00:00Hello, hello, and welcome to another episode of Shop Essence Live.
00:05I am Noni, your host and vice president of video and branded content here at Essence,
00:10and I am so, so excited for today.
00:13This is a show where we, in partnership with New Voices Family,
00:17bring you two new Black-owned businesses to shop live every single week.
00:22We're bringing you all these incredible products that were made for us by us right here,
00:27and it's live so that we can connect you directly with these brand owners,
00:31and they can answer all of your questions.
00:34I swear every single week I learn a new thing about taking care of my hair, my skin,
00:38some fashion, all around the world.
00:41So this is the place to be if you love supporting Black-owned brands
00:44and you love those products that are bespoke to us.
00:47In a little bit, at about 6.45, we're going to be joined by Dani Spikes.
00:52She has this incredible brand, beloved, beloved box.
00:58And when I tell you, if you heard about this new soft, soft life movement,
01:02I just heard about it.
01:03I know I'm late, but the soft life movement, this is like the soft life in a box.
01:08So we're going to be joined by her in a little bit.
01:10If you're watching in the chat, hey, Dani, I cannot wait.
01:13But up first, we are going to be joined by Isfahan Chambers-Harris.
01:19She is the brand owner of Elodia Hair Care.
01:24And when I tell you, and you know me, I always use the products.
01:27I did not cheat.
01:28I only use Elodia from top to bottom.
01:30And it's not just about your hair looking fabulous.
01:34It's about caring for your hair.
01:36So I got all the questions.
01:38Make sure that you ask your questions here.
01:40And I see you guys, how do I showcase?
01:42How do I get showcased on the show?
01:43I'll tell you guys that in a little bit.
01:46Stick around, tag somebody that needs some hair care.
01:50Elodia, if you are in the comments, you have to request to go live with me,
01:53and I will bring you in.
01:54So I'll give you guys a little preview, right?
01:57If you want to be featured on Shop Essence Live,
02:00you just have to join the New Voices family.
02:02They're going to be in the comments in a little bit,
02:04probably giving you guys all the information that you need.
02:09Follow them.
02:09Go to the link in the chat, and then you will be able to be put into the roster.
02:17And it's not even just about being a part of this show.
02:19It is about all of the community, the mentorship.
02:24Like, if you don't know where to take your business next,
02:26they have all, they have the roadmap laid out for you.
02:29Okay?
02:30It's fine.
02:30I see you in the comments.
02:31All you have to do is click the little request to go live with,
02:36and then you can go live with me.
02:38Oh, let me see if I can add you.
02:40Hold on.
02:41We gonna work it out.
02:43And it's Black History Month.
02:44Second day of Black History Month.
02:51Just Black History.
02:54Oh, my gosh.
02:57I'm, like, sweating.
02:58I couldn't.
03:01No, I didn't know how to join.
03:04I was like, oh, my gosh.
03:06We'll be late.
03:07This is my first time to be able to do my hair.
03:10Oh, no.
03:11You know, I had to get my ends trimmed, so it was just a coincidence.
03:14So I'm usually rocking my big, beautiful hair like you.
03:18Well, it looks fabulous.
03:21So I am here.
03:22I'm looking at that.
03:23Oh, my goodness.
03:24Do you have a skirt there or something?
03:27Um, no, I don't.
03:30What?
03:30Sorry.
03:30Or earworms.
03:31I don't have them.
03:34So I'm hoping.
03:35I don't know.
03:36I'm sorry.
03:37I don't know.
03:38I don't know.
03:38I don't know.
03:39I don't know.
03:39I don't know.
03:40I don't know.
03:40Okay.
03:41So I'm just going to quickly.
03:43If you can tell us your story, everybody.
03:45Yeah, so Elodia, we're a science-based hair and scalp care product brand, and it started
03:52off with me just having problems with my hair and scalp, and I'm also a PhD-level scientist.
03:59So right along the time of me having the problems with my scalp and my hair, I was studying a
04:04disease that disproportionately affects Black women.
04:08So what I started to see in real time was that maybe this disease, this autoimmune disease
04:13could be linked or could have the products playing a role in the pathogenesis of the
04:18disease.
04:19So that's what basically started my journey of wanting to be a Black woman scientist that
04:25created products that people can trust for themselves and their families, and that just
04:29kind of started me on my 10-year journey of creating these products.
04:33So I'm really happy to share them with you guys today.
04:43Oh, no.
04:45Oh, gosh.
04:49Yes, this is a lot, a lot of, a lot of, a lot of, a lot of, a lot of, a lot of, a lot,
04:55better, better, no.
04:57No.
04:58Okay.
04:59Why don't you start highlighting the products, talking about the system?
05:03Okay.
05:04Yeah, so I would really love to highlight our clinically proven length retention and scalp health
05:10kits.
05:10So it comes with four different products and I'm really proud of this line because we actually took
05:16it through a clinical study. We had 40 women that were enrolled in the study and what we found was
05:22within a four-week period people that had dandruff, psoriasis, eczema, they were able to have that
05:29reduced by 88 percent. So we were really really excited about that. Also overall it helps with
05:35overall scalp health as well as the health of your hair and it also helps to create a really
05:42healthy environment for your hair to thrive. So the first product in our kit is our Nourish
05:48Organic Black Soap Wash and this is one of our best sellers. People love this product. We're
05:55always selling out of it. It's sold at Target, Amazon as well as our website and we actually
06:00partner with a woman-owned business in Ghana to create the black soap that goes within this
06:06product. So really really good product and then we also have our deep conditioning mask which is one
06:13of our other you know best sellers. It's made with silk amino acids, different types of protein and
06:21moisture so you're getting the peppermint oil to stimulate your scalp for scalp health. We also have
06:28just different moisturizing properties within that product so that you're really really going to have
06:33like a spa within a jar. And then the third product is our buttercream. So the buttercream is what's going
06:40to accentuate your curls. You're also going to get a lot of moisture from that product. It's also one of
06:47our nut-free products. So women that have children that you know they have nut allergies you can use our
06:54line because most of our products are nut-free. It's made with kapuaku butter, a lot of natural
07:00fragrance that you're smelling near noni. And yeah so that product is the third one. And then the fourth
07:07one which is one of our newer products is our Flourish Herbal Infusion. And it's a product that I
07:14am really proud of because we actually infuse it with naturopathic ingredients that help
07:20to stop hair loss. So you'll see green tea leaves in it, you'll see saw palmetto, hibiscus, and all of
07:28those are scientifically proven to help to eliminate the DHT that's on your scalp that causes hair loss.
07:34So that's the four products that you'll get in the scalp therapy kit.
07:38Yeah it's been a long and interesting journey. Like I said I started off as a clinical research
08:07scientist working in the lab looking at diseases that disproportionately affect black women and just
08:14black people in general disparate populations. So we started I started looking at like hypertension
08:20and things of that nature and then I transitioned on to autoimmune diseases. So when I'm making these
08:27products I'm always in the back of my head and I'm always that scientist that I'm thinking not to
08:33want to put toxic ingredients in our products that can aid to those types of diseases particularly
08:39the autoimmune diseases that disproportionately affect black women like lupus like sarcoidosis and a lot
08:46of other diseases that are out there. So we really have to be conscious of the products that we're putting
08:51on our skin and on our scalp. And that's what you get with Helodia. Wow. Wow. All right. All right.
08:57So I love our community. It's fine. Can you do when I'm talking? Let's try that. Okay. You see the little
09:07you see the little mark. Does that work? Okay. Okay. Heather. She got us so together real quick.
09:15This is that was our fix. So we're just I'm on I'm on a mute when when you talk and then vice versa. Okay.
09:24This is just so so incredible and I love the emphasis of actually caring for our hair.
09:36A lot of the times we're looking for some kind of you know quick fix or is it a pill to help my hair
09:42grow and a lot of it really really starts with scalp health. So I absolutely love it and I wish we had
09:49smell-o-vision y'all because as she's going through all of these amazing products they all smell so
09:56incredible and my scalp just feels so clean and fresh and I just know it's just it's just a great
10:03breeding ground for growth and being healthy. So I do want to ask you you are a member of our
10:10New Voices family. Can you talk a little bit about what that experience has been like?
10:16Yes for sure. So New Voices oh my goodness like I'm an evangelist for them like if I'm in a grocery
10:23store if I'm in UPS I'm always singing their praises because someone like me that I don't have any family
10:30members that are entrepreneurs. I didn't know how to start a business. They have just been so
10:36instrumental in the growth of Elodia. They have just such a robust ecosystem from the workshops that
10:42you can attend to the pitch competitions. I've been a part of both and have had the great fortune of
10:49winning many of the pitch competitions and then most recently I received funding from them so I'm one of
10:55their portfolio companies. So just really really overall so so grateful for New Voices. It's much like
11:01an extended family of mine and it helps you with navigating this interesting and sometimes
11:08complicated world of being a business owner. So I'm really really grateful to them and I if there's
11:14anyone in the audience please apply pitch competitions workshops please apply because it's such a wealth of
11:21information. So good. Heather you got us so together thank you Heather thank you thank you thank you so
11:34much for that. This is just so incredible and I see a lot of people in the comments with their testimonials
11:42how this helped them with their psoriasis and all the things all dandruff chronic dandruff so I
11:48definitely encourage everyone. There is also a starter kit that they have as well if you just
11:54want to have a starter kit. They have so many products that are available go and follow them
12:00for sure. Elodia hair care on Instagram they have an even fuller store we only did four products here
12:06but there's a lot lot more that you guys can enjoy. Isfahan you are incredible. Thank you so much for
12:13joining us. Thank you so much. We'll be right back.
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