Silverton woman uses personal experience to launch skincare business

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - During one of her most darkest days, Slyvia Brownlee launched her own business. Today, she is getting ready to celebrate the seventh anniversary of her business.

Brownlee says she trusted her gut when started her skincare line, Skin By Brownlee & Co.

If you take a drive down Montgomery Road in Silverton, you will come across a business the emerging beauty industry business. Her products can even be found on Target’s website.

Brownlee says when Target first contacted her last year, she did not believe it was real.

“It started from a DM [direct message],” Brownlee recalls. “They [Target] DM’d me and I thought it was spam, so I didn’t respond, but I did capture the email address and sent them an email and it was a valid email.”

Her skepticism soon turned to excitement, and with that, her business was launched to the next level.

However, the esthetician’s success didn’t happen overnight.

She has been in the business for 20 years.

“I always knew I wanted to be in the beauty industry, which is why I did cosmetology back when I was in high school my junior and senior year, but I wasn’t sure what part of cosmetology,” she explained.

After struggling with acne, Brownless says she developed a love for skincare.

“Having acne, if you’ve never had it, people don’t realize how much it impacts your confidence and going out into the world,” Brownlee said. “There’s clients who won’t go for a job because of their skin. They won’t participate in club activities or groups at school because of their skin.”

After improving her own acne and boosting her confidence, she felt the need to bring that joy to others. She worked in different salons and eventually became the director of a beauty school.

She says the journey of creating her own skincare line happened a bit unexpectedly.

“I was laid off and that’s what pushed me into this entrepreneurship journey,” Brownlee said.

She hasn’t looked back since.

While she says it hasn’t been easy, she says it’s been the most rewarding.

The critical lesson she learned along the way is to “stay consistent.”

Also, she says to never stop dreaming.

She says sometimes life doesn’t go exactly as you planned, but she’s learned to trust the process, work hard and you will get where you want to be.

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