Today we’d like to introduce you to Sydney Washington.
Hi Sydney, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
On a summer day in 2021, after closing my online lipgloss boutique, I was walking my puppy Oatmeal. He started having issues with his paws I realized the hot pavement was burning his paws. This led to me searching for an ointment safe for his skin. Growing up, I had severe eczema and I also have vitiligo and remembered one of the best natural remedies for irritated skin, oatmeal. I thought, “how funny would it be to use oatmeal on Oatmeal”. Once I found a puppy cream to help my dog, I got the idea to go back into entrepreneurship but, with a different niche, skincare. (For humans not dogs) Determined to help others who deal with chronic skin issues that can harm our confidence, I’d use oats and other natural ingredients in the products and pay homage to my dog with the name and thus was born, Oatmeal’s Naturals! I started in august 2021 selling my products online and at local vendor markets and fairs recruiting my family to help me at the booths. In December 2021 I graduated from community college in my hometown of Johnson City, TN and transferred to Middle Tennessee State University. In January 2022 once on campus, I began to market my business to fellow students and was grateful to bring my business with me as a side hustle for extra income as a college student. After graduating from MTSU in December of 2024, I began to expand and elevate my business from online sales to stores and have products in 2 stores, one in Johnson City and one in Antioch, TN.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t always been smooth I once entered into a business plan completion similar to a shark tank set up, on campus and didn’t make it past the semifinals. I felt like I didn’t know enough about business, wasn’t well prepared, and felt like I failed and for a few months took a break from entrepreneurship. There were also times where I attended vendor events and didn’t make the profit I anticipated. I once signed up for an event last minute not knowing what I was getting myself into and when I arrived my booth was in the sun and most of my soaps melted.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I sell skincare products- soaps, serums, body butters, body scrubs, and oils. My business is mostly known for its oats soaps. I’m most proud of having a platform to showcase skin confidence and the many places I’ve been through my business to bring awareness to vitiligo, skincare, and loving yourself through flaws. I have hosted several workshops for an all girls mentorship program called DYMON for metro Nashville schools to teach them about entrepreneurship, self care, and positive mental health. What sets my brand apart is the relatability to showcasing real skin and being dedicated to not do any testing on animals (like Oatmeal). Growing up, there were times my skin was so bad that I couldn’t walk and and missed school. Using my platform to talk about real skin issues and being able to use and share my products with others makes my brand special. My products have helped heal me skin when issues like this have tried to resurface. This is something I would never have imagined doing when I was a young girl shy and hiding behind skin insecurities.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I definitely see Oatmeal’s Naturals continuing to be on more store shelves. I would also like to do subscription boxes in the future. These would be based on skin types like, dry, oily, acne prone, sensitive etc. and you’d get monthly or seasonal boxes with a product line for that specific skin type.
Pricing:
- Soaps $8.50
- Body butters $16.00
- Scrubs $16.00
- Serums $10.00
- Oils $10.00
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Oatmealsnaturals.bigcartel.com
- Instagram: @oatmealsnaturals
- Other: TikTok @oatmealsnaturals
