Today we’d like to introduce you to Camara Samuel.
Hi Camara, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As a Black Owned, Female-led business, we saw a gap in the natural skincare and wellness category for products marketed towards our Melanated needs. In 2020, my sister Halima Samuel began making her own Sea Moss Gel as an immune system booster before working flights as a flight attendant. Sea Moss Gel is a Caribbean Superfood, it contains 92 of the 102 minerals and vitamins that are in the human body. She posted her drink on Instagram and got a flood of messages asking if she was selling any. After this sign, we knew we had to start a business.
We came up with the name Wadadli Naturals because our family is from Antigua, which has the indigenous name Wadadli, meaning “Our Own”. Sea Moss Gel was the first product we sold. Shortly after, we came up with the name Sugar Brown Shea Butter to brand our family shea butter blend. Growing up, our mother helped build confidence and love for our brown skin by affectionately calling it “sugar brown”. We wanted to share that feeling of loving the skin you are in through the name.
We’re using ancestral knowledge and science to formulate these natural solutions. The ingredients are simple and familiar because we are dedicated to using natural products. Whether you want to hydrate your skin, boost your immune system, or keep body odor away; Wadadli Naturals can help!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting a business during the pandemic was a pretty big risk for us as a company. We wanted to make sure we balanced growing Wadadli Naturals while staying agile enough for whatever the pandemic threw at us. We took this approach with the products we sold, ensuring we chose “pandemic-proof” items that people would need. During Mach’21 I started working on a natural deodorant formula. I always wanted to use natural deodorant because it was a healthier option, but couldn’t find one that worked. Every natural deodorant I tried left me smelling like green onions after a few hours. It took a lot of trial and error to create a formula that worked using vegan ingredients without irritating my sensitive skin. After three stinky months, I finally came up with a formula that used Arrowroot powder and Magnesium to kill odor-causing bacteria. I scented it using Jasmine Essential Oil and was shocked that it lasted up to 14hrs. I shared the deodorant with family and friends, and they had similar results. We launched our Shea Deodorant in June 2021, and it is currently our top-selling item! Our frustration resonated with our customers and it’s been great to hear how much more confident they feel using our product vs. the competition.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a Chemical Engineer by training and have been in the CPG and Tech industry for over a decade. I worked at Procter and Gamble in R&D on process development, formulation, and packaging for eight years. I’ve also worked at Apple for three years across Operations and the Environmental and Supply Chain Innovation Team. Over the course of my career, I’ve worked on multiple billion-dollar brands bringing products from concept all the way through to store shelves.
Our C.E.O is a flight attendant with expertise on FAA/TSA regulations, along with insight on travel trends for various demographics. We’re able to combine these experiences to enable a unique view of the operational and scientific steps needed for product development at Wadadli Naturals.
As a Black Owned, Female led business, we saw a gap in the natural skincare and wellness category for products marketed towards our Melanated needs.
People of Color, especially Black women want to use more natural products. Unfortunately, they can’t trust the product’s performance because the people selling it, along with those the product is marketing towards, don’t represent their community. As Founders, we’ve personally experienced the disappointment that comes with trying a new natural product, only to find it doesn’t work for our melanated skin or naturally coiled hair.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I moved to Austin in October of 2021. It was a pretty big risk for the business because up until that point, we had operated from a single location. Austin is a new area for me, so I didn’t come to the city with a huge support system. I’m really glad I took the risk because Austin has been such a welcoming place. I was surprised to see the large CPG community here and jumped pretty quickly into vending events in the area. Wadadli Naturals has been able to start to build a great customer base, and the environment has enabled us to grow and innovate in new ways we couldn’t have imagined before.
Pricing:
- Shea Deodorant – $15 2.5oz
- Sugar Brown Shea Butter – $25 16 oz
- Sea Moss Gel – $20 8oz
- Sea Moss Eye Cream – $12
- Brother Earth Beard Oil – $12
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wadadlinaturalsco.com
- Instagram: @wadadli.naturals
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/wadadlinaturalsllc
Image Credits
Camara and Halima Samuel
