Today we’d like to introduce you to Tim and Liz Gates.
Tim and Liz, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
We began making skincare products in an attempt to reduce our chemical intake. We tried several types of African and natural soaps, that still caused a poor reaction with Liz’s sensitive skin. We researched and found we could make our own soap. From there, we learned to make other skincare products. Our friends discovered we made natural skin products and asked to try them. Thus, sparking Tim’s idea to sell our products. We decided on our company name, Milango (Me-Lahn-Go), or our last name in Swahili. From there everything took off! We are now just over 1 year old and business has continuously and consistently grown! We now have a variety of skincare, pain relief, and inflammation relief products!
Has it been a smooth road?
Oh no, not a smooth road at all! The rough-terrain does make for a fun ride! We had a multitude of struggles with product development, storage, competitors, suppliers, and licensing. Anything you could think of! Our struggles ranged from products melting to out of stock items. It has helped us think on our toes and come up with secondary resources.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Milango Soaps & More story. Tell us more about the business.
Milango Soaps & More is a natural skincare company. We hand-make soap, body butter, and more all at reasonable prices! What we are best known for is our unique after-shower oil; a long-lasting, year-round moisturizer that builds elasticity and keeps you smelling great all day! As a company, we are most proud of our Bangi Topicals–our latest specialty. The state we are based out of has legalized medical marijuana. We researched, tested, and developed to produce seven full-spectrum medical marijuana topicals that alleviate a variety of pain/inflammatory conditions; from headaches to neuropathy pain. Besides our amazing products, our customer service sets us apart! We deliver locally, ship nationwide. We love to have good reviews, but appreciate the constructive criticism even more! We want people to enjoy and benefit from our products.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The natural skincare industry is steady but growing. More people are leaning towards natural products and limiting their and their families’ chemical intake. The medical marijuana field is growing rapidly with more states legalizing. Once federal legalization occurs, we can grow our business outside of our state. Also, more people are leaning towards natural, holistic remedies for mild to severe conditions. People are discovering the benefits of medical marijuana and multiple ways to utilize the cannabis plant–like topicals. Most understand you can smake and eat cannabis, but are starting to become more aware of topical applications. We think things are looking up!
Pricing:
- Small Set $20 (Soap, Body butter, After-shower-oil)
- Large Set $25 (Soap, Body butter, After-shower oil, lip balm, lip scrub)
- Bangi Bath Soak $10
- Bangi Nerve Cream $30
Contact Info:
- Website: www.milangosoaps.com
- Phone: 214-516-5627/314-584-9808
- Email: Milangosoaps@yahoo.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/milangosoaps
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/milangosoaps
Image Credit:
Shawn Saffold, Liz Gates
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