Change the Way You Wash Day:
Terre & Botanique is a plant-based Afro-texture focused hair care brand aimed at building healthy scalps for happy hair, while limiting product waste and chemical exposure for the body and the environment. We also educate our customers on global warming and its effects on black and brown communities.
I started making my own hair products when I realized my hair and scalp were unhealthy because of the products I was using, not in spite of them. After six months, my hair and scalp health drastically improved and I realized I had a plant-based, chemical free product that I could share with my community in a sustainable way.
Hair Care Effects More Than Just Hair:
Here's the thing, our hair care affects more than just our hair! When I started making my own hair products, I found that:
- 70% of Afro-texture hair care brands formulate with harmful chemicals, like formaldehyde, petroleum, and triclosan. These chemicals are not only 30% more likely to be found in the bodies of those with Afro-texture hair, and can cause cancer, birth defects and other debilitating issues.
- The harmful chemicals found in hair care are not only found in our bodies, they are also found in our soil, in our water and in the wildlife that we share this planet with.
- Those with Afro-texture hair spend upwards of $2,500 a year on hair care and account for a vast majority of product waste within the hair care sphere.
But We’ve Got This:
Our mission is to solve these issues by:
- Formulating all products with whole foods, plants and other good for you ingredients and without the harmful chemicals. This will limit the amount of chemicals you and the planet take in!
- Our products are hand-made, made to order and sold in smaller sizes to help limit our and your product waste and carbon footprint.
Goals, Goals, Goals:
In the past 7 months, Terre & Botanique has grown and changed so much, but will need to do a little more growing and a little more changing to reach its full potential. I have big plans for this business but unfortunately need access to capital. Out of the 130 Billion dollars given in venture capital in 2019, only 2.2% was given to women and only .3% of those women were members of a BIPOC community. While not impossible, Terre & Botaniques access to VC is extremely limited. We are $15,000 to:
- Purchase new, sustainable, glass packaging.
- Hire a part-time social media and content manager.
Making HERStory:
About two years ago, I decided I had enough with being disappointed in my hair and my hair care and decided to make my own. My hair and scalp were extremely unhealthy and I knew I was exacerbating the issue by pouring more chemicals onto them. I knew chemical free was the way to be and I began researching how different plants, fruits and vegetables affected the scalp and hair. My thought was if food could nourish the body, it could do the same for my hair and scalp. What I did not expect to find in my research is how much our planet is affected by the runoff in hair care and how greatly black and brown communities suffer because of climate change effects.
My hair care experiments improved , my scalp and hair health and I knew I had a unique opportunity to not only improve the way my community saw their hair but also how they interacted with the planet. Plant-based products, sustainability and environmental education mixed directly into the unique blend that is Terre & Botanique. As the company grows up, the health of our customers, the health of the community that we hold so dear and the health of our planet will continue to be at the forefront, and I can’t wait to see what we are able to do for all three!
From the bottom of my heart, thank you oh so much for your support! Be sure to follow us @terreandbotanique and to learn more about the company at www.terreandbotanique.com
