Nine Naturals, LLC, a natural and organic luxury skin and hair care line based in New York City, is specially formulated for moms and moms-to-be. It recently entered into an exclusive master distribution arrangement with Lotus Light Enterprises, Inc., a national wholesale distributor of natural health and wellness products. The collection is expanding—no pun intended—in 2016, and its founder, Grace Lee, took time to chat with Happi about it!
 
Happi: How and why did you start the company?  
 
GL: I was inspired to start Nine Naturals when my friends and I were looking for safe beauty products to use during pregnancy. Pregnancy is the most critical developmental stage in a human life and environmental toxins can have long lasting effects on a person’s health—even beyond the womb. As we searched for safe products to use, we kept running into the same two problems. One, most products that claimed to be natural still contained harmful ingredients and two, many natural products simply didn’t perform well; the shampoos didn’t lather well and the body products didn’t do much for their skin.
 
When I developed Nine Naturals, I focused on using natural, pure ingredients that are safe for pregnancy while maintaining a high standard for beauty and performance. My vision was to create a line that women could feel confident and beautiful using – I’m happy to say that Nine Naturals has accomplished that!
 
Happi: What makes the products different from others in the marketplace?   
 
GL: The number one thing that really sets Nine Naturals products apart from competitors is its use of ingredients that are not only safe and natural, but also chosen specifically with pregnancy in mind. Pregnant women have sensitivities and beauty needs that are different from non-pregnant women.
 
We’ve created products like our Vanilla + Geranium Regenerative Belly Butter that uses rich, natural butters and oils to help minimize the chance of stretchmarks and our Natural Sunscreen SPF 32 that uses natural, non-nano zinc oxide to protect pregnant women’s sensitive skin in the sun. Women are much more sensitive to smells during pregnancy so we’ve formulated a line using all-natural essential oils that are pleasing to pregnant noses and not too overpowering. Fragrances like all-natural citrus and mint used in our Citrus + Mint Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner have the added aromatic benefits of helping to alleviate nausea and fatigue.
 
Happi: What are consumers looking for in their beauty products today?  
 
GL: We are seeing sustained, increased awareness for natural, safe products—particularly from moms-to-be and new moms. Women are getting smarter about what goes on their body as much as what goes in it—and rightfully so. Our skin is the largest organ of our body and what we put on our skin can be absorbed into the bloodstream. The natural beauty category will continue to grow with the increasing demand for better, safer products.
 
Happi: Any exciting future plans for the company? 
 
GL: After partnering with some big-name retailers, like Destination Maternity, and signing with Lotus Light, you will find us popping up in many stores near you! As we continue to grow our distribution and product line, Nine Naturals will always have moms and moms-to-be in mind as we create and provide simple, smart, and safe natural beauty solutions.