Self Care Meets Success
Eczema, alopecia, body acne and other common dermatological conditions plague 30 million people worldwide. While over the counter treatments work for some, many try (and retry) products before finding something that works; Carla Halls, the owner of The Cactus Beauty Bar, was one of them. After a lifetime of living with severe eczema and sensitive skin, Carla used a variety of products to cope. Her struggles to find a safe, natural and effective line of products to use inspired her to create her own. She said, “If I used the wrong product on my skin, I broke out, so I started experimenting with shea butter and eventually found a mix that worked for me.”
“Shea butter is a topical skin care product created from fat extracted from the nuts of the African shea tree. It is known for its moisturizing properties and soft texture.
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Shea butter is notorious for its moisture sealing properties and is widely used in a variety of skin care products. The Cactus Beauty Bar difference lies in both the source and the system. TCBB products are created from materials exclusively sourced from Northern Africa. Faithfully using quality ingredients help ensure that clients get results. “One of my clients suffered from severe acne and scaling skin,” she began, “After using my shea butter regime, his symptoms subsided. I love seeing people’s conditions and confidence improve after using my products.”
One of TCBB’s newest products, the Cactus Serum started as a solution Carla created to manage oily skin of her own. As she began to share it with others, she discovered its ability to address other issues for clients. “One of my favorite things about the serum is that it does different things for different people. While it helps control shine for me, it brings out the natural glow for others,” she says.
The success that has fueled TCBB has not come without struggle. One of Carla’s biggest challenges has been managing inventory and demand. Like many small business owners Carla is self-funded, so when it’s time to purchase raw materials, packaging, or anything else for TCBB, she has to get creative to make it work. Doing so is made easier with support from her network, she has received donations from family and friends who believe in TCBB. Recently, the community of those financially supporting TCBB expanded to include IFundWomen, a philanthropic organization dedicated to supporting female entrepreneurs.
“I feel so blessed to have this grant. It will help grow TCBB even more and help me prepare to transition into entrepreneurship full time.”
To learn more about Carla and TCBB, come to Popshopolis on November 21st. She will host a popup beauty bar from 1-9p.