Born in Lafayette, Louisiana, Bea’s Bayou Skincare was created out of a 20-year struggle that founder Arielle Brown had maintaining the health of her scalp. After being diagnosed with Seborrheic dermatitis (a form of eczema) when she was just 13 years old, Brown quickly realized products on the market to help treat her condition were too thick, ineffective, smelly, or not lightweight enough to absorb in the skin. She took it upon herself to create a solution that eased the discomfort of her dermatitis.
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Bea’s Bayou Skincare was named after Brown’s maternal grandmother, Beatrice, who lived in the Bayou Region of Louisiana. Brown reminisces about growing up there, seeing “the shrimp man,” “the okra man,” and “the watermelon man” come by with fresh produce every time she visited.
Reflect Beatuy sat down with Arielle to learn more about the ingredients in Bea’s Bayou Skincare line and discuss how her heritage has a strong impact on the business.
Brown shares, “People worked with natural ingredients from the land to make a living and commune with others back then. “Grandma B” would also make pies to make a living, and she made herbal tinctures to help people (as requested) with breathing issues, burns, whatever!”
“Using bayou botanicals in our products to help people heal and gain confidence, like how she did in her time on earth, is a way to honor her and our Louisiana heritage,” she adds. “The herbs are also just magical, so when you need a real potion to help your itchy scalp, we have you covered!”
Creating Bea’s was symbolic for Brown. It allowed her to create something for everyone suffering in a way she had been for years.
Reflect Beauty: Can you tell us about the ingredients in your skincare line? Why do you recommend herbs and probiotics for skin-related inflammation?
Arielle Brown: I had started learning about the correlation of dairy, sugar, white bread, and inflammation in the body back in high school. I started taking probiotics and digestive enzymes, and the benefits changed my life. My digestion improved, and I found my eczema issues were not as frequent, but they were still intense. So, when I was thinking about how to solve my scalp issues, I started digging into the WHY. I learned about the microbiome—the community of organisms in and on our bodies. I figured that if bacteria and yeast had a role to play within my body, I could fight that activity with better bacteria. I started thinking about probiotics for skin, and I found a review of studies in Dermatology and Therapy that listed multiple studies showing their improvements on acne, wrinkles, and even eczema.
So it was clear to me—mix the probiotics with herbs. I just couldn’t use live probiotics, so we used lysates, filtrates, prebiotics, and postbiotics. Instead of live bacteria, we use extracts that have AMAZING skin benefits. We use radish root, for example, which is a great prebiotic. We use oils that aren’t high in oleic acid wherever we can, like calendula. We use bayou plants like saw palmetto, sassafras, sugarcane, and more! They make the products special and smell so fresh!
RB: Do you have any advice for other people with Seborrheic dermatitis?
AB: It’s my favorite topic, and we share a FREE downloadable guide on our website. My main tips are simple: decrease the sugar, white bread, soda, dairy, and stress. Increase your water intake. Do not scratch until you bleed or damage your follicles. Please try our Good Biome Scalp Solution to soften the skin and soothe the itch. Avoid sharing hats with others—not because SebDerm is contagious, but because you don’t know what someone else’s scalp issues really are, and you want to avoid bacterial upset. If you are beyond frustrated, understand that you are not alone, but ask yourself what you have been putting in your body lately. You can also always seek out a dermatologist.
RB: What’s the mission behind your company?
AB: I want to bring long-awaited relief and renewal to frustrated eczema sufferers by providing herbal, microbiome-friendly solutions. We are also committed to caring for the world we live in and remaining dedicated to the needs of our customers. I love to see people shine their brightest. None of us can do that when we are not living fully in our skin—too frustrated or self-conscious. If we can continue to help all people feel renewed, then we did our job, and that makes me proud.
RB: What’s next for BB’s skincare in 2024?
AB: We are launching our Zinc and Sassafras Scalp Mask this holiday season, and we are working on a product that uses a clinically-tested active, which I’m very excited about. I am also currently fundraising for Bea’s Bayou Skincare so we can increase capacity to scale and build a larger community.
RB: Do you have any advice for entrepreneurs? Specifically, entrepreneurs in the beauty space?
AB: As someone who feels like she is just getting started and learning so much every day, I still want all the advice I can get, but to share some of what’s helped so far, I would remind all entrepreneurs to network, network, network! Do not allow yourself to get in your way by staying still when you KNOW you need to move. That may mean a business decision, personal life decision, financial decision, etc. I would also remind my tribe of dreamers to be conscious of their cash flow at all times and get friendly with their numbers so that they’re not afraid of facing reality to make critical decisions. This work is WERK, OK?! It’s lonely sometimes, but build up your coping skills and support systems early on and keep an eye out for the people and entities that do not need to follow you along the journey. As it relates to beauty entrepreneurs, differentiate, negotiate, participate, and get educated! Lastly, you may find a time when you can’t possibly do it all and stay sane, so be OK asking for help, interns, etc.
