Third-year nursing student Sarene Morgan decided to create a solution for people struggling with bad acne. Her recently launched skincare line, Bare Radiance Skin, was inspired by her own personal struggles with acne.
“I always had issues with my skin and a lot of the solutions the dermatologist prescribed only worked temporarily,” Morgan said. “I started making my own products and the results led to people asking what I used on my skin. I eventually got the idea to just start a business and sell the products that I made.”
The brand consists of three main products: facial cleansers, moisturizers and face, lip and body scrubs.
Tiyana Minto, a third-year business administration student, has become a fan of Morgan’s products.
“The facial cleanser and whipped sugar scrub is my favorite,” Minto said. “The peppermint in the cleanser makes my skin feel so fresh and the scrub gives it a soft finish.”
Although she has great reviews on her products , Morgan still faces challenges while trying to manage her business and stay on top of schoolwork.
“The main challenge is consistently and adequately marketing and promoting to bring in more customers,” Morgan said. “Each product is handcrafted so it may take two days to process and fulfill an order. Sometimes balancing school and work can be hard but it honestly comes down to accountability, organization and self-management.”
Unikique Murray , a third-year health science student, believes that supporting small businesses is important.
“I love shopping Black owned,” Murray said. “It makes me feel as if i’m giving back to the community.”
Morgan’s entrepreneurial journey has just begun, but she’s excited to see where her brand will go from here.
“My favorite thing about being a business owner is being able to have control over my hours and workload,” Morgan said. “In the next five years I see my business flourishing with at least 7-10 more products being added, on top of the release of a fragrance line.”
Morgan says she has learned better financial techniques when it comes to purchasing inventory. “Before I started my business I wish I knew to create an estimate of all the investments I had to make,” Morgan said. “That way I could save and then purchase everything at once.”
Morgan is passionate about her business and encourages everyone to start doing things that fuel their passions.
“If the business is something that you love to do then do not hesitate,” Morgan said. “Be ready to research, invest and put your creativity to the test.”