The 2022 ESSENCE Festival of Culture saw skincare giant Aveeno partner with ESSENCE to present the Aveeno SkinHealth Startup Accelerator Showcase Winner's Circle on the Beauty Carnival stage. The grand-prize winner received $100,000 in funding for her business, while the runner-up received $50,000 in funding for her business.
To kick off the segment, ESSENCE Chief Revenue Officer Pauline Malcolm-Thornton was joined by Aveeno Principal Scientist Sabrina Henry, just as the two ladies introduced a congratulatory message from Tia Mowry.
"I truly feel that these dynamic entrepreneurs are amazing businesswomen and role models," Tia said in a video message. "I look forward to seeing their businesses continue to grow."
Sabrina then gave a brief overview of the purpose behind partnering with ESSENCE for the Aveeno SkinHealth Startup Accelerator program, which will provide educational resources, materials, access, and mentorship to help fuel Black women-owned businesses in the skincare industry.
Read a little about both winners and their brands below, and then check out the video above to hear the conversation in full. For more of everything you missed at the 2022 ESSENCE Festival of Culture, visit our official video content hub HERE.
WINNER ($100,000)
Arielle Brown is the Founder of Bea's Bayou Skincare, a line that aims to provide relief for people with eczema-prone scalp or skin.
"90% of African-Americans have dandruff, which is a type of eczema, and 50% of people worldwide have dandruff—all linked to inflammation in our bodies," she said. "In doing some research, we've found that probiotic extracts are really amazing for the skin. So, we have our best-selling scalp solution, our amazing face serum, our prebiotic scalp oil, and our newly-added shampoo & conditioner."
FIRST RUNNER-UP ($50,ooo)
Dr. Anne Beal is the Founder of AbsoluteJoi, a clean-beauty skincare line designed for people with melanin-rich skin over the age of 35.
"I started AbsoluteJoi because frankly, I was tired of trying to find products that worked for me," she said. "As I was getting more mature and entering into my 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond, I knew that the anti-aging products that were on the market really weren't addressing my needs. This is because a lot of the products out there focus on fine lines and wrinkles, however, people with melanin-rich skin show age first, not with fine lines and wrinkles, but with dark marks and hyperpigmentation."