Rising Stars: Meet Mikala Williamson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mikala Williamson. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Celeste Essentials was founded in 2017 by CEO, Mikala Williamson at just 20 years old. She has gone through a childhood of hospitalizations due to Sickle Cell Anemia. She was then chosen for a research study on stem cell transplants and was cured of Sickle Cell Anemia.

After her transplant, she began developing a lot of skin issues from eczema and psoriasis to severely dry, chapped skin from head to toe. Nothing was working from dermatologists to medications and even other organic brands. Mikala used this experience to build a better life for herself and others who may be experiencing the same things.

Five years later she is a Registered Medical Assistant with an associate degree in applied sciences making her knowledgeable in the science behind handcrafting organic beauty and the overall health of the body and skin.

Not only does she handcraft and sell products on her own website but she also is in local stores and the Walmart marketplace. Mikala even teaches others how to handcraft their own skincare products, provides wholesale and private label products, and educates her customers on how to take care of the body and skin from the inside out.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I doubt any business in history has ever had a smooth road. When I first introduced Celeste Essentials, organic products and lifestyles were not a mainstream thing. So my biggest hurdle to jump over wasn’t getting people to try my products, it was getting people to believe and see the difference in mainstream products versus organic products.

Flash forward to 2021 and organic life is mainstream people are becoming more aware of what they are putting in and on their bodies. Now my biggest hurdle is finding people that support my brand. Literally, every person that has tried Celeste Essentials has come back for more, however, it’s very hard to get proof that my products work. Since my products work so quickly most of my customers are healed from their blemishes before they even think to take a before and after picture.

Most skincare brands blow up based on the customer testimonies and even though tons and tons of people have been healed, only a few will share that I helped them. A lot of people text me or leave written reviews or tell me in person, getting pictures of that proof is the number one roadblock for me.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a registered medical assistant. I recently quit working my job at Duke to make more time for my business. I am currently a nanny for a 5-month-old little girl which allows me more time to focus on my craft. Being a registered medical assistant sets me apart from my competition because I was properly trained on how to do scientific research, which gave me a boost when I began researching how to create products. I am most proud of my Blemish Bar.

It is a goat’s milk-based face and body soap bar. It’s infused with turmeric, matcha, and neem with eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils. This combination is powerful and there is no end to the types of blemishes it can heal. My products are chemical-free, cruelty-free, handmade, and made with the rarest ingredients in the beauty industry. The beauty industry recycles the same old oils and butter in every company, but organic products are limitless.

You can pull oil from a tree, succulent, flower, leaf, etc., and you can turn any oil into any type of cream. It always bothered me that there isn’t a wider array of options on the market. Most butter, lotions, and serums contain Shea, cocoa, vitamin C, Oatmeal, and mango butter to name a few, while my brand offers products using rare ingredients like Camelina Sativa Oil, Blueberry Butter, Mulled Spices, rice bran oil, and majabringraj oil.

All the ingredients I use come from their place of origin through a trusted supplier and then are carefully handcrafted in small batches to ensure each batch is potent. The ingredients I use work to heal the skin not just to protect the skin. Not only are my products chemical and steroid-free, but they are healing blemishes doctors have not been able to heal and quickly at that.

80% of my customers see a difference after just 1 use and their skin blemishes are completely gone after 1-2 weeks.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Tenacity, eagerness, and drive. I know I’m destined for more than just paying my bills and helping myself out. My whole life has been about healing others be it physically, mentally, or spiritually.

Even though I was born into a rough childhood from sickle cell, I always just wanted to help and heal others because I knew I didn’t want anyone to ever feel the way I felt. My eagerness to help others is what drives and motivates me to get up every day. My tenacity is what allows me to keep going despite all the roadblocks and setbacks. I just see a bigger and better future for myself and for the world.

I just want everyone to win truly. I know it’s cliche to say but it really is exactly what feeds my heart and makes me happy, just simply seeing others happy successful, and healthy. So I will do anything In my power to fulfill that goal. I feel chosen, called, and obligated to do so.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: Www.celesteessentials.com
• Instagram: @celesteessentials
• Facebook: Www.Facebook.com/celesteessentials
• Youtube: Www.YouTube.com/celesteessentials

Image Credits
Hanna Jurgensen