Like many women who suffer from postpartum shedding, Candera Thompson was left feeling hopeless trying to find a remedy to stop her hair from excessively breaking. After joining many Facebook groups, she resorted to natural DIY remedies to try to solve her woes. In 2014, Thompson, who was born and raised in the Bahamas, founded the natural hair and skin care brand Bask & Bloom Essentials. Her products are free of synthetic fragrances, parabens, sulfates, petrolatum, formaldehyde, and mineral oils. We spoke with Thompson about her entrepreneurial journey.
What was the inspiration for creating your beauty brand?
I experienced severe postpartum shedding after my first daughter was born, so I was on a quest to get my hair back to looking full and healthy. The women in many of the Facebook groups I joined were going through the same issues of hair breakage and hair loss due to health and hormonal changes. We were exchanging DIY recipes that helped us, and all of them contained some sort of ayurvedic herb. I decided that I wanted to create a line that focused on bouncing back and maintaining healthy hair using ingredients that helped me and many others in those groups. Today, we offer a full line of products containing ayurvedic herbs and other herbal extracts that promote healthy hair and length retention for all hair types.
What are some of your business philosophies?
Some of our business philosophies are to deliver what we promise while making an impact, don’t cut corners and offer great quality experiences to keep people coming back.
What sets your brand apart?
Part of our mission is to encourage every customer to flourish gracefully, inside and out. We thought of the different changes women go through that affect the health of their hair and formulated our products to be the brand they can turn to — whether it’s daily maintenance, changes from childbirth, hormonal changes, or other temporary health issues. With the unique formulations in our core product line, we are able to cater to many different needs without having to launch multiple collections. We’ve also built a community around total wellness, including self-care, with our newly launched #NaturallyEmpowered campaign that celebrates women sharing their natural beauty stories. We are empowering others to live in total acceptance that goes beyond just hair.
What advice do you have for aspiring beauty entrepreneurs?
Think long and hard about who your brand serves, what problems you are solving, and why customers should choose you. Learn marketing strategies that get your message across to the right people clearly. Your brand voice plays a huge role in the success of your business. … Keep up with trends and invest in your brand as you grow. There are always ways to level up, and you should have a solid plan to continue hitting new milestones.
