All About Love by Susan L. Taylor

Ms. Taylor and myself

That’s right, it’s all about love in Susan Taylors bold and beautiful new book, All About Love.  The 253 page hard cover book, bound in an elegant pearlized lavender jacket, is a glorious selection of pieces from her former monthly Essence column In the Spirit.  This book is pure Sister to Sister Love and Wisdom.  I am so grateful and honored to have had the opp0rtunity to exchange a few words and share a photo with this amazingly brave and brilliant woman.

Just two weeks ago Project Enterprise hosted its annual Entrepreneurs Week.  The halls of Columbia’s Law Library were full of existing and upcoming entrepreneurs and business owners, all there to hear the words of our gracious guests.   On the evening of March 17th, however, we all were brought to tears of joy, gratitude and an unusual sense of redemption while our beloved former Essence Editor-in-Chief, Susan Taylor, shared her life experience and dreams for the future.  Words can not express the energy that she exuded, even as she glided across the stage to the podium.  It’s as if she had been sprinkled with some kind of spiritual pixie dust of the most omnipotent kind.  She spoke straight from her heart and directly into ours.  What an uplifting and inspiring moment it was for everyone in the room.

Ms. Taylor shared a magnificent video which outlined her latest project and life purpose National Cares Mentoring- www.caresmentoring.com, a national movement to engage everyday citizens across our great nation in the fulfilling cause of mentoring our youth.  She spoke passionately about the necessity and urgency for our community to scoop up our young people, begin the healing process and elevate ourselves to taking more responsibility for ourselves and our brothers and sisters.   Ms. Taylor has been working closely with the National Black Caucus and President Obama’s transition team to move this agenda forward.  This is such an exciting endeavor and I humbly urge everyone reading this blog to log on to www.carementoring.com for more information about how you can get involved in your own communities.

In addition,  I urge all of my sisters and brothers to get this book!  It is a must read that will speak to your soul.

BTW, Ms. Taylor looked amazing!  She has a permanent glow (probably from the pixie dust) and it is my belief that she is actually aging backwards.    So, if you would like to get a true sense of what she’s doing to take good care of herself and her loved ones read All About Love, Favorite Selections from In the Spirit on Living Fearlessly by Susan L. Taylor.

Keep your skin soft.

Luv,

Keba

www.butterbykeba.com

Lisa Price’s awesome gift of sharing her story.

Hello Everyone,

I’ve just come back from an exciting seminar hosted by Project Enterprise’s Entrepreneurial night called the Sweet Smell of Success with Lisa Price of  Carol’s Daughter, hosted by Columbia University.   This was my second opportunity  to hear Mrs. Price speak and educate.  (I will refer to her as Mrs. Price because this evening I slipped and called her Lisa, as if she were a girlfriend. lol) My first learning experience with Lisa (oh what the heck) was at a workshop she held at the New York Open Center , my educational home of aromatherapy and natural perfumery, three years ago.    I must say, this time was just as eye-opening and chuck-full of personal sharing as the last.    She was so warm and open about her entrepreneurial journey.  She’s truly genuine about her craft and love of it.   I so respect her commitment to taking time to speak with new and young entrepreneurs.  Sharing her story is so beneficial and uplifting to someone like myself.   During an economic climate such as this, inspiration is priceless.

I have to admit y’all, I have never been a Carol’s Daughter customer.  I remember purchasing a small bottle of  “Jazzy Juicy” but I let it sit in my cabinet too long so it went bad.  No…I’ve always been a Palmer’s Coco Butter kinda gal.   It wasn’t until I was introduced to a small independent line by a Shaman (yes really), through an old boyfriend, that I became enlightened to all of my body care options.  My love of cooking, seasoning and mixing foods and spices began to translate into a talent for blending oils, butters and essences.

My customers often compare me to Carol’s Daughter, a true compliment and honor, but in all honesty Butter By Keba renders a totally different product and experience.  We focus on olfactory stimulation.  Before I think of designing a new product, I must determine how it will smell first.  I am totally obsessed with being able to seduce a nose with the perfect amount of this essence and the right amount of that essence.  After I’ve married a group of accords to a new fragrance, I work on the product that will be enhanced with it.  This is why Butter By Keba will most likely offer more fragrances than products.  I love fragrance.  To me, it is a woman’s best accessory.  I’m not a high maintenance chic.  I use 4 or 5 core products  head to toe (all by BBK of course), and that’s it.     So, although we both do a nice body butter,  the two are completely different…and I mean completely.

I hope to continue to learn from today’s leaders in beauty and business.  We live in a wonderful time where information is so readily available.  Those who have been extremely successful in their industries have become so willing to share their knowledge and experience through seminars, books and workshops.  I guess it’s their way of giving back.   I say thank you to all of them… Lisa Price,  Russell Simmons, D. Trump…thank you very much!

Keep your skin soft.

Luv,

Keba

www.butterbykeba.com

Mild, regular and super…

Fruition Hair Serum

I’m often asked what I do to keep my hair so healthy and smooth. Once I reveal that my hair is also relaxed the next question follows, “what kind of relaxer are you using???” I’m always quick to reply “Hawaiian Silky Mild”. Little do women know, however, that often times a mild relaxer is the best route to take if you want to avoid over processing your hair, which is what takes away the luster and body.

I didn’t aways use mild though. No, my head has experienced them all, starting with Revlon regular. When I was sixteen, I snuck to Black Hair Is (remember them?) to take advantage of a $25 special they were offering on all relaxers. I was so excited to be finally liberated from the straight comb I bared every time my mother washed my hair. Yes, mommy was still washing my hair at the age of sixteen. It was simply too thick and too much for me to handle on my own.

Any who, the relaxer didn’t take as well as I would have liked. After all was said and done a
I was left with a long and thick bob that sorta resembled the wig that Elizabeth Taylor wore when she played Cleopatra. After two touch ups and no foreseen future of a better hair do, I decided to try a different hair stylist. A girlfriend of mind suggested I try a place called Carmen Anna’s, located on 146th street and Broadway. I was introduced to the Dominican wash and set plus wrap. The first thing they did was upgrade me from the Revlon regular to the Revlon super. Boy…what a difference a little extra lye makes. My hair was looking like Mariah Carey’s. I was so happy, that is of course until my hair started to lose it’s natural luster and became limp, dry and just not so dark and lovely (remember them?) anymore.

So, after 10 years of the same routine, a wash and set every week and touch-ups every 2-3 months, I made a bold decision. No more relaxer…it’s time for some thick corn-rows. For about a year I grew as much of my relaxer out as I could. However, when all was said and done with that experiment, I was left saying to myself, “what the heck do you think you’re doing?”. Did I really think I could manage my own head of chemical-free hair? After all, it used to take my Mom 5 hours just to comb through it after a wash. It was definitely time to rethink my hair maintenance strategy.

While on a New Year’s vacation in St. Thomas, I discovered a relaxer that really left the hair feeling healthy and conditioned. It’s base had mink oil in it and the women on the island swore by it. As soon as I returned to New York, I searched for the Hawiian Silky. I started out with regular but then remembered what my first go around left me with so I downgraded to mild and have been using it ever since. My hair began to restore itself but I was still left with breakage issues while in between washes and touch-ups

In 2005, I was introduced to this potion called Magic Potion. Yes…seriously…. that’s what it was called and that was just what it was, magic. The yellowish serum was a blend of natural oils and waxes. When I was no longer able to get a hold of the person that supplied me with it I totally freaked out, that is until I realized that I still had the empty bottle with ingredients on the back….

After time, trial and just a few errors, I was able to formulate a serum that I actually prefer better. The general concept is there but adding my own special touch is what makes it special. Fruition Hair Serum is like fruit nectar for the hair. It’s thick ,sweet and you just need a drop to transform a dull coat of hair into one that shines with life!

Keep your skin soft.

Luv,

Keba

www.butterbykeba.com

Herbs, essences and the like.

A couple of months ago I received a beautiful package of herbal powders from my dear friend Mr. DW in Mumbai India.  It was tightly wrapped in a natural cotton sack with a homemade label well taped to the front.  What an official international package this was.  I didn’t open it for an entire day and a half because I refused to rip it open while I was pressed for time or preoccupied with other tasks.  No…I wanted to wait until I could give this special Mumbai package my undivided attention.  After all, my good friend took precious time out of his day to source these wonderful goods.  I had to give the experience of opening such a treasure from across the Atlantic its proper respect.

In my treasure pouch WERE four “time tested” ingredients that have been used for ages.

Neem(Azadaractica Indica)-
Used for the treatment of all sorts of skin problems. The constituents are Nimbidol and Gedunin and these have good fungicidal properties. Also, very effective in treatment of skin disorders like scabies, warts, eczema, psoriasis and dandruff.

Sandalwood (Chandan) : This is a unique Indian plant that has an extraordinary fragrance. The bark of the sandalwood tree is very smooth and sandalwood paste results in an extremely smooth, unblemished and lustrous look to the skin. The fragrance of sandalwood has proven to be an aphrodisiac. H-E-L-L-O…we love sandalwood.

Turmeric (Haldi) : This is used as a popular remedy for infections, boils, injuries and accident recovery.

Basil (Tulsi) : This is worshipped as the purest and sublime plant. This is very effective in treating skin disorders as it is a blood purifier and kills bacteria. This provides relief to inflamed throat conditions as well.

So over the last month and  a half I’ve been researching the best mediums, consistencies and methods of introducing these very special herbal substances to the Butter By Keba line.  I’m definitely thinking body butter or perhaps a light salve.    Something that has a cooling and soothing effect to the skin and scalp if preferred.  I’d blend essential oil potions that enhance the herbal product with fragrant magic of course.  I’m also considering an herbal body and face mask.  This would be a top seller during the warmer months.  Neem is also a great bug repellent.  Using a neem and sandalwood mask before heading out to an outdoor concert in the park would kill two birds with one stone!

These are some of what Butter By Keba has stewing for the Spring/Summer collection

If you have any ideas for products or would like to see these wonderful herbs used in a specific way, please comment.

Thanks much!

Keep your skin soft

Luv,

Keba

www.butterbykeba.com

Salt Vs. Sugar

Citruese Salt Scrub

A few months back, while doing a designers show, a customer asked if my scrubs were salt or sugar. She said that it was very important that she stay away from sugar scrubs because they irritated her eczema. Who knew? I wouldn’t have imagined that sugar could irritate the skin if applied topically. But, when you think about it…what does it do to our bodies when ingested?

Hmmm….

My reason for using Dead Sea Salt for our body scrubs was purely about my familiarity with its detoxifying properties for the skin and body. I used to hear stories from my Israeli friends about the natural healing baths of Dead Sea Salt that the region’s people and its visitors had the luxury of taking. Why wouldn’t you want to recreate that in a jar that could be used at your whim? When I think about sugar scrubs, however, I can’t help but think about all the damaging aspects of sugar to our bodies when ingested, diabetes, obesity and…cavities, yikes! I just couldn’t imagine swimming in a bath of Dead Sea Sugar, unless lemons were added of course….yummm, fresh lemonade. I’m sorry, we’re talking bath products here not beverages.

Any who, what do you prefer in a scrub, salt or sugar?