Conversations with Lizzie Chadbourne

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lizzie Chadbourne. 

Hi Lizzie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I started making my own skincare products as a hobby and fell in love with the process. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else, so I enrolled in an herbal studies course and decided to start my own natural skincare line. Lo & Behold has allowed me to combine many of my lifelong interests with my passion for helping people take care of themselves, and our local community. 

Lo & Behold began by selling just a few moisturizers at the Chapel Hill Farmer’s Market and thanks to customer demands we expanded our line to offer facial care, bath and shower items, bug spray, and more. Several years later, on top of maintaining a presence at local and regional markets, I’m proud that we sell our products online, and in more than 40 independently-owned businesses. 

Lo & Behold operates on a three-part mission that aims to help everyone connected to our business feel good; Our product mission drives us to create high-quality, feel-good skincare products that add calming moments of happiness to any self-care practice. Our social mission compels us to create a safe and collaborative company culture and to contribute meaningfully to our local community through our workforce development program and partnerships with other local nonprofits. Our economic mission inspires us to partner with independent farmers, artists, and other small businesses to responsibly source our ingredients, contribute to our brand’s design, and connect with our customers. 

We have a small production space in Durham, NC, and make everything by hand in small batches, using some commercial equipment. While Lo & Behold continues to grow and change in many ways, we will always be dedicated to quality, strict ethical standards, and of course, to finding new and creative ways to define self-care. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
There have been many obstacles, but we have learned a lot, and some very important areas of the business have been smooth. It has taken a tremendous amount of work and sacrifice to get to where we are today. I would say overall, the general unexpected is a big challenge of owning and running any business. There is always a new obstacle – mostly very random and time-consuming details that are difficult to predict and suddenly can take up a lot of time and resources. As the business has grown, so have the challenges we face. However, dealing with obstacles feels smoother because I have become more flexible, learned to adjust plans and expectations, and am prepared to develop new skill sets. 

I am extremely grateful for all the ways my small business journey has been smooth. Customers have always loved our products and we have built a very loyal following of very kind folks. We have really strong partnerships with local businesses that we love. My employees are incredibly hardworking, dedicated, and positive. The genuine joy our products bring customers, and how much my team cares about the business, has always balanced out the rollercoaster of small business life. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We handcraft all-natural skincare products in small batches and sell them online, at local and regional markets, and to independently owned stores. We specialize in facial care such as cleansers, exfoliants, mask treatments, toners, moisturizers, and eye cream. Facial care has also become our bestselling category of products. We are known for selling products that are made with local ingredients, and are gentle, effective, and smell amazing. I am proud that our products can create uplifting and calming moments for folks – everyone needs that – especially right now. 

I believe we make exceptional products, but what really sets us aside is our commitment to our local community. From the small-scale artists, designers, and farmers we work with to our workforce development participation and growing alongside the folks who carry our products, having Lo & Behold woven into the area and growing hand-in-hand with our community means so much to me. 

How are things going in your industry?
The skincare industry and the focus on the local economy have gained a lot of traction and hopefully, this trend will continue to grow. Here in the Triangle, there are so many wonderful local businesses and many of them have continued thrive despite many challenges. I hope that long term, folks continue to support and explore local products. I believe local products will continue to use high-quality ingredients and create exceptional products. I hope that ethical standards towards employees like living wage, continue to be a trend for small businesses. 

In the skincare industry sustainability is gaining a lot more interest and attention; plastic reduction in packaging, earth-friendly ingredients, and zero-waste manufacturing. The ingredient focus has shifted from not just plant-based, but to new synthetically derived ingredients that are completely safe for use and for the environment. This is a very exciting shift as ingredients can be more economical and non-toxic products more diversified. I hope skincare is gender-neutral and more inclusive overall. There are more clean beauty brands, both accessible and high-end, specializing in safe skincare than ever before, it will be interesting to see if that trend continues. 

Contact Info:

• Email: info@loandbeholdnaturals.com
• Website: https://www.loandbeholdnaturals.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loandbeholdnaturals
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loandbeholdnaturals

Image Credits
Hannah Hughes
Liz Condo