Today we’d like to introduce you to Nyesha Brown.
Hi Nyesha, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I founded Natural Mystic in 2017 as a college student living in Madison, Wisconsin. As someone interested in the intersection of holistic health, wellness & and beauty, I struggled to find skincare brands that reflected the representation, intention, & ethos that I valued as a consumer. More than skincare products, I was searching for an immersive beauty experience that made me feel more connected to my daily routines and my personal skincare journey, all while supporting a brand that valued inclusivity and supported the communities I care for. I didn’t find a brand that met these criteria, so I decided to create it myself.
After extensive research and experimentation, I began developing skincare products in my small studio apartment. My curiosity about how ingredients and textures work together allowed me to be creative and innovative with my formulas. Initially, the products I created were for my personal use. When I noticed a change in my skin after just a few weeks of using them, I decided to offer samples to my immediate friends and family. The testimonies they shared with me around their improved skin health and mood confirmed my feeling that I was onto something. This feeling was further solidified when I moved to Austin and began selling products at local markets and popup events. Eventually, I was selling out at nearly every market I vended at, and word of mouth spread quickly. I am grateful for the connections I made at these events, as they allowed me to grown and expand Natural Mystic’s reach beyond Texas.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Running a small business definitely has its challenges. One of the biggest challenges I’ve had to overcome while building my business is imposter syndrome– the feeling that I don’t belong in the small business community and that Natural Mystic isn’t a “real” business.
Additionally, as a small self-funded business, it takes much longer to develop new products and create strategic marketing campaigns that lead to increased brand awareness. With limited funding, it has been difficult to develop more efficient and effective in-house production processes overall.
While these challenges have presented obstacles for growth, I believe they have made me a more resourceful, creative, and resilient entrepreneur. I work to overcome these challenges by immersing myself in the small business community in Austin, where I’ve been able to learn from other small business owners and access resources to support my professional growth.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Natural Mystic Skincare?
Natural Mystic is a collection of intuitive skincare rituals inspired by self-care and holistic wellness. I make intentional skincare products that are rooted in holistic wellness and support optimal skin health.
When I founded Natural Mystic in 2017, there were very few mainstream skincare and beauty brands that were motivated by self-care and holistic wellness. Instead, what I observed was an industry that was hyper-focused on achieving “perfection” and “flawless” skin while upholding unrealistic and impractical standards of beauty. Rather than empowering people to define their own markers of beautiful and healthy skin, mainstream brands often exploited people’s insecurities and leveraged them to sell more products. These marketing tactics ushered in a culture of perfection-obsessed consumerism and self-deprecating social comparison, which was exacerbated by social media. As the psychological impacts produced in my community became clear to me, so did the solution. It was time to bring a more affirming and loving voice to the skincare space.
I founded Natural Mystic as a platform to shift the way people approached skincare and beauty. My vision was to create an immersive skincare experience that supported intentional skincare practices and enhanced people’s relationship with their personal definition of beauty and self-love. Rather than reinforcing “perfection” as skincare goals, I wanted to encourage people to embrace their imperfections, lead with authenticity, and strive for daily self-love, regardless of skin type.
By focusing on the power of skincare rituals as a praxis of self-care and self-preservation, Natural Mystic offers an alternative form of skincare that centers holistic wellness and self-care as a lifestyle for everyone rather than a pursuit for perfection.
Our Impact
Impact lies at the heart of our mission at Natural Mystic Skincare. More than a skincare brand, we are a community committed to wellness and self-care as a lifestyle. At the intersection of wellness, lifestyle, beauty, and community, we aim to build a bridge between skincare and intentional living.
We believe that when we take care of ourselves, we’re better equipped to show up for our community. That’s why we work to impact our community through skincare education, dialogue on wellness, acts of service, and amplifying the work of local organizations that advocate for wellness, particularly for marginalized communities.
This year, during Black Maternal Health Week, we donated a portion of our proceeds to BlackMamasATX, a local organization working to support equitable birth outcomes for Black mothers in Central Texas. As Natural Mystic expands, we aspire to be able to offer continuous philanthropic support to mission-driven organizations that prioritize equity, inclusivity and accessibility in health and wellness.
Press
Natural Mystic Skincare is listed in several business directories including Beauty Independent, Austin Woman, Gallant, and DO512’s Black Business and woman-owned business directory. Reviews of our products can be found in Milwaukee-based publication, CopyWrite magazine and DC-based blog, “Genesha’s newsletter,” In December 2020, Natural Mystic was selected as a recipient of the EleMINT skin small skincare business grant, which positioned us as an emerging skincare brand in Austin, TX.
On a larger scale, a selection of our products were also featured in the January, February, and March 2021 issues of British Vogue’s Radiance Resolutions Skincare campaign, which centered emerging skincare brands around the world. Lastly, we are a proud member of the Female Founders Collective — a network of businesses led by women across the world.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I would describe myself as an artsy child growing up. I loved making art, having fashion shows with my friends, taking photos, downloading music, and lip singing my favorite songs in the bathroom mirror. I dreamt of being in a girl group like Destiny’s Child or TLC, being a fashion designer, or being a famous artist. I collected seashells and magazines and loved making collages, which covered the walls of my room.
Pricing:
- Zen Hydration Jelly – $15-$25
- Rose Quartz Serum – $15-$25
- Oasis Elixir – $35
- Lotus Balm – $10-$20
- Earth Cleanser – $25
Contact Info:
- Email: naturalmystx@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.naturalmysticskin.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natural.mystic.skin/
Image Credits
Photography by Nyesha Brown
