Meet Kelli Clifton Ogunsanya | Clean Beauty Line Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelli Clifton Ogunsanya and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelli, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
Most industry outsiders are unaware of the limited clean skincare lines made specifically for diverse consumers.

Melabébé is on a mission to serve those who have been ignored by mainstream beauty, creating its own space and opening doors to inclusivity and positivity. The brand prides itself on creating easy, efficient, and effective plant-based products that address common skincare issues for babies and beyond.

In 2020, more than $800M was spent on children’s skincare products such as soaps, lotions, creams, and oils. Less than a fraction of those dollars was spent on companies that address the biological needs and cultural preferences of black and brown skin. (https://www.statista.com/statistics/807199/leading-us-baby-product-categories-by-sales/)

In 2020, black Americans spent more than $435M on skincare alone; yet, our consumption power rarely aligns with our product production power. We often do not see ourselves reflected as both brand contributors and product developers. Retailers and advertisers have a pivotal role to play which includes reversing the marketing narratives about black and brown skin, prioritizing the inclusion of clean and naturally derived ingredients to mitigate the prevalence of harsh chemicals, and
ensuring that persons of color are not only at the table for advertising decisions but also for product
development and testing.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
During maternity leave, I created all-natural homemade skincare products for my newborn daughter. By using clean, plant based ingredients, I could guarantee what was being placed on her skin. While making products at home was fun, I had limited time on my hands after maternity leave ended and searched retail stores for an effective equivalent. I was disappointed and frustrated. I became frustrated after seeing major retailers branded products for people of color as “for challenging”, “issue prone”, or “complex skin.” Many products were also filled with artificial ingredients such as parabens, sulfates, and fillers and were not environmentally friendly. So, I decided to do something about it—and Melabebe was born!

What sets my business apart is that we designed Melabebe to provide fast, effective, and clean skincare for all kids—regardless of their skin types and hues. For ages baby and beyond, our special plant-based formulations support the needs of sensitive that require a little more love and care.

I am most proud of how quickly the business has scaled, through 100% bootstrapping, staying lasered focused on our niche target market, and creating quality formulations that I use first on my family for at least 3 months before bringing to the market.

My current challenge has also been an opportunity and that is starting and scaling a business during the pandemic. The pandemic enabled me to have some protected time to focus on the brand story, gain clarity on the fact that Melabebe cannot be “all things to all people,” and build valuable relationships with our vendors. On the other hand, supply chain issues for raw materials including our packaging and extended lead times for the production of new products has been a consistent challenge.

Along the way, I have learned to take the time to be grateful for the journey. Starting and launching Melabebe as a solo founder is no small feat especially when my competition are well established and well backed brands. I’m incredibly proud of the small and big wins that we have made and most importantly, for the road ahead.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I moved to Denver about 4 years ago so the city is definitely still new to me and my family but we love it.

If I had someone spending a week in Denver, our itinerary would definitely include:

Picnic at RiNo Art Park

Lunch at the Rotary in Hilltop

Dinner at Duo in the Highlands

Use of my pass as a member of the Museum of Nature & Science

First Friday Art Walk Along Santa Fe

Stanley Market Place to grab ice cream at Sweet Cow & pick up some Melabebe at Tattered Cover Children’s

The Plimoth to enjoy their rotating menu

El Five for great drinks and scenic rooftop

Jazz in the Park

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Honestly, my life coach, Rebecca Olson changed my perspective on how I show up, what I can do, and enabled me to create a life that is free of limiting beliefs, societal imposed restrictions, and traditional thoughts on what success looks like.

I firmly believe that when we meet people, we are only seeing a fraction of who they are. Most people, especially women, have put themselves in a box that allows them to show up one-sided. I think this is a frustrating life to live when most of us have incredible talents, aspirations, and goals that may not always fit perfectly with our “day job” or how others perceive us.

Rebecca worked with me for a little over a year and enabled me to be unapologetically comfortable with all of my talents and dreams. This enables me to wear multiple hats as a founder, corporate executive, creative, mom, and wife—and ramp up my energy to each of these roles when and how I want.

Website: www.melabebe.com

Instagram: @melabebeskin

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelliogunsanya/

Image Credits
Flor Blake Photography