Last Summer I had the pleasure of speaking with Alexis who is the Founder, CEO and creative mind behind, Lilly’s Shea.Lilly’s Shea is a natural shea butter brand that makes you want to “bounce back” . Her creamy shea butter is everything you need if you are struggling with Exzema and great for all months to help to glisten a little more in the Summer and to stay moisturized in the colder months. I thoroughly enjoyed this interview. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.
Lilly’s Shea interview:
Me:Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and the background of Lilly’s Shea?
Alexis: A little bit about me my name is Alexis and I have had Eczema my entire life and I also had asthma in my earlier years but it has not flared up anytime recently. I have been on steroid cream and nothing that my mom attempted to do for my skin worked. I remember being in college and I was getting a steroid cream and I had this scratching moment before and my skin was all tattered up and bloody cause that’s what happens when you have Eczema. The steroid cream thins out your skin and your blood and if you scratch anything it’s easy for you to get bruised. After having the flare up, it was the end of October 2018 and I worked at Pappadeaux’s and I wasn’t eating the best and I just got my hair dyed and I know that triggered my Exzema because I wasn’t using the steroid cream anymore and I had a cut on my neck somewhere where the Exzema was trying to flare up. I was very stressed and everything. I said all of that to say it caused a reaction. The Exzema flare on my face is actually on my YouTube Channel if you want to look at it: https://youtu.be/_TuR_g2rhfE. I’ve never had an Exzema reaction on my face before and I just felt so helpless like Oh my Gosh. Am I really looking like this?
At that moment I decided I want to heal this naturally. I tried steroid creams my entire life and I am tired of the scratching,I’m tired of being bloody, I’m tired of feeling hopeless and I know that there are other options other than what the doctor is telling me. I know topical steroids isn’t it. That’s kinda how I had the brain child for Lilly’s Shea. That’s how it started. Within the last year or so I pushed it off but recently I’m putting this out because I’m tired of going to other people for Shea Butter. Let me go ahead and put what I know in a bottle and use it and call it a day. That’s a little bit about me and how I struggled with Eczema and background about Lily’s Shea.
I’m determined to promote with my docu-series on YouTube and my journey with it and knowing that it’s not impossible. I have a lot of people on there and they say they feel helpless, ugly, etc. They appreciate that I have documented it. Thank you for your transparency! I know that eventually whenever that is as I stay consistent I will say that I haven’t always been 100% everyday on it. I might eat something one day and it flares up my skin and I just want other people to know that healing is attainable and we have to start from the inside out and how we manage stress and stuff like that and have a regular routine of moisturizing our skin. Lily’s Shea is not a miracle built I know there’s things in it that has helped my skin to have relief from Exzema and also moisturize my skin to where if I’m feeling itchy I don’t have the need to scratch because its relieving my skin.
Me: How did you come up with the name, “Bounce Back Butta”?
Alexis: I came up with the name “Bounce Back Butta” cause its time “to bounce back, bounce back” that’s what I thought of. For all of the B’s and everything and it’s easy to say and it’s time to Bounce back. Healing is attainable and you know your skin maybe dry and flaky before but you can bounce back into some moisturized skin. I want people to understand that this is a journey so bounce back in your mindset as far as thinking that healing is going to be instant because it’s not. Bouncing back in your habits and how you eat. Eating cleaner, eating healthier food doesn’t mean that you can’t stop eating your greasy food. Maybe lower how much you put into your body and bounce back how you take care of your skin. I would say for me during this time especially with all of this going on in the world it’s easier to neglect ourself because we get into that self-pity mode and I know a lot of us do it I know it may not affect other people.I know for me it’s easy for me to neglect myself just a little bit and I get so bombarded with the world. Just bouncing back to how we live so that we can live a better life.
Me: Bounce Back Butta I noticed that your first ingredient is love and when I saw that I was like Yes. What brand do you know that actually puts love in their ingredient? (I’ll wait) As I was putting this on my mom because noticed that she has very dry skin and I put some on her feet. As soon as I put it on her feet. I mean moisturized completely. I did notice that a little goes a long way. You don’t have to put a whole bunch in your hand.
Me: Why did you choose this combination of ingredients?
Alexis: I did some research for myself and those are the ingredients that I saw that moisturized skin and also helped with Exzema. Like I said this is based off of not only wanting to moisturize and give glowing skin but to really help people with Exzema and if they are on this journey for natural healing. Even if they do not have Eczema it is always at the back of my mind and I like the Tamanu Oil. It’s a greenish oil, a natural oil that helps with cuts and heals wounds. I remember when I first heard about it I ordered some and I put it on my skin and the next day it’s like my hands were healing somewhat before my eyes and it makes me realize God has put so much on this earth for us. I’d feel like it’s a lie if the doctor says there is no healing or anything naturally that can help me. You can’t tell me my God didn’t provide that for me. I believe that there are a lot of natural medicines and things God has put out here for us. I put Taminu Oil, essential oils, Lavender and Lemon and those have really helped me when I was first using this mix and it really helped to calm me and it has that calming smell. I know that calmness is needed when you have Exzema. If you’re stressed with Exzema that’s like a flare. Stress flares up Exzema. I wanted to put natural essential oils in there that calm the skin and if you need to put some Jazz music on it calms everything and helps you to become less stressed. You can use it as a massage oil. Unrefined Shea Butter is the base of it. Supporting Africa and Shea Butter has always been a staple in black homes. Maybe not all but I feel a lot of us hold onto Shea Butter. I feel like Shea Butter has been my go to moisturizer. Natural unrefined shea butter made by hard working black women in Ghana and I have Jojoba Oil and Grapeseed oil that helps with moisturizing the skin and helps with the elasticity of the skin. The last ingredient is Olive Oil and that’s for the blood of Jesus Christ. I prayed over it.
Me: The two ingredients that are not here are Tamanu Oil and Olive oil right?
Alexis: Vitamin E That helps will Exzema and Hyperpigmentation and stretch marks too.
Me: When people purchase your items how do you want them to feel?
Alexis: I want people to feel good like I know when I used if for me I took a step back and had a little spa night. I took a shower and after I got out of the shower I really love how you get out of the shower and when you bathe and put it right on your skin when it’s damp and put on your socks and your long pants so that you can retain that in your skin and when you wake up in the morning your skin is so soft. I want people to feel like they can have soft skin. I know for the longest I didn’t really know how to do that. I would use moisturizers but my skin would soak it all up and I would still feel rough. This makes me feel more feminine. I want people to feel good about themselves. Healing is attainable and that it’s a journey that they are willing to be apart of.
Me: Can you give me 3 words that describe your Shea Butter?
Alexis: I would say that the Bounce Back Butter is intentional with healing, soft and mighty.
Me: Why soft? Would it make your skin soft?
Alexis: Yeah! I would say that it would help making your skin soft and it’s mighty because a little does go a long way. You don’t need a lot to moisturize and I think that’s due to the amount of oils I put in there to stretch it and then I packed it in there because I wanted people to get their money’s worth. I feel like people may not think that it has as much power as it does as far as what you need to use.
Me: I noticed that right off the bat. I think that will be one of the notes that I can use. A little goes a long way because it does. A little goes a long way and it will last you a good while so that people will get their monies worth as far as how much people are spending on it.
Alexis: And plus the ingredients in it are pure. I understand there are Shea Butters out there that are at a certain price. We have to be mindful that a lot of the Shea Butter’s in our beauty supply may not be a 100% natural Shea Butter right from Africa. This is natural Shea Butter that I’m not adding any dyes to. If you see super yellow Shea Butter that’s not real Shea Butter. A lot of the oils that are in this are natural, cold pressed, and pure. I know some people may bring up price but it has quality ingredients but again it is really catered to people that has troubled skin so if you can pay whatever you can for a steroid cream this is a good deal compared to that.I mean it’s not doing what that does but it’s the natural ingredients that helps you in the process.
Me:What is your goal for Lilly’s Shea, as your brand?
Alexis: My goal for Lilly’s Shea is to be representation for black people and that’s for all of my different business endeavors. It goes back to my sentiments with what’s going on in the world I feel like people are so offended to say black or include black faces and things or don’t want to offend others and they want to appease the idea of beauty that they have. I want black people to be shown and it’s okay to be black and to serve that exzema can be healed. On Instagram I provide different tips about my Eczema process and different things that help so it’s like a resource at the same time not just selling Shea Butter but I give tips that can help on everyday life that can help you. I want to be a sense of representation because we don’t see that from other people if we’re trying to find validation in America. It’s okay to be black and understand that you have Exzema and that it’s a journey. I’ve been bullied for having Eczema and I want people to feel like there is hope.
Me: I’m glad that I was able to interview you because it gives me a sense of understanding where you are coming from. I knew that you had Exzema and I remember you coming to church and you had a flare up. I never had Eczema so I don’t know what that feels like but you do. Just that you wanted to create something that creates change for people that have Exzema is profound. Even though I don’t have Exzema I will be using this for moisturizing purposes and if I do get a cut I can put it on there. It’ll be good for healing.
If I can find someone that has Eczema that I can give this to then that will be great too. When I post about it I do want a few people that have Exzema to try this out and know more about this and your journey and know what they can do in order to be healed.
Alexis: Thank you I really appreciate it, I have people in my comments like thank you for your transparency I was afraid to go to school today on my docu- series on YouTube. I can’t believe that you’re showing this. Plus something that I have noticed the need for people to see black faces that show this thing. I thought there was a big need. Exzema on black skin looks different than people that have fair skin. On me it looks like really dark hyperpigmentation and like a big rash. On lighter people it can look just red and it can have a similar look but the colors look different and it can make you feel bad when you have a big dark black mark on your arm or wherever in comparison to someone that has just a red spot you know. Honestly the dark spot is more out there and black people don’t really talk too much about their struggles because the amount of people that DM me like I’m surprised.They send me pictures and see if I can help them with it. Later I want to come up with some consultations to speak to people directly.
Major Gems dropped in this interview 💎:
-Healing is attainable
-Bounce back your mindset, your habits, and how you ultimately take care of your skin
-Stress flares up Exzema
-You can have soft skin
-Apply it directly out of the shower or bath
-A little goes a long way
Review: This is the review of all reviews because I’m going to let you all know that this is the real deal. I purchased a few jars of Shea Butter. One for myself and two more for others. Since this interview I have enjoyed the Shea Butter and I can say that it lasted a long time and has made my skin feel extremely moisturized. This Shea Butter has really changed the game and it should be called “Long lasting butter” because a little goes a long way, it makes your skin feel like butter and helps you to stay moisturized all day.
How does it feel? It has a creamy consistency , smells great, made with Love, healing and super moisturizing. I mean what else do you need from a Shea Butter. This is It!
To purchase the “ Bounce Back Butta” and her newest addition, “Rooting for Everybody Black Soap” check out Alexis’ website here: https://lillysshea.online/collections/all. If you want to join in on her docu-series and to view her vlogs check out her Youtube channel here:
Follow Alexis on Instagram for skincare tips, beautiful looks and more. She is a mood.
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