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

Alright, Essence thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

ESSentials Body Care & More started as just a conversation between my friends and me at the beginning of 2020. We began discussing what type of business we would create to produce another stream of income while at the same time catering to the needs of others. I immediately thought about different skincare brands I had purchased that did not agree with my skin when having mild eczema breakouts and how I could create something to treat the condition, which seemed highly complicated and almost impossible. Additionally, I thought about what I would appreciate from other brands. For instance, I would love to customize certain products with specific fragrances, or if the owner would reach out to see how this product is or is not working for me so I can give constructive and personal feedback. With all these ideas in mind, I was confident and scared at the same time that I could create a brand that embodied everything I desired. In September 2020, I began researching and experimenting with different recipes and natural resources to produce a product that my skin loved, which was very exciting to me. I was thankful enough to have family and friends who were willing to try my product before I officially launched my brand. In October 2020, ESSentials evolved from just an idea to an online store, which was a fantastic accomplishment.

Essence, 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?

Since childhood, I’ve been passionate about helping others in various ways. Volunteering in church, offering support in high school on the yearbook committee, and many community service opportunities in college. My career path has also been in the service field, where I thrive. It was in 2020 that I realized I could help individuals by creating a skincare and personalized product brand that promotes self-care, and thus I created ESSentials Body Care & More, LLC. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Essence Edwards, the Founder, and CEO of ESSentials Body Care & More, LLC. I am a 26-year-old African American Delaware native woman who owns a business and has the luxury of working a full-time job that fulfills my life. ESSentials Body Care & More, LLC is a brand that provides products that improve your well-being and allow you to indulge in self-care! We currently sell and wholesale delightfully scented whipped body butter, sugar scrubs, and beard cream made from natural resources handmade by myself. These products have astounding benefits for the skin and hair, are customizable, and come in 2oz, 4oz, and 8oz glass jars. Our products will carry you into the self-love you’ve been searching for. Our motto is “stay classy, not ashy,” and we do not disappoint. I have always experienced random spurts of eczema and used popular brands to alleviate the symptoms, but the problem always returned. I created a product using shea butter and other natural ingredients that allowed my symptoms to exist no more. I began giving skincare samples to those who wanted to test the items for themselves, and after several months, I received life-changing reviews. One individual who stood out specifically mentioned that her son has severe eczema, and she had been using cream prescribed by doctors. It wasn’t until she tried ESSentials whipped body butter that she expressed that her son’s condition cleared up within a matter of days. It brings me pride and joy to know that ESSentials was able to aid in eliminating a skin condition that can be pretty uncomfortable.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

What helped me build my reputation within my market was the exposure I allowed my company to receive by doing pop-up shops around Delaware. It was not only the exposure but also the interaction I had with each client and even other vendors at the events I attended. Frequently I received compliments on how personable and kind I was to everyone who came to my table. For new website orders, I make it a goal to call the client, if they are unfamiliar to me, to see how they heard about ESSentials and if there is a special occasion for placing the order so I can make their package even more personable. When orders come through Instagram, clients have communicated that my patience and willingness to work with them are greatly appreciated. I stand by the Golden Rule, which is to treat others how you would want to be treated, and spreading kindness and being a tremendous help to others is the least I can do, and by doing so, it has been nothing other than an excellent reward.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

The summer of 2022 was undoubtedly a test of resilience. This was my first summer doing outdoor events, and it was a challenging task. I would do at least two events a month on the weekends as this was the only time I had available due to working my full-time job during the week. These events lasted anywhere from 4 hours to 10 hours. These hours included arriving early for set up and staying a little later for break down. I attended my first two significant events, Delaware Pride Festival and The Peoples Festival Bob Marley Tribute, which had over 150 vendors and even more attendees. I was slightly overwhelmed and overjoyed at the same time. Here is where the challenges began. During Pride Fest, I noticed that my product began to melt since the temperatures were on the warmer side, which changed the consistency. I had to communicate with each client who approached my table that while the consistency had changed, the benefits were still very effective, and I would give them instructions on how to chill and re-whip the product. Once the event was over, I was left with many items I had to re-whip, which was very time-consuming. But despite those challenges, this gave me time to research how to keep my product cool for my next outdoor event. For The Peoples Festival, I had all the items I thought I needed to keep my products cool, but with little success, the cooling items I purchased worked for only a short period and the cycle of my product melting repeated itself. After having these experiences, I grew burnt out and unmotivated as I spent much time and money on these events and saw no great financial return. I did, however, have many positive networking opportunities. Since I was exhausted, I took a month-long break from my business and two months from events to give myself time to recuperate mentally, emotionally, and financially. This journey has not been easy, but taking a break was the best thing I could have done for myself and ESSentials, as I now have a plethora of business ideas and have been working to create a better brand for my clientele.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.essentialsandmorellc.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/essentialsandmore.llc?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/essentialsandmore.llc