Akilah Redford is a skincare aficionado, she’s tried tons of DIY masks and became a trusted source for knowledge and tips when it came to taking care of your skin. In an interview with Refinery29, she says, “One day I woke up with over 200 messages from girls asking for more detox water, DIY face masks, and body scrub recipes.” From these messages, she began to notice her followers’ frustration with finding vegan skincare products, so that’s when she decided to go create her own – Marie Louise Cosmetics
She left her pre-med program at Howard University and took what she saved working at Zara to create her skincare line. “It can be very scary putting yourself and your brand out there at first, but the feedback was overwhelmingly positive and that motivated me to introduce more products to my customers,” she said.
The line was inspired by the realness of her two grandmothers, Mary and Louise. Redford said, “My goal for Mary Louise is to have affordability, quality, and ingredients you can pronounce.” That’s why her line is completely organic, cruelty-free and vegan.
Her products have been featured in publications like Refinery29 and Buzzfeed, as well as in Ipsy bags and at Beautycon.
If you want to check out the line, you can click here to browse the website.