For Alicia Bean, founder, and owner of Oh So Sweet Scrubs, creating a company that fulfills the needs of others was only made possible through her dedication to self-care.
After coming to the realization that a lack of direction was creating a void within her life, Bean set out to not only find herself but to care for herself in a way that would act as a catalyst for real change.
She started her journey with an activity that is familiar to most women learning to practice better self-love—pampering herself at home.
“I wanted to make a change from within.” Bean continues, “I decided to start pampering myself at home by making my own skincare products and [ended up] achieving really great results.”
Years later, a moment of confirmation would inspire her to turn her passion for at-home skincare into a lucrative brand that could be enjoyed by all.
However, her journey wasn’t a simple one. In fact, she went through many different changes and experiences in life before her skills were even fully realized.
Bean was initially looking to utilize her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Telecommunications, but when the recession of 2008 made it difficult to find work in her chosen field, she spent years working in retail.
Still, Bean was acutely aware that retail was simply a job rather than a purpose she was meant to carry out.
“After years of being in retail, I wanted to do something that brought me joy and excitement. I decided to make a career change which led me into healthcare.
Healthcare for me is more than a job, it’s a calling. To be able to care for others is truly special and rewarding in its own way.”
Through her work in the field of healthcare was satisfying, it still did not offer the fulfillment she was truly looking for. She continued searching for her passion.
Her efforts, however, would be put on hold due to new life-changing development—the birth of her son in 2010.
What she did not know at the time is that bringing life into the world would be the very thing that brought her one step closer to the professional breakthrough she desired. However, it was not without hardship.
“[My son] was a preemie weighing 2 lbs. [Between] being a new stay at home mom, and going back and forth to the doctor’s appointment to nurse my baby to good health, life was extremely hectic, stressful, and emotions were all over the atmosphere.”
On top of being spread thin by her newfound responsibilities, Alicia also experienced financial and personal hardship that limited her ability to adequately take care of herself: “My husband worked two jobs to support our family since I wasn’t able to return back to work.
At the time, my self-esteem was low. I had some personal problems that were taking a toll on me, so I wasn’t able to do a lot of the things I once did.
I can recall a time when I wanted to purchase products to fix the skincare issues I was currently having [and wasn’t financially] able to do so.”
Instead of being discouraged by life’s challenges, Alicia took matters into her own hands and turned lemons into lemon sugar scrub with a side of Lavender:
“I started to research things online and to my surprise, I actually found out that two simple ingredients would change my whole entire skincare regimen,” she said.
Her homemade products were so effective that Alicia began receiving compliments on her skin. However, it was until a Mother’s Day event in 2018 that she finally made her homemade scrubs available to others.
“I hosted a gathering at my home and gave all the special women in my life a body sugar scrub, something they could use to pamper themselves that was natural and made with genuine love. They were in awe. I soon realized I had a special gift to share with so many people.”
Alicia finally had her “a-ha!” moment. From there, she began taking her vision seriously, and thus, Oh So Sweet Scrubs was born.
Now two years in business, Oh So Sweet Scrubs has gone from a just a simple concept to a full-blown business specializing in all-natural, handcrafted skincare goods.
Unlike other brands, Oh So Sweet Scrubs’ products are suitable for women, men, and children alike.
Their chemical and cruelty-free formulas are gentle enough to encourage healthy skin in people with various skin issues such as chronic dryness, psoriasis and eczema, hyperpigmentation, and particularly sensitive skin.
Currently, the company is 100% self-funded and offers 26 different products including hand soap, body butters, sugar scrubs, and facial cleansing steams.
Oh, So Sweet Scrubs is off to a great start. And while Alicia Beans is grateful for the progress the brand has made, she hopes her company continues to expand along with her vision: “It’s such a blessing to have brought to life something that once was all a dream.
I couldn’t have gotten this far without the help of God and Jesus Christ moving and guiding my every step in life.
[As well as] my husband, family, friends, business mentors and associates, and all the wonderful customers that have supported my business in the beginning [and still do] now.
I call it and claim it in the mighty name of Christ, that Oh So Sweet Scrubs will be a household brand name for the years to come.”
Visit Oh So Sweet Scrubs here and tell them Emily sent you!
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This post was sponsored by Oh So Sweet Scrubs, but all thoughts and opinions are our own*
