in our supply chain.

    What inspired you to start your business (a question from Tish & Snooky of ManicPanic): Solving the problem of dry skin, eczema and other skin inflammations without the continual use of steroids was my original inspiration. I had to find a natural alternative for both my boys who battled extreme dry skin and baby eczema. The hope and encouragement we bring to the women in our supply chain is my inspiration; the West African origins of shea butter and the ways it has been used for millennia in beauty food and healing.

    What has been harder—starting your business or staying in business: Starting was easy, we knew we found a natural solution to solving the problem of dry skin; coming up with new and creative product ideas and packaging was exciting. We were doing what we were passionate about. Staying in business involves more effort—scaling, building a team, raising capital, finding the right distribution channels and managing them all takes a different set of skills. We have had to learn the art and science of how to be a sustainable business.

    The product that I love the most is: Intense Moisture Balm. It’s a thick, buttery balm made with shea, cocoa butter and Kalahari melon seed oil.  It smells yummy and is extremely moisturizing. My skin loves it!

    Our focus in 2018:  We will be focused on growing our online presence through meaningful interactions with our customers and through our website, blog and social media platforms. We will be focusing on gaining insights about what our customer needs, how she shops, what she loves and her pain points. Our customer insights will help to drive our product innovations.

    Ask Another Indie (Funlayo Alabi’s question for our next Indie Inc. profile): What would you differently if you had to start your business over again? 
    Related Searches
    • science
    • software
    • media
    • baby
    Suggested For You
    A Surge in Interest for Supplements & Vitamins A Surge in Interest for Supplements & Vitamins
    Seiso JBeauty Launches Ceramide Products Seiso JBeauty Launches Ceramide Products
    Operation CBDeceit: FTC Crackdown on CBD Products Operation CBDeceit: FTC Crackdown on CBD Products
    Bliss Launches Holiday Products Bliss Launches Holiday Products
    Goop Unveils Clean Lip Balm Goop Unveils Clean Lip Balm
    C’est Moi Expands Into Target in 2021 C’est Moi Expands Into Target in 2021
    New Year, New Products at Garnier New Year, New Products at Garnier
    Skin Care Actives  During  Inactivity Skin Care Actives During Inactivity
    Scratch Goods Offers Holiday Gift Ideas Scratch Goods Offers Holiday Gift Ideas
    LaRoche-Posay Adds New Body Care LaRoche-Posay Adds New Body Care
    Evolution of Smooth Expands Body Care Collection Evolution of Smooth Expands Body Care Collection
    Cantu Beauty Unveils Skincare Line Cantu Beauty Unveils Skincare Line
    Cetaphil Adds Deep Hydration and Sheer Hydration Lines Cetaphil Adds Deep Hydration and Sheer Hydration Lines
    Making Your Mark Making Your Mark
    Essano Enters US Market Essano Enters US Market

    Related Breaking News

    • Hair Care
      Manscaped Expands Further in Europe

      Manscaped Expands Further in Europe

      Launches in Norway and Switzerland.
      Happi Staff 01.18.21

    • Hair Care
      Color Street Gives Back

      Color Street Gives Back

      Donates $10,000 to each of its 30 2018-2020 awareness campaign charity partners.
      Happi Staff 01.18.21

    • Hair Care
      Redken

      Redken's Acidic Range Is 60 Years in the Making

      Formulated with an acidic pH to defend against the negative effect of hair coloring, styling tools and even water.
      Happi Staff 01.18.21


    • Functional Ingredients | Household Cleaning | Packaging | Surfactants
      Honest, Refillable Cleaners

      Honest, Refillable Cleaners

      Jessica Alba debuts refillable line.
      Happi Staff 01.17.21

    • Actives | Color Cosmetics | Hair Care | Pigments | Skin Care | Surfactants
      Nailing It in 2020

      Nailing It in 2020

      Consumer demand for hair color and nail care soared during the past year, according to IRI.
      Happi Staff 01.17.21

    • Hair Care | Oral Care | Skin Care | Surfactants
      P&G, L

      P&G, L'Oréal & Amorepacific Make News at CES

      Here's a look at what you're reading for the week ended January 16.
      Happi Staff 01.17.21


    • Household Cleaning
      Starry-Eyed Over Robotic Household Cleaners

      Starry-Eyed Over Robotic Household Cleaners

      Bona introduces Starry Sky at Virtual CES.
      Happi Staff 01.16.21

    • Actives | Functional Ingredients | Household Cleaning | Surfactants
      PurposeBuilt Brands Files for IPO

      PurposeBuilt Brands Files for IPO

      Seeks to raise as much as $100 million in an initial public offering.
      Happi Staff 01.16.21

    • Color Cosmetics | Fine Fragrance | Packaging | Packaging | Personal Cleansers | Skin Care
      Three Form Vertical Beauty Alliance

      Three Form Vertical Beauty Alliance

      Mana, Meiyume and RPG team up to offer end-to-end beauty solutions.
      Happi Staff 01.15.21


    • Functional Ingredients | Personal Cleansers | Skin Care
      Amyris Named a Top Social & Environmental Impact Company

      Amyris Named a Top Social & Environmental Impact Company

      Recognized by Real Leaders as a 'force for good.'
      Happi Staff 01.15.21

    • Color Cosmetics | Hair Care
      L

      L'Oréal Bans Animal Hair in Brushes

      Joins nearly 100 companies in eliminating badger and goat hair.
      Happi Staff 01.15.21

    • Skin Care | Sun Care
      Ashland Launches Antaron ECo Gel

      Ashland Launches Antaron ECo Gel

      New ingredient offers a lighter feel ideal for gel, lotion, milk, or spray formulas.
      Happi Staff 01.14.21


    • Actives | OTC/Medicated | Skin Care
      Isosorbide Di-(Linoleate/Oleate) Treats Xerotic Pruritic Skin

      Isosorbide Di-(Linoleate/Oleate) Treats Xerotic Pruritic Skin

      Sytheon publishes study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
      Happi Staff 01.14.21

    • Estée Lauder Appoints SVP, New Business Development

      Estée Lauder Appoints SVP, New Business Development

      Smith joins the company from Corning Incorporated.
      Happi Staff 01.14.21

    • Vantage Expands Range of Jojoba Esters

      Vantage Expands Range of Jojoba Esters

      Liponate Jojoba 20 is ideal for sensitive skin formulations.
      Happi Staff 01.14.21

    Trending
    • Nu Skin Launches ‘Clean’ Formula Line
    • P&G, L'Oréal & Amorepacific Make News At CES
    • Formulating Liquid Laundry Detergents
    • Bad Habit Taps Global Brand Ambassador & Creative Director
    • Rob Lowe Launches Skin Care Line
    Breaking News
    • Manscaped Expands Further in Europe
    • Color Street Gives Back
    • Redken's Acidic Range Is 60 Years in the Making
    • Honest, Refillable Cleaners
    • Nailing It in 2020
    View Breaking News >
    CURRENT ISSUE

    January 2021

    • Stepping into the Spotlight for 2021
    • The Independent Beauty Association Supports Sensible Reform
    • Essential Workers
    • A Clean Commitment
    • Deliver & Delight
    • Reusables for Consumables In the Pandemic and Beyond
    • A Rebound for Beauty
    • Beauty Brands Must Prepare for a 'Decade of the Home'
    • A Societal Shift
    • View More >

    Cookies help us to provide you with an excellent service. By using our website, you declare yourself in agreement with our use of cookies.
    You can obtain detailed information about the use of cookies on our website by clicking on "More information”.

    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms And Conditions
    • Contact Us

    follow us

    Subscribe
    Nutraceuticals World

    Latest Breaking News From Nutraceuticals World

    Cistanche Tubulosa Botanical Shown to Attenuate Locomotive Syndrome
    Maternal Dietary Intake of Fish, Omega-3s, and Omega-6s Linked to Child Neurodevelopment
    Short Term Low-Carb Diet Linked to Remission of Type 2 Diabetes
    Coatings World

    Latest Breaking News From Coatings World

    Huntsman Finalizes Acquisition of Gabriel Performance Products
    PPG Completes COLORFUL COMMUNITIES Project at School in A. Bangsaothong Samutprakarn, Thailand
    dar-tech, inc. Becomes U.S. Midwestern Distributor for ZS Interpolymer
    Medical Product Outsourcing

    Latest Breaking News From Medical Product Outsourcing

    FineHeart Successfully Tests Wireless TET System
    Apria Healthcare Settles Whistleblower Lawsuit
    OraSure’s OMNIgene·ORAL Device Included in COVID-19 EUA Amendment
    Contract Pharma

    Latest Breaking News From Contract Pharma

    Valeo Pharma Appoints President, COO
    Metrion, LifeArc Extend Neuroscience Alliance
    Grifols Begins COVID-19 Plasma Treatment Trial
    Beauty Packaging

    Latest Breaking News From Beauty Packaging

    JLo Beauty Launches at Sephora & Amazon
    Unilever and Alibaba Group Join Forces
    Redken Unveils Acidic Bonding Concentrate Range
    Happi

    Latest Breaking News From Happi

    A Surge in Interest for Supplements & Vitamins
    Manscaped Expands Further in Europe
    Color Street Gives Back
    Ink World

    Latest Breaking News From Ink World

    dar-tech, inc. Becomes U.S. Midwestern Distributor for ZS Interpolymer
    Techkon USA, Konica Minolta Partner
    Alon Bar-Shany Appointed Chairman of Highcon Board
    Label & Narrow Web

    Latest Breaking News From Label & Narrow Web

    Exhibitor registration opens for virtual.drupa
    FTA planning in-person Forum & INFOFLEX
    Fortis Solutions Group achieves SGP certification
    Nonwovens Industry

    Latest Breaking News From Nonwovens Industry

    Super Strong Inks Survive Tough Environments
    Ontex Honored for Mask Production
    TFP Acquires PV3 Technologies
    Orthopedic Design & Technology

    Latest Breaking News From Orthopedic Design & Technology

    OrthoPediatrics Expands Agent Network in Three European Countries
    Studies Show FlareHawk Expandable Cage Delivers Favorable Fusion, Patient Outcomes
    Rapid Recovery Protocol Can Lead to Increased Range of Motion After TKA
    Printed Electronics Now

    Latest Breaking News From Printed Electronics Now

    UDC Subsidiary Adesis' Website Wins 2020 MarCom Platinum Award
    Roadsimple Modernizes Warehouse Ops with Zebra Technologies
    Graphene Flagship Launches Redesigned Website

    Copyright © 2021 Rodman Media. All rights reserved. Use of this constitutes acceptance of our privacy policy The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Rodman Media.

    AD BLOCKER DETECTED

    Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
    Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.


    FREE SUBSCRIPTION Already a subscriber? Login