Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ashley Valarie Nicole Dolson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ashley Valarie Nicole , appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I have suffered from eczema and sensitive skin my entire life. I grew tired of trying to find products that did not specifically cater to my melanin rich skin and became even more frustrated with going into stores to ask for products for my needs and being directed to a secluded area in the back for the “ethnic” and these products being sometimes locked depending on the location. Due to these struggles, I began handcrafted face and body products for my skin. I obtained my license in esthetics to learn more about the skin and skincare. I developed Melanin Skyn Co. After my God daughter experienced the same issues with needing products for her skin and my son was diagnosed with eczema as an infant, which severely irritated his skin and caused extreme hair loss. After doing more research on the industry I learned that 50% of products marketed to people of color contain harsh ingredients that lead to long term adverse effects. According to research conducted by the Mckinsey Institiute Black Americans spend $6.6 billion on beauty while representing 11.1% of the total US beauty market. Their research also indicates Black brands capture only 2.4% of revenue in the overall beauty market and only 4 to 7 % of black brands are carried by specialty beauty stores. Melanin rich tones have been historically excluded from product testing therefore, it should be no surprise that Black Consumers are three times more likely to be dissatisfied than non-black consumers with their options for hair care, skin care and make up. These facts indicate the obvious racial disparities in the beauty industry when it comes to skin of color. Melanin Rich tones are often overlooked, underrepresented and brands of color and are underfunded. Melanin Skyn Co. Aims to address and resolve some of these problems by intentionally addressing the needs of melanin rich skin and also diversifying product testing to include melanin rich skin tones while increasing awareness to the racial inequities in the beauty industry.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Melanin Skyn Co is a brand that intentionally considers and addresses the needs of those with melanin rich skin, while being inclusive to all skin through creating awareness and knowledge on how we all have our own experiences living in our skin, but some experience can differ simply based on concentration of melanin. I handcraft skin and body products that contain simple, cruelty free ingredients intended for those who are conscious about what they put on their skin, those who prefer cruelty free ingredients but don’t have the knowledge to find them on their own and those who suffer from sensitive skin, eczema or other skin conditions to enhance the natural glow of skin to help them to build confidence in their skin.

My vision for Melanin Skyn Co. is that it will be a household name. A name that is known for community engagement, education and service. Skin and personal care products are just the start of Melanin Skyn Co. In the future Melanin Skyn Co. will be a lifestyle brand that empowers people of all shades of Melanin to proudly live in the skin they are in.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

What has helped me to build my reputation in my market is my education, the sharing of my personal experiences dealing with living in my skin, community engagement through being a vendor for community events and hosting workshops.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Throughout my journey I’ve been told things like my vison is not clear, I will not grow past my current space and that my products are too expensive even though they are comparable to other brands that produce similar products and are flourishing. One would likely say these are discouraging words but, these comments did the inverse for me. They gave me life as well as the fuel to be even more consistent and persistent.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.melaninskynco.com
• Instagram: @melaninskynco
• Facebook: @melaninskynco
• Twitter: @melaninskynco