Today we’d like to introduce you to Selma Ali
Hi Selma, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve worked in the beauty industry since I was in my early 20’s and married a man who also worked in the beauty industry. While we were married, we had several beauty salon/beauty supply businesses and carried on the business for over 25 years. When the lease on the last location we owned ended in 2020 during the pandemic, I sold the shop and took a short break. All the while, I was already making salves and handmade soap and started selling these handmade items on Etsy and in the salon in 2019, and this was the very beginning of my business, though I didn’t know it at the time. Finding a job after the pandemic was very difficult and getting my tiny business off the ground was equally challenging, so a friend suggested I start selling my handmade products at the local farmer’s market. That was in September 2021. Since then, I’ve added skincare, body care, men’s products, and other all natural products to my lineup and have a following of customers who love my products and love the way their skin feels. I’ve always taken a natural approach to living, even before it became a trend, so taking this business to the next level was almost second nature to me. I use a lot of herbs and botanicals in my products, coloring my soaps with natural clays and plant powders, and avoiding synthetic ingredients and fragrance oils. I’m also committed to using sustainable ingredients in all of my products that are both good for the skin and the environment.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The hardest part has been growing my business. Though I have a website, most of my sales are in person at farmer’s markets. I currently vend at three weekly farmer’s markets near me and I have to say dealing with the weather has been the hardest part. Setting up and tearing down is hard on my body, and I have to sit through the coldest and hottest days, wind, and sometimes rain to sell my goods, and hoping that customers will come out to the market when the weather isn’t ideal. I’m in the process of trying to grow my website sales, but learning how to drive traffic to my website has been a challenge.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
All of the products I make are formulated by me and made in small batches. I research and study product ingredients to be sure what I’m using to make my products are the best ingredients for the well being of my customers’ skin as well as sustainable to the environment. I’ve always been into herbs, but I’m currently deep into learning herbalism and utilize herbs and botanicals in all of my products for the natural properties they contain. You would be amazed at how a perfectly made handmade soap that contains purslane will transform the health of your skin and equally impressed with what dandelion flowers can do for irritated skin when infused into a salve. The natural world is a marvel and learning how to use the gifts of the earth in skincare products that revitalize your skin is of the utmost importance to me. What you may call a weed is really a botanical wonder that has incredible properties for the skin, including vitamins, antioxidants, and phytonutrients that take skincare to the next level naturally. The feedback I’ve gotten from my customers tells me that what I’m making is working, and I’m proud that I’m able to help people with the knowledge I’ve gained.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My children are my biggest cheerleaders. There were days where I just wanted to quit and go find a minimum wage job, but they would tell me that I couldn’t quit, that the business would get there eventually. And my customers – the wonderful people I’ve met at the outdoor markets who come back to me again and again – really help keep me fired up. When a young mother tells me her baby’s irritated skin has cleared up after using one of my soaps, or the mother of a teen tells me her daughter’s acne has cleared up after using a face oil I make, it sustains me and helps me to keep going. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and it takes time to grow a small business.
Pricing:
- Pricing can be found on my website
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bluejewelhandcrafted.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluejewelhandcraftedsoap
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bluejewelhandcrafted
Image Credits
All image credits belong to me, Selma Ali
