A Black-Owned Skincare Company’s Guide to Natural Skincare

The Skincare Industry is becoming harder and harder to maneuver your way around. The names of products and ingredients get more complicated every season. Astaxanthin? Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate? Trichloroacetic Acid? We’re here to tell you that a more complicated name does not assure better quality or outcome. 

With the upsurge of these puzzling names, there has also been a rise in the Natural Beauty movement. Before we delve into what Natural Beauty actually is, it is important to understand that Natural Skincare is not and should not be synonymous with luxury skincare. So what is Natural Skincare? Let us take a look!

The most important thing about Natural Skincare is the safety of the ingredients. You should be able to use products without worrying about the ingredients present in them being carcinogens, toxins and hormone disruptors. At Elle Jae Essentials, our mission is to provide you with products that are 100% safe, healthy and healing. Our expertise and personal experience allow us to develop products that are suited for melanin rich skin. Our products are free of Parabens, Formaldehyde and Sodium laureth sulfates (SLS). Have a look at some of our staple ingredients 

→ Shea Butter
Native to West Africa, Shea butter is derived from the nuts of the Shea Trees. Most of you have probably used at least one product containing Shea Butter and hence, know how moisturizing it is. This is due to the high levels of fatty acids that restore the skin’s moisture barrier and make it resistant to the harsh environment.
In addition, Shea Butter also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This helps the skin to be resistant to dryness, itchiness and rashes.

→ Almond Oil

This is another nut derived oil that should be in your skincare if it isn’t already! Almond oil is rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin E and Zinc. 

Vitamin A and its derivatives are known to increase the speed of the skin cell turnover. This essentially means that new skin cells are produced at a faster rate, replacing the dead skin cells that have endured wear and tear, damage, exposure to ultraviolet rays and toxins. 

The moisturizing properties of Almond Oil are supremely helpful in managing the dryness from skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema. 

→ Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil has been used for centuries, be it for cooking, haircare or even skincare. It’s benefits are endless. 

Dry and sensitive skin is often more susceptible to bacterial and fungal infection. The high levels of Lauric Acid present in Coconut Oil help fight microorganisms and prevent infections. Research has also shown that Lauric Acid is capable of killing off bacteria that give rise to inflammatory acne. (Yang et al. 6035-6040)

Want to join our community but do not know where to start? We recommend our Whipped Body Butter available in 14 scrumptious fragrances. Struggling to pick one fragrance? We got your back! The 6 fragrance Body Butter Sampler was made just for you!

We can’t wait for you to be a SunflowHer <3 

Bibliography

Yang, Darren, et al. “The antimicrobial activity of liposomal lauric acids against Propionibacterium acnes.” Biomaterials, vol. 30, no. 30, 2009, pp. 6035-6040, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0142961209007479?via%3Dihub.