Joanne Carmelita, founder of Naturalis

“I founded Naturalis Hair and Skin products in 2020, during the first year of the pandemic, but my passion for natural hair and skincare goes back to when I was a teenager, when it was hard to find good affordable hair stylists alongside trying to find skin and hair products that actually worked.

“When I became a mother, I became more health conscious and there were no natural cosmetic products to be found. I began to research more into the best products for hair and skin care. I looked further into the ingredients and I was shocked at the toxic, unnatural chemicals well-known companies were using.

“Launching my own business has reminded me how much representation matters. I think that there are a lot more role models in entrepreneurship than there were when I was younger, which encourages Black people to take risks and see the value in it. There is also a movement in the Black community to create generational wealth – make something of our own and go where we are valued. This means not putting up with jobs that do not value us and using our skills for our passions.

“Naturalis has become such a huge passion and it has been so fulfilling to receive great feedback from customers and actually seeing my hard work start to pay off. This also keeps me motivated. It’s only up from here for us, and we still have so much to learn.”

Shop eBay UK’s Black in Bloom hub for Black-owned products and brands here

Cost of living crisis: 3 Black British women share why they turned their passions into thriving businesses