Mother-daughter duo Sade and Rachel Baron share their abundance and light with the world through their vegan, nutrient-rich skin care products. Specializing in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant products for eczema and contact dermatitis, body care brand Sade Baron gives us affordable luxury products. Their products boast 15 to 25 botanicals, skin-enriching vitamins, and saturated fats, making them easier to absorb into the skin and actually benefit you. From the sappling of an idea planted in 2014, Sade and Rachel launched their brand in 2016 and have been successful ever since. With Sade in the labs creating the products and Rachel handling the business end behind the scenes, the two have created a beautiful brand with a beautiful message. I got to speak with Rachel about their brand to get into their herbal world of skin care. 

Tell us about how you make your products and decide the ingredients, what is that process like?

“Sade has always been really into herbs and exploring them all the time and I picked that passion up as well. We spend a lot of time looking for really high-quality ingredients, or botanies and herbs that are not necessarily commercially used; either because they are too hard to extract or too expensive and/or there’s a cheaper substitute that people are looking to get. We really want to give people quality and value. We love reading and learning about herbs as a story, where they are grown, how they are harvested, and how they complement other ingredients. Sometimes we focus on an adjective or function and work our way back, so if we want an anti-inflammatory or an antioxidant or something with soothing properties, we’ll do research and find those herbs and ingredients, then go from there.”

You say in your introduction, “Everything in our products are made for real people.” That sounds very personal and intentional. What has been your previous experience with trying different products?

“Sometimes, when you look at other brands and their intentions, they fall short of that. We want to let people know that it’s made for the everyday person and that you don’t have to look a certain way to have this product. You can be comfortable in your own skin and we can take away comparisons because that is the thief of joy. We create products that everyone can pick up and it adds value to their lives instead of removing them, it soothes them and gives them relief. When you look at ad campaigns back in the day, it was really focused on looking ‘beautiful’ and having this one version of what beauty can be. It can look mean anything to anybody. We want people to know that they can come as they are. We are not here to judge you or point fingers at you, we’re just going to embrace you and offer you products that are here to serve you and help you feel better. That’s what we mean by ‘real people.’”

What makes your brand unique?

“There are a lot of brands out there without a story and without an intention. We have the story of my mom being a healer in our community, creating products that healed people since I was a child. Even beyond the storytelling aspect, we want to focus on the quality of the formulations. When you think of formulation structure, many brands use lots of water, but we try to reduce the amount of water. Instead, we use good fats and oils like watermelon seed oil, camellia, and jojoba, which will really help the skin drink up the product and then repair your skin. The point of difference is creating these highly efficacious, high-quality body products for people who have inflammatory skin conditions.”

Do you have any tips you’ve learned since starting this skincare journey? Maybe debunk some common misconceptions?

“A lot of people believe applying good skin care is going to get them good skin but it’s also about what you put in your body. Making sure you’re taking time to feed your body with the right things and getting enough sleep is very important. Taking care of yourself inside and outside is something we talk about but is a basic fundamental that people often forget. When it comes to inflammatory skin conditions, it’s about understanding how your body reacts and keeping track of that so you can understand how to mitigate or reduce that. Stress in itself is a huge factor in eczema and contact dermatitis. Understanding environmental stressors like the products you clean your house with are also key. Giving yourself time to understand how your body reacts to certain things and not being so hard on yourself while you’re learning will definitely help.”

How have you overcome any obstacles that have come up since starting your brand? What keeps you motivated and passionate?

“There are lots of obstacles that come up, procurement, finding containers, finding suppliers, finding help and resources. Obstacles can be really difficult but it’s all about planning the workaround and taking it one step at a time. About being motivated, sometimes I am not motivated at all, that happens sometimes. Discipline is what keeps me going. We’ve been doing this for such a long time and it has been amazing to see the growth that we’ve had as a brand, and discipline is what helps me keep going. It gets me out of bed in the morning to write the emails, and do the check-ins and follow-ups that I just don’t want to do. When I’m not passionate, when I’m not motivated, when I’m not interested in doing anything, discipline keeps me going.”

"‘As a Black-owned business, it can be hard to see so many people who don’t look like you surpass you even when you have a better product or story. It can be hard but that’s where the discipline comes in. An external factor that keeps me motivated is the hope that when I have a child, they won’t have to do all of this, to have these conversations saying ‘I’m having a hard time being visible in the places that I shop.’ I want them to have the ability to do whatever they want without these limitations and invisible barriers everywhere. An outside motivator is the idea that in 20-30 years, we won’t be having these same conversations; when our children grow up and want to become whatever they want, they can and they will. There should be no threat to anybody, they need to know that we all have space in this world and there is enough space for everyone. Coming from a mindset of abundance instead of scarcity is the key. I come from abundance all the time, and I see that love regenerates. You go to bed and you wake up energized, love does that constantly for you. As an entrepreneur, that’s how I see it. I come from abundance, and I will get what I want and what I need, and what the world needs from me as a creator.” 

Is there anything you’d say to up-and-coming entrepreneurs or to the general public?

“To the new entrepreneurs, if you feel like giving up, it’s okay to feel that way. Take it one day at a time because there is no rush, and you’re not competing with anyone except yourself. If you’re afraid to start a business, just do. Ask for help because this is not a journey you’re meant to do alone. It’s about a community of people who are partially parallelly helping you with that. As for the Sade Baron message, we are here to make efficacious products for people who are suffering. For those who don’t feel very comfortable in their skin when they are sleeping or going out or missing social opportunities due to feeling ashamed or unwell, it’s okay! Your skin is still beautiful while you are going through that process, and we are here to help you with that. We’re here to create products that allow you to enjoy your life no matter what stage it’s in, it’s still beautiful.”