Vibe With: Owner of Camellia Alise changing game for women seeking better ‘curves’ & skincare
Written by Nakia Cooper on September 30, 2021
Desperate for curvy “Insta-bodies,” many women are compromising both their health and finances but one Houston woman, Lyndsey Brantley, is offering healthier and cheaper ways for women to achieve voluptuous bodies. This woman on the move is embarking on a national tour to train and teach practitioners new procedures and is surpassing the million-dollar revenue mark with her innovative products and methods. She spoke with Vibe Houston about her quest to help others.
Brantley has spent more than 11 years in the Beauty & Wellness industry, innovating products, procedures and conversation around beauty regimens that are physically and emotionally healthy for men and women. Her research and personal experience with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) led her to natural medicine and aesthetics, thus leading to her opening Camellia Alise Studios, as well as the Camellia Alise Spa & Academy where her team offers various courses and beauty certifications. Featured in Essence Magazine as one of the top Black-owned spas in Houston, Brantley continues to set the bar high.
Vibe Houston: You went from an engineer to a certified beauty boss. How did your engineering skillset help you on your journey to conquering beauty and wellness?
Brantley: My engineering and procurement background gave me the scientific knowledge to help me analyze ingredients and results when I first started formulating products. It also helped me with a strong foundation in research so I could determine success strategies as I was building the business.
Vibe Houston: You’ve been open about your personal struggles with PCOS. What is this condition, and how did it play a part in birthing your Camellia Alise skincare line, Spa and Academy?
Brantley: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a hormonal imbalance that affects 1 in 10 women of childbearing age in the US, and it can affect your weight, body hair, skin and more. I was inspired to develop our product line because I was seeking a way to naturally prevent the ingrown hairs and skin irritations I had always dealt with. Finding nothing on the market, I used my medical aesthetics license to formulate natural skincare products that met my needs and the needs of those who also struggle with ingrown hairs, acne, scars, and stretch marks.
Vibe Houston: What is so unique about Camellia Alise products?
Brantley: Camellia Alise products are the first specially formulated vegan skincare products made to not only eliminate, but to prevent, ingrown hairs and stretch marks. We are also the first medical aesthetic practitioner developed product to solve these issues with alcohol free ingredients that you can pronounce and understand!
Vibe Houston: What is the best thing about entrepreneurship and owning your own business(es)? What is the most challenging?
Brantley: The best thing is being able to employ people in my community and watch others grow and gain confidence because of products and services that I developed. The most challenging part has been gaining brand awareness nationally, but we are now well on our way to being a household name, recognizable in the natural skincare industry.
Vibe Houston: Many small businesses faced great challenges during COVID. How did your business not only survive, but thrive during a global pandemic?
Brantley: None of the challenges I have faced have ever been too great to dim my ambitions. But in 2020, with the COVID virus, we faced one of our biggest challenges and had to rise to the occasion with new and innovative ways to grow the company. Our spa and academy had to close our doors to any in-person services for four months, meaning two thirds of our typical income had been cut off. In response, my team and I worked hard to increase e-commerce operations by using innovative giveaways, new influencer platforms, and by launching an online student classroom – converting 80% of our classes to digital versions. We also introduced a natural hand sanitizer to the market during the pandemic.
Lastly, we created a way to digitally analyze our clients’ skin so we could still view their blemishes and make virtual recommendations. It’s been an amazing and fun-filled experience coming up with alternative ways to enhance natural skincare and increase educational services around the topic.
Vibe Houston: With body sculpting, liposuction and deadly Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) surgeries on the rise, why is it so important to offer alternative services with similar results? And what kinds of results should customers expect from non-invasive body sculpting?
Brantley: It’s extremely important to be able to offer an alternative so that the everyday consumer knows that everyone doesn’t feel obligated to invasive procedures and/or going under the knife. On average, our non-invasive treatment in 6 to 10 sessions yields anywhere between 3″ and 12″ reductions across a single body part (2 to 3 pants sizes). Clients are not disappointed when they finish a treatment regimen.
Vibe Houston: Any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs or small business owners looking to follow their dreams?
Brantley: Don’t be afraid to explore things and figure out if they are the right fit for you. Be sure to do your research first so that, even though you may not know everything every step of the way, you have an idea of what you are getting into. Ultimately, just go for it, and don’t put any limitations on your dreams!
Camellia Alise Studios offer alternatives to two of the most coveted procedures:
- Non-Surgical Butt Enhancement
- Ultrasonic Liposuction (Non-surgical)
- Body Contouring & Body Wraps (Targeted Inch Loss), Infrared Services (Body-Slimming), Anti-Cellulite Vacuum Therapy, Radio Frequency Skin Tightening and more.
CLICK HERE to learn more.