EPISODE 089 | Building Social Awareness through Natural Skin Care

Human Amplified

Today we’re talking with hairstylist and aesthetician turned natural soap maker, Coco Kennell. She’s the founder of St. Louis, Missouri-based skincare company, Soap Life 360.

Coco Kennell is a resourceful DIYer who comes from a long line of problem solvers who’ve ingrained resourcefulness as a core value in her life. That resourcefulness led to the creation of her natural skincare products, which she formulates and makes mostly in her home lab.

Soap Life 360 is all about the natural soap, but it’s so much more than that. As Coco puts it, it’s also about starting a conversation around coming home to community violence while still learning how to love your neighbor.

In this episode, Coco details how her reaction to the civil unrest in Ferguson, MO, in 2014 led to soap-making in the first place - as a form of relief. She details the memory of this all too familiar instance of police brutality, and reveals a personal connection to that event that reopened childhood wounds all over again – it was personal pain layered beneath the pain in her community.

But, there was also inspiration when she looked closely - she saw wounded people taking care of one another. So with her ingredients and packaging, she infuses the characteristics of inspiring community personalities into her products. Then, she tops the product off with a fitting name designed to spark a conversation that bridges gaps between predominantly white and Black communities.

The interesting thing about this episode is, yes, we talk a little business, a little chemistry that goes into soap making, and why natural ingredients are so important for your skin. But we also talk about lessons of acceptance and family ties.

What stands out to me the most is when Coco describes how natural skin care allows your skin to be how it’s meant to be. What a beautiful symbol for undoing the societal conditioning around racism.

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode does come with a trigger warning due to the detailing of the murder of teen, Michael Brown, as Coco recalls it and she reflects on how this impacted her emotionally. Listener discretion is advised.

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Support for this podcast comes from Bed of Nails. Visit humanamplified.com/episodes/089 for your 15% discount on Bed of Nails products and link to shop from to enhance your self care practice.

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