For many, life has a way of handing us an idea right when we take a moment to pause.
That’s exactly what happened to Jammie Waldron when he decided to pause for a moment to discover what he was truly passionate about. In continually trying to remedy his own skin imperfections, he soon discovered his love for natural skincare and all that comes with it.
Combine this with what he describes as a “hustler’s mentality” and soon, Harlem Soap was born.
Using his product design studies learned from his time at Parsons, Waldron was able to turn his side hustle into his bread and butter.
Harlem Soap, an all-natural cold process goat’s milk soap company founded by Waldron, is based in his native Harlem, New York.
The quality of Waldron’s products are truly what all of the rave is about. His soaps use essential oils, plant butters and oats and are handmade in batches of 180 bars to ensure quality.
Get to know more about Harlem Soap from Jammie Waldron below:
What year were you founded?
Harlem Soap was founded in November, 2014.
What inspired you to launch your business?
Sparked in the need to remedy my own eczema skin problems with natural soap, I turned to YouTube and decided to play with recipes and create my own.
What makes your brand/product unique?
Harlem Soap is unique in the sense that we use all-natural ingredients, including goat’s milk, which has a pH balance very similar to human skin, thus leaving the skin soft and supple after use.
Why should everyone #buyblack this holiday season?
Currently, a dollar circulates in Asian communities for a month, in Jewish communities approximately 20 days and white communities 17 days but only but 6 hours in the black community, as stated by the NAACP. If this does not sound like a more important reason, then I don’t know what is.
How do you pay it forward within your community?
I own and invest in black businesses in the Harlem, New York, neighborhood, a neighborhood that is ever grossly being gentrified. I am planting firm roots in so that the little black boy I once was has an immediate someone to aspire to be.
What is your business mantra?
Better ingredients make happier skin!
Kimberly Wilson is a writer and social media director at theGrio. Follow her on Twitter.