How This Black Woman Turned a Hobby Into a Blossoming Skincare Business

Yewande Masi enjoyed making homemade products for her then-boyfriend to help him improve his skincare routine. Her days involved crafting different body butters, natural sprays, and scrubs over the course of their relationship. It later became her outlet when their relationship ended. Now, Masi has turned a hobby into a blossoming skincare brand.

Masi is the founder of Ornami Skincare, a natural collection of beauty products with organic ingredients intended to improve your skin health. She began her side hustle as a way to use her creativity outside of her full-time job as a software sales representative. Masi began making products for her boyfriend after a trip to Ghana where they were bought shea butter. It was during that time where she began to make sample remedies for him using the natural ingredients she found during her stay.

“Ornami Skincare really provides me with an opportunity to use the other side of my brain and do something totally different when I’m off the clock,” she tells BLACK ENTERPRISE via email. “When we broke up I had some time for self-reflection and self-care, which inspired me to incorporate that into the business in a fun, lighthearted way.”

The Boston-based entrepreneur added that making these products and seeing customers’ positive reactions motivated her to expand and build her brand.

“Making skincare products is a creative release for me. It’s an art and science that you’re always learning and improving upon,” she said. “Then there was the feedback I was getting that people really enjoyed the products which makes me feel good.”

She added, “beyond that, creating toxin-free skincare is really rewarding. It feels really good to be able to hand people products that make them look and feel good, and are good for them as well.”