Shalom Lloyd, Naturally Tribal Skincare Ltd
Why is CEW membership important to you?
The answer is simply in the slogan! ‘CEW is where beauty comes to do business.’
The beauty industry is dynamic, innovative, and, most of the time, fun. The entrepreneurial journey can be lonely hence for a founder of an indie brand like myself, CEW is a home, a community of people with a shared interest and vision, a tribe where learning and growth prevail through its members. It is a hub where the baton in form of education, knowledge and opportunities are passed through networking. So, CEW is important to me not only because of the calibre of its members but also because, as a member, I can build great relationships and give and gain value.
What is the most exciting aspect of your current role?
Returning home to the UK with a BSc and MSc in Pharmacy after studying at the Ukrainian Academy of Pharmacy for 6 years from the age of 16 nurtured my entrepreneurial journey, brought out the scientist in me, gave me confidence, determination, tenacity, the will to succeed, the ability to adapt and the understanding that my successes or failures are down to me!
Upon returning to the UK, I started my career in the pharmaceutical industry, an industry I have loved for over twenty-five years. Building a career in the pharmaceutical drug development arena enabled me to work from the ground up into leadership roles where I have led teams locally, and globally across six countries, managed budgets and led innovation projects – a successful career for which I am grateful.
Today, as a founder in the beauty industry, there are so many exciting aspects of my current role, but it is the journey that excites me every day. From our foundation, our journey, our business model to our products – all built on sustainability, ethical sourcing, empowering women, efficacy, hugging our planet and a robust value chain. The fact that motherhood started me on this journey, the fact that I combine my African and British heritage in all I do, the fact that all the hard work seems to finally be paying off, the fact that this amazing journey in this crazy industry has led me to building a brand on Purpose, Impact and Profit!
When I look back and connect the dots of my life journey, where I am today makes complete sense to me.
Who knew that tapping into my Britishness and throwing in my African heritage (invoking ‘thousands of years’ remedies) could turn into all of this? Innovation happens when we change our mindset, when we see opportunities in everything we do daily – these excite me about my current role.
 Tell us about your journey into the beauty industry
Conceived in 2014, the company incorporated in 2016, and with a solid product launch in March 2018, Naturally Tribal Skincare is a quirky and unique, proudly British indie skincare brand.
The conception of the company arose when I gave birth to fraternal twins Joshua and Amara in 2014, following four cycles of IVF. Both twins were healthy, but Joshua had severe eczema and would scratch his skin raw. Aware of IVF’s impact on the body in terms of its chemical processes, not to mention the mental challenges, I was determined to find a solution for my son’s skin that was as natural as possible. I found that solution, and here we are today!
Naturally Tribal was born sustainable, born to impact lives – from inclusivity, efficacy, cruelty-free to vegan and environmentally friendly, we gave birth to a brand that brings with it enormous credibility and a ‘doing the right thing’ mentality. We continue to build a tribe of people of all backgrounds connected by their love of nature, their love for natural products, and their love for our planet.
Being a control freak by nature, I needed to understand the ‘ingredient journey’ and, in some way, control my end-to-end supply chain. Our main ingredient is unrefined Shea Butter, and I also discovered that the Shea industry has women at its core, with over 16 million rural African women collecting and processing shea kernels as a main source of income. The search for my key ingredients led me to the Kingdom of Essan, Niger State, Nigeria, from where our high-grade ingredients are sourced and where we have built our own shea processing facility.
A major aspect that excites me is the fact that we have built a brand on three strong pillars:
- Ethical products that work (Efficacy): Results-driven products that harness the power of nature and a brand that is in itself, diverse – a tribe that welcomes you regardless of your skin tone, gender, race, sexual orientation, disability etc
- Environmental responsibility to look after the planet: from ingredients and packing to how we run our daily business, everything we do must hug our planet and speak to the United Nations sustainable development goals – we brand this pillar ‘Planet Hugging’.
- Empowerment and sustainable sourcing:  Customers know where the ingredients come from and become part of the journey that supports the right and fair way of doing business – this is our ‘Source to Jar’ ethos
What do you enjoy most about working in the beauty Industry?
The beauty industry is still relatively new to me. It is an industry I stumbled into, one which I came into not due to my love for beauty – I was just a mother seeking a solution for my son’s skin condition. I have always looked after my skin, but prior to Naturally Tribal, I was never really into makeup and beauty.
I love working in this industry because I no longer have to choose. I now live in a world where science and beauty have beautifully collided hence, and I have come to realise that there is science in everything we do!
I have fallen in love with the industry and relish this ever-changing, innovative and constantly evolving sector which, although has its issues, is here to stay, doing things differently through products, words, actions and, of course, technology.
What are you most excited about for your business in the next twelve months?
We have worked so hard and achieved so much organically, but we still have a long way to go.
There are two things that excite me about my business in the next twelve months. The first is the fact that the next twelve months is bringing new product launches, new partnerships and seeing our ‘scale up’ on the horizon is beyond exciting.
The second is the fact that we are going back to our ‘back to basics’ approach, keeping things simple, authentic and real. Naturally Tribal Skincare was founded to battle a child’s skin condition naturally, and we are now bringing beauty back to a wider customer base, seeing the great impact our products have on people with sensitive skin, people whose treatments (chemotherapy and radiotherapy) have impacted their skin.
The Beauty Market will be worth $183 billion by 2025! Globally, approximately $19 billion is spent on treatment for skin conditions, with $3.24 billion of that figure accounting for natural remedies. In the UK, our very own National Health Service spend about £700 million on skin conditions annually – this is a sector that the beauty industry has not traditionally targeted, and that is changing with Naturally Tribal Skincare.
They say that the harder you work, the luckier you get, and as we entered our fourth year of trading, we are working even harder, and I am feeling luckier.
Everything we do is about relationships, and the relationships I have forged will certainly impact the next twelve months – our growth phase.
What do you feel is the most important quality for someone to possess in order for you to have a successful career?
Of course, to have a successful career there are the must-haves such as knowledge, passion, dedication, resilience and persistence. However, self-awareness and being one’s authentic self are two of the best qualities that set one up for success.
Nothing beats knowing yourself, asking yourself if what you are doing adds value and gives you value in all aspects of life, both personally and professionally. Being authentic and doing so courageously, continuously challenging the status quo with integrity, passion, honesty and fairness.
These are qualities that help build good relationships, and as I mentioned previously, everything we do in life is about relationships.
How important has mentorship been in your career journey?
I view mentorship as one of the greatest valuable assets one can have in one’s career. I have had great mentors through my life journey and career, and although a mentor myself, the calibre of mentors I have had the privilege of working with has been phenomenal. My mentors have lifted, championed, taught, encouraged, pushed, supported, constructively criticized, developed, transformed, questioned and open new doors for me!
Mentorship has been extremely important and helped shape my career journey and even allowed me to view things from a different perspective and think differently, which has helped drive our innovation and allow us to accept our quirkiness.
What advice would you give to someone starting in the industry today?
The journey is tough, so make sure you are passionate about the beauty industry.
NEVER let the lack of finance stop you. Align with the right type of people because your social capital can make or break you.
The beauty industry is so saturated, so be unique, let your passion shine and come through, know your numbers and know the value you bring – never sell yourself or your brand short. Know that it is ok for where you end up to be completely different from where you started.
If you are going to do it, do it well and don’t cut corners! Most of all – ENJOY the ride – bumps and all.
From your perspective, what is the biggest challenge for the beauty industry in the next two years?
In the next two years, I believe the beauty industry will face pressure from our consumers.
Consumers want to know that a brand is a part of the solution rather than a part of the problem. Consumerism has been on the rise, and we have a lot to learn from younger generations who are more conscious purchasers. The increased spotlight on our impact on the planet will continue to be a challenge for the beauty industry.
We are overwhelming consumers with the number of options and information. There has been an increase in demand for multi-purpose products, and we hope that this will continue. Customers want to be a part of a brand that is making a difference, encouraging brands to innovate as well as create simple but smart formulations.
What are the values that you believe are important in developing a successful beauty business?
- Integrity
- Courage
- Passion
- Innovation
What learnings have you taken from the unprecedented events of the past two years?
The past two years have been unprecedented, and I have taken a few learnings that will forever stay with me:
- Stick to your core: I found that sticking to our core values and doing what is right may bear fruit at a slower pace, but it certainly has longevity
- It is a matter of CHOICE: We respect the different approaches to skincare – Medical, Natural, Aesthetic – take your pick. The approach to skincare and beauty, in general, is trying and finding the right thing for you.
- We have a voice: The last two years have shown that Indie brands finally have a voice in the industry, and long may that reign. We are now seen as innovators and pioneers.
- Inclusivity: The beauty industry made so much noise about diversity, and although we have a way to go, we are witnessing brands getting more diverse, which is amazing.
- Planet Hugging: We are more aware of the impact we have on our planet, more aware of consumerism and the modern beauty industry is on a journey to impact the 120 billion units of unrecyclable plastic we put out annually
- Wellness: We no longer look at wellness as a separate topic, we have made beauty, particularly skincare, part of one’s holistic wellness, finally realising that our internal wellness can manifest on your skin
- Impact: Of course, making money is important, we run businesses, after all; however, it is no longer just about making money it is also about purpose and impact
What’s the most important piece of advice you have been given during your career?
Everything we do in life is about relationships! That is something I have come to learn, particularly in this industry. My best advice is one taken from Maya Angelou – “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” So, try to make sure you leave people you meet with the feeling that ‘they matter.’
How can we better support women in the workplace?
We can better support women in the workplace by simply practising what we preach, less talk and more action, walking the talk – take your pick, it is all the same.
The talent pipeline is important in this industry, and it does appear to be overlooked – the baton has to be passed to up-and-coming brilliant minds in this industry.
We need to empower women in the workplace, and I strongly believe that Education is the key to women’s empowerment. It is really true, and I am convinced without a doubt that if we educate a woman, we educate a family, we educate a community, we educate a nation, and we educate a generation!
To me, empowering women is about building confidence, skills, and leadership at multiple levels, an inclusive mindset, and nurturing our natural entrepreneurial spirit and financial independence.
It would be wonderful if we talked less about it and just ‘do it.’
Find out more about Naturally Tribal Skincare HERE