We recently connected with Micaih Murray and have shared our conversation below.

Micaih , appreciate you joining us today. 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.

Imagine being 17, in the mall with your friends going into a Bath and Body Works knowing you want to try all the fragrances, lotions, etc., but knowing that you’ll break out in hives if you do. Jazmin’s Skin Essentials was in its infancy 10 years ago. I was passionate about creating products for individuals like myself who unfortunately live with skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and acne. It wasn’t until the pandemic hit and I was in the middle of my PhD that I decided to use the little free time I had to turn Jazmin’s Skin Essentials into an actual business. To be completely honest I had no idea how to compose a business plan nor any idea as to how one would market products, etc. It took immense research, planning, and assistance from my fiancé to acquire ingredients to start making the skincare I’ve always wanted. I was aware about the insurmountable amount of individuals who have natural skin care companies that are dedicated to natural ingredients, but I felt with my experience as a chemist and my want to make our products colorful and fun, I could provide an a new experience for customers without compromising the essence of our brand.

Micaih , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Dr. Micaih Jazmin Murray, PhD., I am an analytical chemist, mother, and the business owner of Jazmin’s Skin Essentials. Before and during my PhD I had a dream about becoming a cosmetic chemist and having the opportunity to create a skincare line dedicated to using natural products for all skin types. Due to the influx of cosmetic products that use highly complicated chemicals, I thought it would be an essential idea to develop products for individuals that don’t promote inflammation or unwanted skin reactions. Jazmin’s Skin Essentials sells a variety of different products depending on your specific needs and wants. We specialize in body butters, body scrubs, body polishes, bath bombs, soaps, and bath salts! Each product consists of ingredients that are powered by potency sources of vitamins A, E, & F, which are necessary for a healthy skin barrier! At Jazmin’s Skin Essentials, we don’t compromise, as we want every individual to feel confident in every product purchased and know every ingredient used. We value the use of natural ingredients and synthetics to create a robust product for all to use and feel their best. We also seek to share joy, happiness, trust, and gratitude with each and every person who experiences our products. Overall, Jazmin’s Skin Essentials inspires to transcend the cosmetic world as a pioneer to promote a healthy, natural, and a transparent environment for all.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

Initially, most of the funding came from my pockets! As a student, I already didn’t make much, but thankfully my savings and the use of low-interest credit cards assisted with the formation of the company. I started small and only purchased from Amazon as I wasn’t sure if my idea would work, but even if it didn’t I was willing to try out all the product ideas I had for myself. Looking back I would highly recommend searching for external funding opportunities. It wasn’t until now that I decided to start applying for grants that could potentially contribute to the growth of my company!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Ha, well it took a lot of confidence! To be transparent, Jazmin’s Skin Essentials doesn’t have the most followers (~400) on Instagram and Tik Tok, but to get there it required me to stay on trend and continuously post! I thank “Canva-Premium” and various artists for most of the posts to date, as I was able to create very fun and colorful posts that were not only engaging but informative as well. I recommend 3 things:

1) POST-It is important that you post every week… and sometimes it can be the same things!
2) COLLABORATE-I have just started to do this myself, but it helps a lot since it’ll expand your audience!
3) CREATE- Find ideas that are fun, but will promote your brand simultaneously!

I think with social media it takes time since there are so many individuals online, but once you find your niche, it definitely gets better!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jazminsskinessentials.com
• Instagram: jazminsskinessentials
• Facebook: Jazmin’s Skin Essentials