Black Business Month highlight: All-natural beauty products

DECATUR - Small business is the backbone of the American economy. And in honor of Black Business Month, the FOX 5 I-Team checks out an all-natural beauty line run by a local couple. Social media, they say, is their go-to tool for success.

The market for vegan, cruelty-free, all-natural products is growing. But when Kyra Young was looking for these things years ago, because of sensitive skin, she couldn't find it, so she created Kyra's Shea Medleys. 

"When I was still a student at UCLA, and I needed some products for my hair," Young said, saying she listened to her mom. "My mom said, 'Kyra, you're creative. Just go make it,' And I was, like, why not!"

She got oils from her mother’s kitchen and herbs from her grandmother’s garden. That was nine years ago. And here she is now in Decatur with bowls filled with lavender and lemon scented creams that look like airy cake batter.

"Our products are fully natural and also have certified organic ingredients. There's no sulphates, no artificial colors, no parabens, no phthalates," she said. "You can use them from hair to toe. That is our unique proposition."

She's right; a bottle of oil or mousse-like cream can be used on your hair, your face, and your feet. But it was the crystallized leaf shapes that really caught my eye. 

Young explains how this small body scrub does a big job.  

"This one little leaf is going to last you the same amount as that 16 oz jar of scrub, and you can control all the area much more easily."

These leaf-shaped body scrubs are long-lasting. 

But behind the coolness of being an entrepreneur are the years of hard work.

 "Ooooh, it's crazy when you really sit back and think about it."

Ok, let’s go back. She and her business partner John grew up in South Central Los Angeles. No mentors. No resources.

"You are literally grinding from the bottom up trying to figure out how to do it," she said.

No money for TV, radio or newspaper ads, Kyra’s Shea Medleys landed on social media, and she now works with a mentoring program called Meta Elevate. She’s learned the art of using free tools to meet a new audience.

"Using your hashtags, specific key terms and key terms to find those audience members," she told FOX 5's Dana Fowle, adding up on her fingers all that's available to her. 

Nearly half of start-up, small businesses shutter in five years. So, Kyra offers a give-back program to help lift others because it’s hard. She and John almost quit more than once but knew this is what they wanted to do.

"Know that it's possible and your story matters," she said with a grin. 

Kyra's Shea Medleys most popular line is their baby products. They can be purchased on her website and through Walmart online.