Vaniti Byrd said she was always an advocate for skin care but once she learned the ingredients of many products included sulfate, toxins and other chemicals, she became more ingredient conscious.
Byrd said the change to plant-based products ended her year-long fight with eczema. As a result, Byrd began taking care with her family’s diet and body care which she said felt like a full-circle process.
From four products to over 50, including scent variations, Byrd has dedicated herself and her business, Baba Love Organics in Dayton, to creating plant-based products that bring a peace of mind to consumers.
Byrd’s products are hand made using simple ingredients, the descriptions of which are available on the official website. The simplicity of her products is what made Byrd confident in starting her business.
“The ingredients are things that you've seen on before in your kitchen, you've used them,” Byrd said. “it's not a lot of long words that people don't know and would be confused on what it is. It’s very transparent.”
Through Byrd’s own experiences and expectations as a mother, she focused some of her efforts on easy-to-carry baby products which can be used for dual purposes to minimize the number of necessary products a mother needs in her baby bag.
“When you’re a new mom, it’s just a struggle already trying to figure things out, and I felt like a new mom because I was pretty much starting over eight years later,” Byrd said.
Baba Love Organics has a local storefront which Byrd said she signed one week before the pandemic shutdown. While sales boomed at its grand opening in September and the business cleared six figures in sales last year, Byrd said things have slowed down and she hopes to see a new wave of interest alongside her newer products, set to launch next year.
“For me, having this business, as an entrepreneur, I have made a better living working for myself than working for anybody that I've ever worked for in any professional capacity,” Byrd said.
Byrd is doing her part as a business owner for the environment in her recycling initiatives. Baba Love Organics offers a 5% discount to customers shopping in-store with a tote bag and offers in-store pickup for online orders to avoid unnecessary shipping.
Baba Love Organics currently hosts quarterly Bring Your Own Bottle (BYOB) events for customers to fill up their product bottles for a discounted rate. Byrd said she is working to set the store up to allow BYOB stations for popular products all year long, set to begin next year. This development will also allow the shop to be open more days of the week.
“I really just want to get through the rest of this year, so that we can kind of start fresh into next year,” Byrd said. “I want to spend the rest of the year reinforcing the trust, appreciation and gratitude (for customers)."
Baba Love Organics will launch a new set of products sporadically between the holiday season and early 2022 such as cleansers, additional fragrances and products to nurse dry skin. A line of products branded for babies will also launch sometime in early 2022.
Baba Love Organics
Founded: 2020
Owner: Vaniti Byrd
Employees: 1
Baba Love Organics Website: https://www.babaloveorganics.com/
Location: 116 W. 5th St. in Dayton
Service: Plant-based body care and skin care products for families
