Ebyan of Butter Skin
This week, we’re talking to Ebyan Noor of Butter Skin. After seeing no future in her industry of almost a decade, she devised a plan to get out of the rat race and build her own non-toxic, plant-based company that now supports diversity and inclusion in the green beauty space. Learn more about her journey, below!
BLK + GRN: Introduce yourself & why you do what you do. EBYAN: I am Ebyan, the owner + product developer at Butter Skin. When I transitioned my beauty regimen to non-toxic and plant-based, it was hard for me to build an emotional connection with brands because they didn’t make me feel like I belonged in that space. I am a Black Muslim woman, and an immigrant, so representation is very important to me. I created Butter Skin to bring a sense of ease, belonging and empowerment to women on their journey to a green, clean and simple skincare routine. My goal with Butter Skin is to develop safe, plant-powered multifunctional skincare essentials that nurture, restore and protect our skin. And to also promote and support diversity and inclusion in the green beauty space. BLK + GRN: Describe the inception of your brand. When did your vision start to manifest? EBYAN: I started laying down the foundation for Butter Skin when I realized I had no job security at my corporate job of 8 + years. I also just finished my business degree a year prior to leaving my job so I felt equipped for this journey. I worked on developing the brand concept, product development, packaging, and website design while I was still employed. My goal was not to be making a certain amount of money from the business before I left my job, it was to make sure when I did leave I had a vision + plan in place so I could work hard on building and manifesting that vision. I left my job on July 15, 2016, it was all in divine order, and my vision started to manifest when I made the intention to be in spaces that align with my brand value + messaging.
BLK + GRN: How is your brand green? Why was this important to you? EBYAN: Butter Skin is green because our products are safe and non-toxic. They are completely vegan and cruelty-free. We vet all our suppliers and retail partners very diligently. It is important their sustainability efforts align with ours. We follow a no-waste guideline when we make our products. The shelf life of our products is between 3-6 months, so all our products are made to order to avoid having pre-made products expire in our warehouse. We have also shifted our product concepts to creating multipurpose products to eliminate the number of products customers use daily. They save money, time and space. Lastly, we are also a cause-driven business. 1% of each product sales goes to programs that lift children out of poverty and ensure their access to safe housing, health care and quality education in the town of Kismayo in Somalia, Africa. It is important for us to be green because it is the right thing to do to enhance our communities and better serve our customers. BLK + GRN: Why do you think it is important to buy Black? EBYAN: It is important to buy Black because black businesses need our support in order to succeed. In order to start creating wealth for ourselves, our dollars need to be circulating within our own community.
Learn more about the Black-women creators and makers that make up the BLK + GRN Artisan family at www.blkgrn.com/collections.
BLK + GRN: Introduce yourself & why you do what you do. EBYAN: I am Ebyan, the owner + product developer at Butter Skin. When I transitioned my beauty regimen to non-toxic and plant-based, it was hard for me to build an emotional connection with brands because they didn’t make me feel like I belonged in that space. I am a Black Muslim woman, and an immigrant, so representation is very important to me. I created Butter Skin to bring a sense of ease, belonging and empowerment to women on their journey to a green, clean and simple skincare routine. My goal with Butter Skin is to develop safe, plant-powered multifunctional skincare essentials that nurture, restore and protect our skin. And to also promote and support diversity and inclusion in the green beauty space. BLK + GRN: Describe the inception of your brand. When did your vision start to manifest? EBYAN: I started laying down the foundation for Butter Skin when I realized I had no job security at my corporate job of 8 + years. I also just finished my business degree a year prior to leaving my job so I felt equipped for this journey. I worked on developing the brand concept, product development, packaging, and website design while I was still employed. My goal was not to be making a certain amount of money from the business before I left my job, it was to make sure when I did leave I had a vision + plan in place so I could work hard on building and manifesting that vision. I left my job on July 15, 2016, it was all in divine order, and my vision started to manifest when I made the intention to be in spaces that align with my brand value + messaging.
BLK + GRN: How is your brand green? Why was this important to you? EBYAN: Butter Skin is green because our products are safe and non-toxic. They are completely vegan and cruelty-free. We vet all our suppliers and retail partners very diligently. It is important their sustainability efforts align with ours. We follow a no-waste guideline when we make our products. The shelf life of our products is between 3-6 months, so all our products are made to order to avoid having pre-made products expire in our warehouse. We have also shifted our product concepts to creating multipurpose products to eliminate the number of products customers use daily. They save money, time and space. Lastly, we are also a cause-driven business. 1% of each product sales goes to programs that lift children out of poverty and ensure their access to safe housing, health care and quality education in the town of Kismayo in Somalia, Africa. It is important for us to be green because it is the right thing to do to enhance our communities and better serve our customers. BLK + GRN: Why do you think it is important to buy Black? EBYAN: It is important to buy Black because black businesses need our support in order to succeed. In order to start creating wealth for ourselves, our dollars need to be circulating within our own community.
Learn more about the Black-women creators and makers that make up the BLK + GRN Artisan family at www.blkgrn.com/collections.
