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When Michele Stepney, Creative Queen Bee at Beachy Pal Wellness and Skincare, arrived in Tennessee from New York, she didn’t plan to build a business here. But that’s what she’s doing, one step at a time. Her products, focused on skincare, hair care and overall health, help people of all ages feel and look their best.
“I’m originally of Jamaican heritage,” Stepney says. “Growing up, I learned a lot about herbal medicine and cuisine, as well as how to obtain indigenous products. My family owned a shop that we in our culture call a bakery, though in fact it’s a combination of bakery, butcher shop, herbalist and anything else you need.”
Stepney moved with her family to Chattanooga in 2013, and in 2019 she decided to put her herbalism knowledge to work. She and her children all have sensitive skin, and she decided to focus Beachy Pal on the needs of people who must have all-natural ingredients to avoid eczema and other problems. Beachy Pal products mostly have no parabens or sulfates.
Favorite natural ingredients include:
Sugar scrubs. These gentle remove dead skin cells.
Shea butter. Beachy Pal’s enhanced Shea butter product helps relieve scarring and itching, while regular Shea butter moistens dry skin.
Australian pink clay. Stepney’s Australian clay mask won’t strip your skin. Instead, it removes bacteria while cleansing the epidermis gently. It functions as a primer, too.
“We include African marula oil with it,” Stepney says. “Marula oil will balance your skin, drawing out what it doesn’t need and putting back what it does.”
Sea moss. Made popular by Dr. Sebi, the trade name of Honduran herbal healer Alfredo Bowman, sea moss is a red algae that can be taken as a health supplement.
“Once wild crafted [a drying process] it becomes a golden color,” Stepney says. “Sea moss has 92 of the 102 minerals your body needs. It’s a superfood.”
Stepney explains that sea moss benefits include reducing mucous, supporting thyroid health, improving digestion and promoting regularity. It also helps support healthy skin, hair and nails, she says.
“My son plays sports, and he puts it in his water jug when he works out,” she says. “It also supports the needs of the older population by strengthening joints, giving mental clarity and energy. Even though I’m younger, I used to feel a little foggy sometimes, but when I started taking sea moss, I felt much more alert.”
Try for Yourself
One day, Stepney plans to open a store, but for now, you can find Beachy Pal Natural Skin Care at beachypal.com. For a 15% discount on all products, use the code beachybabe19.
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