“Beauty Deskside” is a series celebrating Black and Brown founders and their beauty companies or brands.

Honey Botanics is a biocompatible body care company founded to safely correct issues related to hyperpigmentation, melasma, psoriasis and body discoloration with the use of clean, non-toxic ingredients to provide optimal skin health. The founder is the brand’s core customer, as she was searching for solutions to her very own skin struggles and decided to share them with the world.

In this Q&A, she gets real honest about doing it all on her own and pushing forward to create a beauty brand that is rooted in efficacy.

Beauty for Breakfast: What is your first beauty memory?

My first beauty memory is back in high school, when I became obsessed with makeup and will spend hours practicing my makeup skills.

What was the inspiration behind Honey Botanics?

Honey Botanics was created out of necessity. I struggled with eczema and used topical steroids for breakouts and the breakouts result in hyperpigmentation. I decided to look for natural remedies for my eczema and hyperpigmentation without the use of steroids and hydroquinone.

I started research and tested on myself first. Then, I went from lab to lab looking for solutions until we came up with one. We create products that support healthy skin microbiomes and provide optimal skin health by creating products with botanical ingredients.

Let’s talk about the early days of starting your beauty business. What was the journey like from idea to reality?

The journey was tough in finding the right solution. It took a lot of testing, a lot of formulations to come up with a solution. It took years of dedication and research and not giving up.

I'm a one-woman team and sought information from a dermatologist and read tons of medical journals. I used the resources on the Internet and dedicated my time to finding a solution. The soaps are superfatted and made with organic base oils to deposit emollients on the skin. So it's nourishes, hydrates and soothes.

The temps have dropped! How do you recommend using Honey Botanics soap in one’s cold-weather skincare routine?

The emollients in the soap makes it a perfect fall cleansing ritual. Emollients keep skin nourished, hydrated and supple. This aids in soothing skin dryness caused by winter nights and days.

What would you say was the most challenging lesson you’ve learned so far?

Choosing the right team to work with is the toughest and most challenging lesson so far.

How do you hope to expand Honey Botanics?

I hope to reach millions of people struggling with hyperpigmentation, melasma, eczema and psoriasis via our site and in stores of major retailers: Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom, Whole Foods etc.

What are your biggest words of advice for fellow Black women entrepreneurs in the beauty and skincare industry?

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a simple step, so JUST START. Everything will not be rosy or perfect and the journey will be full of lessons and mistakes. Just learn from them.

Pick yourself back up after every stumble with kindness and grace.