Keith Gibbs and Cerenity Green were looking for a more organic approach to skin and hair care.
Gibbs, a sophomore business administration student from Durham, N.C., has always wanted to his own boss — and this was his chance to do so, while making a difference in the lives of his peers.
Green, a sophomore psychology student, recently went natural and was experimenting with different products. She was tired of her hair feeling try and unhealthy. Like many others, she also struggles with eczema.
Up to 40 to 50% of people actively seek natural or organic ingredients in their products, according to The NPD Group.
So, the two friends came together to make Liqx Butters. A 100% all natural and organic butter for skin and hair.
“When Keith came to me about making the body butter, I immediately thought about natural and effective hair products, too,” Green said.
Gibbs had the idea on his mind for months and he knew that Cerenity do great mixing and making the product.
Being friends since freshman year, their friendship is as organic as Liqx Butters, and entrepreneurship is something they share in common throughout their families.
Gibbs has several entrepreneurs in his family. His mother, his aunt and his grandmother are all self-starters.
“We are all crafters,” Gibbs said.
Green went on to discuss some of her family history.
“My mom is a cosmetologist, so she’s always been a hustler. And I’m a natural-born hustler,” Green said.
The two talked about the process of making, packaging and shipping their orders.
“It can be a little long, but it’s a fine process,” she said.
Some of the key ingredients include aloe vera, vitamin E, unrefined coconut oil and shea butter.
“The biggest part of the making process is boiling all the ingredients together and infusing all the oils,” Green said.
Although Liqx Butters is a new business, the two have shared several proud moments so far.
Gibbs was eager to share a little about their first vending event.
“It was my first vending event as a business owner. We put our heart into it and learned so many things,” he said. “We also made a lot of profit.”
Green’s face lit up when remembering the first batch they ever made.
“That was our first accomplish for the business,” she said. “I put my pride and joy into making out our product, so that was definitely one of my favorite moments.”
But the two were not shy about the struggles of owning maintaining their business.
They admitted how much they appreciate each other since they both balance being full-time students while running the business.
“Since we both have an additional part-time job, knowing one of us can step in if the other can’t is a good feeling,” Gibbs said.
The demand for their product is also something the business partners are adapting to.
“It’s ultimately been a learning experience,” Green said.
Green and Gibbs have high hopes and long-term goals for their business. They want to eventually make Liqx Butters worldwide and to continue to improve people’s lives through their product.
“We’ve gotten a lot of reviews from people saying how Liqx has helped with scarring and blemishes,” Gibbs said. “I even tried it on my skin and got excited once I saw the results.”
And finally, the duo wants people to know that this is not all about profit, but truly about making a product that helps others look and feel beautiful.
“This is something we really are passionate about. We truly want to help people,” Gibbs said.
For more information about Liqx Butters, visit Instagram.
