We recently connected with Lisa Crawford-Thomas and have shared our conversation below.

Lisa, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s one of the most important lessons you learned in school?

I grew up with three siblings, two sisters and a brother. I was the oldest and I always felt like I didnt’ fit in. My siblings all looked like cherubs, One of my sisters has dimples you can swim in and the other has exotic features with long beautiful hair. My brother is the youngest and was always handsome. I always felt like the ugly duckling, because I had none of those attributes and no one ever said that I was cute or pretty. We lived at the bottom of a steep hill, which was major fun for all of the neighborhood kids. On my way home from school one day, the front tire of my bicycle hit a pothole and threw me straight up in the air and I hit the ground face first, sliding down the hill. One of the neighbors saw the accident and took me home. I was in and out of consciousness. She knocked on the door and my mom, a registered nurse, stood there speechless as the neighbor told her what happened, My mother later told me that if it weren’t for my clothes, she would have never recognized me. I had no skin on my face, my left eye was swollen shut, and my forehead was four times it’s normal size. I was covered in dirt, gravel and blood. I’d suffered a severed concussion but only soft tissue injuries. I couldn’t go outside for almost a month and when I did my neighborhood friends refused to play with me. I was teased and called “monster girl” and they’d all scream and run away. I felt all alone and knew that I was the ugliest girl in the world. As my face began to heal, I started mixing different things to help diminish the scars, like cocoa butter, lotion and mineral oil. Throughout the years, I’d continue to mix different products to help with scarring, rashes, and dry itchy skin, Little did I know that that experience would be the motive for Cura Bello. I had no idea that in years to come, my children would need help with their skin and that I’d start mixing once again. I didn’t want them to feel like “the ugliest girl in the world.” After much prayer and testing, I found a mixture that worked. We all began to tell our family and friends about it, and they started coming back and paying for it. We all continue to use it, even my husband, who was skeptical at first. It’s come a long way and is now made for natural and organic ingredients. I never want anyone to feel like I did. If I know of a product that will help others feel beautiful and better about themselves, I’ll tell them about it. That’s the basis for Cura Bello – to make your skin beautiful.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Hi! My name is Lisa Crawford-Thomas and I am the founder of Cura Bello (aka Cura Bello Skincare). I started my business out of necessity. My daughters and I all have sensitive skin and suffer from chronic skin issues, including rashes, moderate to severe dryness and itching to start. I’d spent a small fortune on over-the-counter products that did nothing or exacerbated the problem. I used my daughters and myself as guinea pigs and starting mixing different ingredients to at least help relieve our symptoms. When I hit on the right mixture, my girls let me know and I kept making it. The more we used it, the better our skin looked and felt. My younger sister came over and was complaining about how dry and irritated her skin was and how nothing she’d purchased worked, so I gave her my moisturizer. She called three days later and told me that I was going to start selling it. We started telling family and friends about it and they started coming back AND paying for it. People started asking me if I had anything for specific skin irritations, and I developed four other moisturizers. Each moisturizer is made for sensitive skin from natural and organic ingredients and help relieve itching, moderate to severe dryness, flaking, breakouts and more. It’s also a multi-use product that can aid with makeup removal, sunburn relief, and anti-aging. I’m really proud of how effective it is and love to hear from the people that it has helped. I’ve been making Cura Bello since 2006 and it hasn’t always been easy to keep going. It’s during the hard times that I’ll get a call or email letting me know how Cura Bello has helped someone who’s been suffering and couldn’t find relief. It reminds me that I can’t quit. If I can help someone find the relief that they need, whether it’s my product or another product, I will. I want others to feel, look, and know that their skin is beautiful.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson that I’ve learned is to be open to listening to everyone. I’m African-American and when I first started selling my products, I didn’t think that others would be interested. As I started going to trade shows, women of all ethnicities stopped by my table and shared their personal stories. It happens every time I’m at a show or simply talking about my products. I found out that we’re more alike than we think. Sensitive skin and how to treat it is an issue for all people – no matter the race, creed, or religion. I’ve learned that my story resonates with anyone who’s suffered from chronic skin problems. Now I don’t limit myself or the people that my products can help.

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

In 2019, I had a slew of trade shows and events lined up to showcase Cura Bello. I was sought after and was excited for 2020, then Covid happened. It threw everyone a curve! There were no shows or events and I lost most of my event fees that I’d paid. It seemed like everything was closing and there was such uncertainty. I hung on and looked forward to 2021, but things were slow. Small businesses were hit hard and people were simply trying to survive. I quit at least 50 times last year, but my heart and my family wouldn’t let me give up. Despite it all, I kept my loyal customers and gained a few new ones. Words of encouragement and customers came at the right times and I kept the faith. Entrepreneurship is a rollercoaster ride and you have to be willing to take risks. It takes time and perseverance. Despite the current climate, I’m still going and gaining more customers. As long as people need my products, I’ll keep making them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.curabelloskincare.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curabelloskincare
• Facebook: Cura Bello
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisacrawfordthomas
• Youtube: Cura Bello

Image Credits
Photos by Morgahn