Olayinka Credle, Cofounder & Co-CEO (left), and Saba Williams, Cofounder & Co-CEO (right).

“A story of true acceptance of ones' beauty and worth”

Melanin Essentials’ co-founders are childhood best friends who grew up in a society that rarely represented women of color. At the ages of 12 and 15, Olayinka and Saba used chemical relaxers to transform their naturally kinky-curly hair into Eurocentric-styled hair. After experiencing 4+ years of stunted hair growth and breakage, Olayinka and Saba ditched the relaxers and embarked on a journey to embrace their natural hair. 

They began their search in the summer of 2012 for a product tailored to their passion for conscious organic beauty products, and their experimentation with raw, unadulterated ingredients launched the humble beginnings of Melanin Essentials.

What started as two teenagers trying to fit in with oppressive beauty standards has transformed into two young Black women on a mission to address the injustice of toxic beauty products, environmental stressors, and wealth inequality affecting the Black community. Today, you can find Olayinka and Saba whipping up new hair and body formulations as they bring awareness to climate change for the culture.