Brittney of Saige + Ivy

WE ARE COMMITTED TO ELEVATING INNOVATIVE BLACK ARTISANS. EACH WEEK, WE WILL SHARE THE STORIES OF THE BLK + GRN ARTISANS BEHIND YOUR FAVORITE PRODUCTS.

If you're in the market for a baking soda free, natural deodorizer, you'll love learning about this week's artisan! We're talking to Brittney of Saige + Ivy, whose detoxing natural body-sprays, are equal parts refreshing and healing! BLK + GRN: Introduce yourself & why you do what you do. BRITTNEY: My name is Brittney Oliver, I’m 27 years old and a mommy of two. I began to create natural deodorant when I became aware that the deodorant I was using was causing me to have continuous boils, lumps, and irritations under my arms. I’m a Virgo so naturally, I love helping others. I’ve always felt deep in my heart that I’m supposed to help women in a big way and I feel this is my way of serving others and contributing to the world. When I discovered my deodorant was effective for me I began to make bottles for my family and friends. I started to educate them of the harsh chemicals within the deodorant they were using and provided them with a healthier alternative. My brother then suggested that I began selling deodorant to integrate my passion of helping others with a source of income. I was 7 months pregnant at the time and was working a job I felt unfulfilled at. I began promoting my deodorant for about a month and did a soft launch with bottles I purchased from Wal Mart. I sold 30 bottles and received great feedback from a variety of people. I was automatically motivated and began to realize how much Saige & Ivy was needed not only for myself but for others. BLK + GRN: How is your brand green? Why was this important to you? BRITTNEY: Saige and Ivy is green because we use no harmful ingredients such as aluminum or parabens. We use no synthetic fragrances and our ingredients are 100% natural. We have health and wellness benefits far beyond just being a deodorant. It’s important to me that our products are all natural because with everything we as women already worry about we shouldn’t have to worry about something as simple as our deodorant. I mean come on, It’s supposed to one of the simplest parts of our day. Put our essentials on and go. We LOVE using products, that part of our lives should be safe. Our everyday essentials should be something that benefits us, a ritual we trust, and another form of self-care.We deserve that. BLK + GRN: Why do you think it is important to buy Black? BRITTNEY: It is important to buy black because it promotes economic growth, entrepreneurship and financial literacy within our community. I often think about Black Wall Street and how prominent those businesses could have become. It is also important to understand that black businesses and black wealth are only a small fraction in comparison to other racial and/or ethnic groups. However; black spending power was over 1 trillion dollars in 2017. It is vital that we support one another and continue to circulate money in our community on a consistent basis.