We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amber Allen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Amber, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

The idea of Skinvestment Body Company was developed from my personal problems and experience with my own skin. I was determined to come up with a solution. I knew that if it was an issue for me in my mid-twenties, it could be an issue for others as well. In 2018 I made a conscious decision that I wanted to develop skincare products that would satisfy and meet the needs of others who may be experiencing issues like myself. Through research and hard work, Skinvestment Body Company was no longer a vision, it had become my primary focus. Although I was determined to develop my brand, it was more important for me to finish school which delayed the launch until I completed my master’s program. My knowledge and experience in the beauty industry ignited my love for skin. The beauty industry enabled me firsthand to see the issues and struggles that many experience as well as gave me a closer look at what the industry lacks, especially for African Americans. I now have a better understanding of the industry and competitiveness of the market that is vastly growing today. The pressure was on for sure, but my faith made it easier for me to have fun and enjoy what I was called to do. It was vital for me to formulate products that were not the “usual” in skincare. I needed to blow minds and make people say “I want that”, “You need to buy that”, ” Look what this did for me”. Transactional is never the goal, it’s the experience and feeling people have after using my products. I am elated to provide products that everyone can utilize. I created Skinvestment Body Company with everyone in mind, considering the different family structures such as moms, dads, children, and even grandparents. It was important for me to think of the different generations because not only did the older generation not have readily available organic body care, but they also could not afford what was available. The younger generation has the ability to change the narrative. We enjoy the satisfaction of educating and changing lives one product at a time. The joy that is derived from our customers is priceless.   

Amber, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I entered the beauty industry in 2013. At that time of my life, I was a makeup fanatic that loved all things beauty. I was providing freelance makeup services on the campus of The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where I was pursuing my undergraduate degree. Shortly after graduating in 2016, I began to learn more about skincare when I had the opportunity to work for MAC Cosmetics, one of the largest cosmetic companies in the world. My employment with MAC Cosmetics increased my confidence and provided me with a ton of knowledge that helped shape my understanding for skincare.
Like MAC Cosmetics, my family also contributed to my discipline and understanding of business operations. As a child, I watched my late mom and grandmother operate a profitable barbeque business, “The Pit”, as we called it. My grandmother and grandfather who founded the business were gold minds; so much that it left generational marks on my mom, uncles, and myself. Every night I assisted my grandmother in counting the profits from that day of business. I learned at a very young age you have to work for what you want and that some sort of investment had to be applied. Providing fresh readily available skincare to me was the same as business operations as the “The Pit”. Entering a completely different industry from my family was a bit risky, however, I believe my early foundation has prepared me for Skinvestment Body Company.

When I dreamed of Skinvestment Body Company, I knew I wanted to provide organic products for all people. African American people became my primary focus because I knew within the black culture there was a lack of information and access to organic skincare. I also knew the lack of attention that existed to the  toxic ingredients that many products on the market contain. More safe, fresh, and readily available organic personal care products are needed for all people. I’m excited to be able to provide products that not only improve the daily lives of people who look like me, but also be able to provide all people with products that contribute to their appearance and well-being. Our products are handmade using main ingredients such as unrefined shea and mango butter. Our butters are rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that contribute to the softness of skin. Our first product we launched was our Whipped Body Butter. This rich butter consists of a soft fluffy cloud like texture that is highlighted to soften the skin and provide a blanket of comfort to several skin issues. Our top selling Whipped Body Butter is our unisex scent Ten Twenty Six. Adding a unisex scent to our product line was vital to our multitiered approach to have something for everyone. Having an understanding to the differences in family structures made it essential to have something for everyone: men, women, children, and pregnant moms. It was vital for my clients to be able to shop for their entire household no matter the gender, age, or sex.

Our multitiered approach to providing safe skincare options has helped us to establish our presence in such a competitive market. Our name, Skinvestment Body Company is not only who we are, but also for our clients experience. We formulated our products to aid all skin types and we understand that with every purchase our clients are making an investment. We strive to give our clients a high return on their investment by providing them with products that are safe, practical, and most of all, products that work. I am most proud of being able to touch the lives of people from all different walks of life. One thing everyone has in common is SKIN! No matter the differences in our skin, we all have a layer over our bodies that helps others identify us by sight. I think we should give others the best version of who we are!

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Growing my clientele consist of many different approaches. I believe the two most effective strategies for myself has been consistency and giving away samples. When I began, consistency for myself was challenging because I did not always have content to post. The more time I invested, I began to record everything which allowed me post consistently on my social media platforms. It was essential that I kept my following engaged and intrigued. Providing samples to potential clients is equally, if not more effective. This allowed people to try my product at no cost, provide me with a review, gain new followers, and created an opportunity to have in person contact with potential clients. For us, building a rapport with our clients is what creates top tier shopping experience. Fortunately, prioritizing our customer experience contributes to our clientele growth.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

Skinvestment is a luxury skin + body care brand that provides various points of contact for our clients to easily reach us. Customer satisfaction is something we value. Email and text marketing are our two main sources that we utilize to keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty. We offer discounts, early shopping access to newly released items, and send out pertinent updates to stay in touch with our clients. We encourage our clients to opt in our email and text marketing to receive the latest information from us. Amazing platforms like Youtube, Google, and Pinterest help us stay connected and bridge the gap in communicating with our customers all around the world. Our goal is to never make clients feel that their purchase was only transactional. Bringing clients behind the scene and providing online giveaways also contributes to establishing rapport in the world of being an e-commerce brand. Our newest loyalty program is our Skinvestor Membership. It consists of Gold and Platinum tiers and provides saving opportunities for loyal clients. It includes some of our top selling items that are shipped every three weeks for a three month period. As previously mentioned, we value customer satisfaction and are always implementing strategies to foster brand loyalty.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.skinvestmentbodyco.com
• Instagram: @skinvestmentbodyco
• Facebook: Skinvestment Body Co.
• Twitter: skinvestbodyco
• Youtube: Skinvestment Body Co.
• Other: Pintrest: @Skinvestmentbodyco

Image Credits
Jeremy Pride – IG @Jeteye_ Eric Smith- IG @_xtrdnry