Meet Brendita's Body Works
A company with a "plant-derived" skin and hair care line
Q. What is the name of the company you started and what are its origins?
I began making my own body butter because I couldn’t find one that provided lasting moisture and truly healed my dry looking legs. Aside from my own needs, and of even greater concern to me, was my son’s skin. He has had a mild case of recurring eczema since he was a toddler. For years, he suffered with dry skin that was thirsty for gentle, long-lasting moisture. Since I was unable to find anything that already existed, I decided to make my own.
I began making my own body butter because I couldn’t find one that provided lasting moisture and truly healed my dry looking legs. Aside from my own needs, and of even greater concern to me, was my son’s skin. He has had a mild case of recurring eczema since he was a toddler. For years, he suffered with dry skin that was thirsty for gentle, long-lasting moisture. Since I was unable to find anything that already existed, I decided to make my own.
I read and researched everything I could find on organic, plant based skin care and even went back to many of my college text books for help (I majored in biology). I began experimenting with various ingredients and after a lot of trial and error, I finally developed my very first body butter. Thankfully, my son’s eczema responded exceedingly well to it.
I decided to see if I could also create something to help me with my adult onset acne. I had tried so many different treatments, including over the counter products and prescription medications. I had varying levels of success, but I never knew what condition I’d find my skin in when I woke up. Many days, dry skin from my face was literally falling onto my keyboard. Not cute.
After quite a bit of trial and error, I created a clay & herb masque that not only got rid of existing pimples, but also prevented new ones from forming. I shared my success story with friends I’d made on an on-line beauty forum and they encouraged me to sell my creations on-line. Many of them even volunteered to test my products & I took them up on their kind offer!
A few months later, in November 2007, my husband and I founded Brendita’s Body Works. Our product line has grown to include a wide variety of plant derived, chemical free skin and hair care products.
Q.What types of products do you sell, and who do your products cater to?
Everything we offer at Brendita’s Body Works is made with naturally derived, plant based ingredients, completely free of harsh chemicals such as parabens, silicone, petroleum and sulphates. Safe, gentle herbal extracts and organic essential oils are used to preserve all of our skin & hair care products.
When I was searching for recipes to make my first batch of body butter, I couldn’t find any that didn’t include water, so I had to create the recipes from scratch. Water/aqua is the number one ingredient used in the manufacturing of most skin and hair care products. In skin care formulations, water provides, in my opinion and experience, absolutely no nutritional or therapeutic value. In addition to possessing no nourishing benefits, water evaporates quickly and along with it, a great deal of the beneficial active ingredients in the product.
Q.What types of products do you sell, and who do your products cater to?
Everything we offer at Brendita’s Body Works is made with naturally derived, plant based ingredients, completely free of harsh chemicals such as parabens, silicone, petroleum and sulphates. Safe, gentle herbal extracts and organic essential oils are used to preserve all of our skin & hair care products.
When I was searching for recipes to make my first batch of body butter, I couldn’t find any that didn’t include water, so I had to create the recipes from scratch. Water/aqua is the number one ingredient used in the manufacturing of most skin and hair care products. In skin care formulations, water provides, in my opinion and experience, absolutely no nutritional or therapeutic value. In addition to possessing no nourishing benefits, water evaporates quickly and along with it, a great deal of the beneficial active ingredients in the product.
The use of low cost purified, deionized or spring water allows a manufacturer to make a product that can then be sold at a much higher price. I believe that ALL ingredients should provide nourishing, healing and healthful benefits. For this reason, I use organic aloe vera juice in lieu of water because it nourishes, moisturizes, heals and feeds the skin in a way that water cannot. It is also the one ingredient that is well tolerated by virtually all skin types.
Our products are for ANY ONE and EVERY ONE who wants to nourished, healthy, radiant skin and hair.
Q. What is the mission of your company?
All of our products are formulated to improve both the appearance AND health of your skin and hair by providing vital nutrients and proven protection against environmental damage.
Q. What is the mission of your company?
All of our products are formulated to improve both the appearance AND health of your skin and hair by providing vital nutrients and proven protection against environmental damage.
Our products are not pre-made & pre-packed: Just like a fine meal at a five star restaurant, everything is made fresh to order and hand packed. Great care is taken to ensure that each and every order receives the personal attention it deserves.
We abide by very strict principles and protocols regarding the companies from which we purchase the ingredients used to create our skin & hair care delicacies: All of our ingredients are supplied by companies and organizations with documented and certified fair & ethical trade practices for all of their farmers in the USA and overseas. Our ingredients and products have never, EVER been tested on animals.
In lieu of plastic and Styrofoam, only biodegradable packing materials are used to protect orders during shipping. All of our jars, bottles and shipping boxes are made with 100% recycled, earth friendly materials
Q. Where do you get the inspiration for the creation of new products in your line?
I rely on my feedback from my WONDERFUL customers when I develop new products. I also LOVE reading beauty publications and trade magazines to learn about new trends, ingredients & discoveries in natural skin and hair care. When I hear or read about a particular ingredient from several different sources, I will research it exhaustively. If I’m pleased with what I find, it goes on my “future projects” list. I work with an independent laboratory that tests all of my formulations for safety.
Q. What do you enjoy most about having this business?
I’ve worked at the UN for many years. One of the things I have always loved is meeting and becoming acquainted with people from all over the world: I have learned SO much about different cultures. Since we started our on-line store, I have had the honor and privilege of meeting some pretty extraordinary people from all over the USA and several countries abroad. No matter where in the world a person calls home, we, as human beings have so many things in common… and I find that absolutely fascinating.
We abide by very strict principles and protocols regarding the companies from which we purchase the ingredients used to create our skin & hair care delicacies: All of our ingredients are supplied by companies and organizations with documented and certified fair & ethical trade practices for all of their farmers in the USA and overseas. Our ingredients and products have never, EVER been tested on animals.
In lieu of plastic and Styrofoam, only biodegradable packing materials are used to protect orders during shipping. All of our jars, bottles and shipping boxes are made with 100% recycled, earth friendly materials
Q. Where do you get the inspiration for the creation of new products in your line?
I rely on my feedback from my WONDERFUL customers when I develop new products. I also LOVE reading beauty publications and trade magazines to learn about new trends, ingredients & discoveries in natural skin and hair care. When I hear or read about a particular ingredient from several different sources, I will research it exhaustively. If I’m pleased with what I find, it goes on my “future projects” list. I work with an independent laboratory that tests all of my formulations for safety.
Q. What do you enjoy most about having this business?
I’ve worked at the UN for many years. One of the things I have always loved is meeting and becoming acquainted with people from all over the world: I have learned SO much about different cultures. Since we started our on-line store, I have had the honor and privilege of meeting some pretty extraordinary people from all over the USA and several countries abroad. No matter where in the world a person calls home, we, as human beings have so many things in common… and I find that absolutely fascinating.
I also enjoy working with my husband. I always knew he was brilliant, but he never ceases to amaze me. He created our website from the ground up, with no prior web design experience. He learned as he went along and he is constantly looking for new ways to make our website and our business better.
Our son is also a very important part of Brendita’s Body Works. He’s a full time college student, but he is also our Shipping Manager and the ULTIMATE product tester. He doesn’t mince words, so I know I can count on him for honest feedback. I love my two men so much! Introducing them to the joys and wonders of lotions, gels and creams is also a lot of fun. NOW they can see why I’ve always needed so many shelves in the bathroom!
Q. Where can we find your products to purchase?
Our products are available exclusively through our on-line store. Our customer base, I am thrilled to say, is growing rapidly and we have reached a point where I had to enlist outside help to keep up with the demand. In that regard, I am working out the final details with a contract manufacturer, who will use my recipes & formulations to make many of our products in larger batches. Once that happens, our products will be available in select retail shops, spas and salons.
Q. What is your favorite product out of your line and why?
My favorite product is Silk Sheets Body Butter! Not only because it’s the very first thing I ever made, but it’s the one product I use every day, without fail. I used to have super ashy skin, but now, I wake up and my skin is still soft & dewy from the MORNING before. My absolute favorite scent is Bergamot Earl Grey Tea. YUMMY!
Q. Do you have natural hair? If so, what's your story?
My hair is natural… well, mostly natural: I use a demi permanent color every 8 to 10 weeks because I cannot embrace going grey! The last time my hair was chemically relaxed was September 1993.
I had my first relaxer in 1978 and then I wore my hair straight until I graduated high school at the age of 16. After that, I had a (gulp) Jheri Curl for about 3 years. Throughout college and for many years afterwards, I was an exercise instructor and I worked out quite a bit. I was also a body builder for a few years. The last thing I wanted to worry about was my hair interfering with my exercise routines. After my Jheri Curl days and prior to my last relaxer, I wore weaves, braids and “wet & wavy” box braid extensions.
From 1993 on, I wore long box-braid extensions, off and on, for 13 years. My husband is the one who would painstakingly unbraid and untangle my hair. If I wasn’t going to get it re-braided, I’d just wear it out, in a pony tail or in two stranded twists. Whether I wore my hair braided or “out”, I was fastidious about shampooing and deep conditioning it. I used olive oil or an inexpensive cholesterol conditioner with an electric heat cap.
In 2006, my “sister” introduced me to a hair salon that catered exclusively to curly hair. Prior to this discovery, I had never even thought of my afro textured hair as “curly”. Thanks to this salon, though, I grew to not only love my hair, but also to enjoy taking care of it. I was so thrilled with my new discovery, shortly after my first appointment, I came home and threw out ALL of my hair care products that did not bear the name of my new salon.
However, after a year of making, using and selling natural skin care products, I had to revaluate my hair care regimen. I felt kind of silly for not having looked at the ingredients in the products I was using not only on my own hair, but also giving to my husband and son to use on theirs. When I finally took a long hard look at the ingredients in these products, I was SHOCKED to see many of the very chemicals & preservatives I had since come to avoid, with my new natural skin care philosophy.
I already knew that the components and nutritional needs of skin and hair are VERY closely related, so making my very first shampoo, conditioner, styling lotion and deep conditioner wasn’t difficult at all.
I’ve found that by eliminating the use of sulphates in my hair, I didn’t have to work so hard to get my curls to look shiny and vibrant. I could also go A LOT longer without shampooing my hair because it didn’t look dull or feel dry.
My current hair care routine consists of a weekly cleansing with one of my non-foaming cleansing milks. I deep condition my hair, with heat, every week, since I use a demi permanent color. Deep conditioning is super easy, because I use my cordless heat cap: I use it in the shower, so I don’t have to set time aside to sit around with an electric heat cap. It’s very liberating, to say the least!
I use coconut pudding on my freshly cleansed hair and let it air dry. Every night before I go to bed, I mist my hair with an organic jojoba spray and then gather it all at the top of my head. In the mornings, the steam from the shower softens it a bit, so all I have to do is apply a little coconut pudding, styling lotion or a touch of shea and honey pomade.
Link to their online catalog: http://docs.google.com/present/view?id=d4jv5q2_2hpx8mbfq&interval=5&autoStart=true&loop=true
