Meet Arielle Brown, Founder of Bea’s Bayou Skincare

AFROPUNK loves championing Black women’s success. Moreso, we love it when Black women shatter the glass ceiling because we understand the upheaval that many Black women experience to reach these unsurmountable heights. Too often, these women don’t grow up in a world of opportunities. Instead, they build one. 

Bea’s Bayou Skincare founder Arielle Brown is among the Black women who have turned lemons into lemonade. Growing up in Louisiana, seborrheic dermatitis was nothing new to Brown. From the moment she was diagnosed, she has been searching for a product to treat her itchy scalp. Little did she know she would grow a business out of it. After her search for a lasting solution proved futile, Brown decided to improvise. What started as a DIY attempt to help soothe her inflamed scalp turned into a power product transforming the hair of Black women. 

 “It is an honor for me to continue growing Bea’s Bayou Skincare into a legacy brand and, one day, help other young entrepreneurs go after their goals as well,” she said. 

Introducing Bea’s Bayou 

Maintaining healthy textured hair is a delicate process, not to mention with global temperatures and harsh weather conditions on the rise, this complicates matters a bit. Dandruff and scalp problems are not new to women’s hair. Founded in 2020 and named after her maternal grandmother, Beatrice, Bea’s Bayou Skincare is a brand born out of passion and love. Brown is on a mission to help solve scalp-related issues and promote healthy luxurious hair.

“Our vision is to inspire healing & build confidence, and our values are empathy, integrity, and audacity!” 

Brown created Bea’s Bayou to help people improve the appearance of their hair and scalp and to inform people about the value of keeping a scalp care regimen. The product selection has expanded to include items for the scalp and face that treat sensitive, flaky, itchy skin. Whether you’re looking to soothe an itch, promote hair growth, or balance oil and dryness, Bea’s Bayou has you covered. 

Calling for more investment

Black entrepreneurs are sadly underrepresented in the beauty sector, as they are across many industries. This is highly distressing given the significant number of Black women who use cosmetic products.

However, the narrative seems to be changing. From brands like Miss Jessie’s, Mixed Chicks, and CurlBox, women have somehow risen above the challenges of being a Black business owner. These women prove that even though you don’t always grow up in a world of opportunity, you can always create one. 

While any change can be counted as progression, for Black entrepreneurs and small business owners, disadvantages still come with a price. The rate at which Black-owned businesses fail is high. The lack of access to capital prematurely stunts potential small enterprises before they can thrive in the market. None of those findings deterred Brown, who recently won the Essence and Aveeno Skin Health Pitch $100k Award for her business. 

“I’m honored and excited about the Aveeno Accelerator grant and mentorship. As a small brand, the exposure this has provided is game-changing. Bea’s Bayou® Skincare will have the jolt to create new formulas, update the website, improve packaging, launch our ambassador campaign, secure product certifications, and ship packages more efficiently!”

Brown’s story proves that more startup Black-owned brands are in dire need of capital to help them scale.