Naturally Tribal Skincare: An interview with Founder, Shalom Lloyd
Over the past few years, especially with the ongoing pandemic and constant PPE wearing, common themes in our City Girl Facebook Groups were ‘What’s your skincare routine?’, ‘Recommendations for natural skincare due to allergies’, and discussions of ‘maskne’. Charlotte Moyle, Community Manager of Milton Keynes Girl Network, has been following Shalom Lloyd, founder of Naturally Tribal Skincare, for some time now and had the pleasure of talking with her about how she built such a reputable natural brand. The hope is to help inspire those in the industry after the announcement of her products being in the new Harrod’s Beauty in Milton Keynes.
Thank you so much for talking to us today, we are really excited to find out more about you and Naturally Tribal! To start with, how did Naturally Tribal come to life?
The conception of Naturally Tribal Skincare arose from the birth of my twins. I gave birth to fraternal twins Joshua and Amara in 2014 following four cycles of IVF. Both twins were healthy, but Joshua had severe eczema and would scratch his skin raw. Aware of the impact that IVF can have on the body in terms of its chemical processes, I was determined to find a solution for my son’s skin that was as natural as possible.
I then spent the first six to eight months researching natural remedies to look after Joshua’s skin. I looked back to my Nigerian heritage where fortunately the answer lay – ‘Africans, in general, take for granted the traditions and heritage of natural remedies available in this amazing continent’. My kitchen became somewhat of a laboratory where I researched and mixed the right balance of natural products that had amazing and effective properties and have been used through the generations for healing. It took a while, but I managed to stumble upon the correct balance and mix of ingredients that worked wonders to clear up Joshua’s skin. That was the birth of Naturally Tribal Skincare.
Image courtesy of Naturally Tribal Skincare
You have recently launched a collection in Harrod's Beauty – congratulations! How did that come about?
Harrods Beauty was seeking to support local, up-and-coming brands whose values directly aligned and connected with Harrods’ own. We are a proudly Milton Keynes based company with ethos and values aligned with what the beauty buyers at Harrods were looking for.
One could say it was a ‘right place, right time’ situation but we know that Naturally Tribal Skincare is a brand that has established itself based on its three core pillars: Efficacy, Planet Hugging & Ethical Sourcing. Our brand has PURPOSE, IMPACT & CONSCIENCE in its DNA, respecting nature’s ability to support clean beauty and wellbeing, enabling a healthy body and a happy mind. Our brand ethos is built on valuing healthy, ethical, and sustainable living, simplicity, and transparency whilst maintaining luxury – making us a perfect proudly British indie brand for Harrods Beauty Milton Keynes.
We are using our name to change the narrative! Historically people associate the word tribe with negativity, segregation, and otherness, instead, we are building a diverse tribe of people of all backgrounds connected by our three core pillars.
We are pleased to say that our products are now also available on Harrods.com.
How has the power of community helped you to develop your brand?
Everything we do in life is all about relationships! The answer is in our name ‘Naturally Tribal’. It is all about how we make people feel like part of our tribe. That word ‘tribe’ to us means community, it represents a shared vision for those who would believe in the power of nature, who believe in the empowerment of others, and believe in hugging our planet.
Community is at the core of everything we do and the power of this community, our #Tribers have brought us to where we are today!
In your opinion, what sets Naturally Tribal apart from other skincare brands?
Today, we hear the words sustainability, ethical sourcing, empowerment, clean beauty, green beauty and so much more batted about. We don’t just say these words, we think them, we say them, we do them, we live by them. Authenticity, traceability, love for our planet, love for our tribe and the women we empower every day – these set us miles apart from other skincare brands
Who is Naturally Tribal Skincare for?
With around 900 million people around the world suffering with a skin condition, skin diseases remain a major cause of disability worldwide.
We are changing the narrative and will be the leading global natural skincare brand for customers with skin conditions as well as customers who want to maintain their skin as nature intended. From consumers with skin conditions to those undergoing medical interventions that will impact the skin, one thing is certain - they want to know the ingredients in their products, want natural and organic products, and are demanding clean natural remedies which is where we come in!
You have written openly about the fact your brand is built on having ethically sourced ingredients as well as being sustainably and environmentally responsible, could you tell us more about that?
Naturally Tribal’s shea butter supply chain is an impressive demonstration of our ‘Ethical Sourcing and Empowerment’ Pillar. The shea industry supports and provides income to over 16 million women across the African continent and our research into potential supply sources led us to the Northern states of Nigeria and an introduction to the Kingdom of Esan.
We fell in love with the Kingdom and today, the Naturally Tribal group have a Shea Processing facility (with creche and worship rooms) that harvests and processes the shea directly in the region, employing 18 rural women with plans to employ up to 70. This has created an ecologically sound and sustainable infrastructure, jobs, training and more commercial co-operative opportunities to market and sell shea butter.
From our Shea facility in Esan, unrefined shea butter is brought to the UK where we manufacture, formulate, test and package our luxury skincare products. These products are then packaged in ultraviolet glass jars which are better for our environment. Our customers, our Tribers become a part of our ‘Source to Jar’ traceability journey.
What do you wish you could go back and tell yourself when you first started?
Involving and working with the right people from the start would have saved me a lot of pain but going through this process and journey has taught me some very valuable life lessons! If I could go back, I would tell myself that “It will be ok, just take your time, don’t succumb to the pressure and surround yourself with the right people. Don’t be afraid to say ‘no’ and place more value on your time”.
What advice would you give to new beauty founders?
Everything we do in life is about relationships! That is something I have come to learn from my husband. David, my husband taught me that how we relate to, communicate, and interact with others, how we make them feel is important. So, his best advice to me is a Maya Angelou quote - "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." I try to make sure I leave everyone I meet with the feeling that ‘they matter’.
Image courtesy of Naturally Tribal Skincare
The beauty industry is so saturated so be unique, let your passion shine and come through, know your numbers and know the value you bring – never sell yourself or your products short.
To find out more about Naturally Tribal Skincare, visit their website: www.naturallytribalskincare.com.
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Written by Charlotte Moyle
