Today we’d like to introduce you to Kira’Fika Jackson.
Hi Kira’Fika, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
Grooming was always a part of my everyday life. My mom, uncles Chris and Robin always dressed nice, my dad always took care of his long salt, and pepper beard, and my grandmother rolled her hair every night, and she always smelled good. One specific thing I remember as a little girl was that I admired how my mom and my grandma took extra care of their skin. It was like clockwork. After every bath or shower, they would use the most nourishing oils and creams. They would also have a dresser full of perfumes that seemed like a gold mine for my 5-year-old self.
I remember as a little girl, my mom would take extra care of my skin and bathe me in oatmeal packets and would follow up with a nice jar of Palmer’s Cocoa Butter. I absolutely hated it at the time, being all ‘greased’ up and shiny, but grew to appreciate it more during my first year in middle school. I always received compliments on my skin as a child but it wasn’t until 6th grade when people began to praise me for how clear and smooth my skin looked. That helped boost my confidence and got me through my roughest transition from elementary school to the big 6th grade. It always made me appreciate the love and care my grandma and mom put into my skin as a little girl. I fell in love with taking care of my skin, and I became obsessed with buying skincare products.
In 2017, my grandma was snuffed out in the middle of the night watching tv when an SUV ran through her living room. This crumbled my entire world, and mentally, I checked out. Spiritually, I believe my grandmother pushed me to keep going despite what my tired mind told me because in 2018, my junior year in college, I decided to finally create my own cosmetic line.
I researched everything and what I noticed was that many products had and still have artificial preservatives in them like Paraben and Sodium Benzoate which are used to preserve products longer on the shelf. But that can cause health issues and severe skin irritation, especially to those who have sensitive skin. I wanted to create something all-natural and that is what Ba’Zhané (Ba-Jah-Nae) represents. It represents an all-natural body and facial experience for your skin. It represents my grandma’s legacy.
My brand focuses on using strictly natural herbs and oils that help heal scars, eczema, damaged skin, and more.
Over time I have grown to love and appreciate nature, and I’ve learned to utilize what has already been given to us by the Universe. I hope I can bring together all skin types no matter the skin color, and continue to build a brand that can unify our community and better our future through natural cosmetics.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been easy, as a matter of fact, it’s been very difficult building my brand. In 2016, my senior year in high school was supposed to be exciting and fun, especially since I was getting ready to graduate as a salutatorian with scholarships to countless schools, but instead, I spent my senior year grieving and depressed because I lost my brother to gun violence. A year later, my world crumbled, and my grandma was snuffed out in the middle of the night watching tv when an SUV ran through her living room 2017.
Life felt unbearable, and I felt everything was in vain. I was angry and believed that only bad things happened to good people because that’s what they were. They were literally angels on Earth. I started suffering from PTSD because of my trauma, and I didn’t understand God’s purpose. I was discouraged so many times which prevented me from moving forward with my brand. But eventually, I just allowed the Universe to intervene, and I surrendered. I’m overcoming it all, and now I get to see my work featured in SD Voyager Magazine! It’s truly a blessing. I know my grandma and my brother are proud.
I’ve learned to give myself grace and hold the words my grandma uses to say to me close.
No matter how unfortunate a situation may have been, my grandma always said to me, “It will be alright, grandma baby.” She would say it in the most soothing and reassuring way. It didn’t sound cliche, it was almost as if she really knew everything would work itself out to be just fine. To everyone out there, I feel safe to say everything IS alright. Everything turned out to be just fine, even when it didn’t look like it. If it isn’t ‘alright’ for you now, it will be. Even in the midst of turmoil, depression, and anxiety, it’s still okay. Learn to sit in your trauma and pain because beautiful things come out of the darkest places. I leave peace and love to whoever may read this. I hope you were inspired, and I hope you keep going because it gets better.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Ba’Zhané (Ba-Jah-Nae) is a cosmetic line located in California that gives you a new holistic approach to cosmetics. Ba’Zhané produces skincare products that are paraben free and are made with natural herbs and oils. We are prominently known for our Turmeric Whipped Body Butters and Turmeric Sugar Scrubs. What makes us stand out is that most skincare products in stores contain artificial preservatives like paraben and Sodium Benzoate, which can cause skin irritation and trigger allergic reactions. We created a line that is gentle on your skin and only utilizes non-chemical ingredients, giving you and your body an All-Natural Experience. Our services are offered online, and we also ship globally.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Honestly, I experience blessings. I don’t believe in luck. I’ve had so many unexpected blessings that have happened that gave me the opportunity to showcase just how effective Ba’Zhané is. I’ve had a couple of boutique owners reach out to me from Italy to ask if I could ship them off a bulk of my products, so they could sell and promote it in their shop. I have also been able to service a lot of military personnel in recent years. Now, I get to promote my business with SD Voyager Magazine, and it’s all been an honor. I have always been able to be at the right place at the right time. God seems to always send the right people my way. That is how luck played in my life and business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bazhane.bigcartel.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bazhanebutters/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070138212714
