It’s Sunday morning. Kenya Staples takes her time with her skincare routine, indulging in the simple luxury of self care. Gospel music travels through the rooms of her home as she whispers affirming words in the mirror.

Staples, founder and CEO of Dear Sunday Skincare, is collaborating with other Black women business owners to make self care more accessible. With her background in chemistry, Staples is working to share the simple luxury of a self care Sunday with others. She said she is excited to continue working with other businesses as she grows her own. Staples can be found working in You Good? Self Care Sanctuary, a Woodlawn storefront that functions as a retail incubator, a space where business owners can take their first steps into brick-and-mortar operations with the support of REV Birmingham.

“I love that we’re all able to collaborate as Black women business owners,” Staples said. “I’m really excited about being based here in Woodlawn. This has been really fulfilling knowing that this area is coming up and I grew up right down the street. Just seeing the community evolve and grow. I’m grateful to be part of that change.”

Staples graduated from Ramsay High School in 2011. Shortly after graduation, she enlisted in the military where she served in the Army and worked her way up to first lieutenant.

She wanted to become a physician assistant and the military helped her pay for her degree at Alabama A&M where she graduated with her bachelor’s of chemistry in 2016.

Once she was discharged, Staples got to work logging clinical hours with an ophthalmologist, but soon found that she was not happy working in the medical field.

“I just realized that wasn’t for me. I decided then to take a step back and reevaluate. It was 2019 when I came back home. And of course in 2020, that’s when COVID hit. I decided that was the perfect time to just sit and figure out what I really wanted,” Staples said.

During that time, Staples dove into the world of entrepreneurship trying to figure out her new path in life. She explored photography and videography and tried her hand as a Realtor, but found that none of them stuck.

“While trying to figure out what I wanted to do, I started getting a little anxious about my next steps in life because time was moving. I always had these goals and something to get after.”

While in the military, Staples said she developed dark marks from acne breakouts and sun exposure.

She said she remembers spending free time shopping in department store skincare isles. Over time, she collected countless bottles of serums and cleansers, lotions and scrubs, spot treatments and face masks.

“I learned that I wanted to create products for my own skin. I didn’t want to let my degree go to waste. That’s how it all started,” Staples said.

“I took a step back because I really enjoy being creative. I like to express my creativity. I was questioning what I wanted to do, and more than anything, I wanted to be true to myself this go around,” she said. “I took a few different approaches and finally came to the conclusion that I really love the self care space.”

She got to work immediately and turned a room in her basement into a chemistry lab where she reads up on cosmetic chemistry and plant-based skincare formulation, researches skincare ingredients and runs stability tests on her products.

“It went back to my core values of really valuing self care.” Staples said. “During that time when I wasn’t working, and I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do, and I was feeling all of the anxiety and questioning everything, I really needed some type of grounding. So in the morning, when I would do my morning routine, I would look in the mirror and speak positivity to myself then really take my time with my skincare.”

Collaboration with other Black women business owners

“Sundays are my reset days. I would always look forward to my Sunday routine. It was my ‘self-care Sunday.’ But why can’t everyday be a self care day?” Staples said.

Staples launched Dear Sunday Skincare online in November 2021 with three skincare products: an exfoliating facial cleanser, vitamin-rich moisturizer and oil controlling toner.

She uses natural ingredients in her products like turmeric to exfoliate, cucumber for hydration, witch hazel as an antioxidant and green tea to fight acne.

To spread the word about her new business, Staples hosted pop up shops and participated in local street markets. Tish Fetcher, former CEO of Thrive Wellness Lounge in Woodlawn, approached her about putting Staples’ skincare products in her store and applying for a program to help grow her business.

Soon after, Staples applied for Magic City Match, a program to match Black-owned businesses with brick-and-mortar spaces with REV Birmingham, a nonprofit that helps grow small businesses.

REV awarded Staples a grant to help with marketing and legal consultation in 2022.

“[Fletcher] gave me the opportunity to be in this space and REV supported me,” Staples said. “Black women business owners tend to have to work harder to get that recognition and bring awareness to our business. I have fortunately had REV and [Fletcher] to pour into me.”

Now, Staples’ products line the wooden shelves along with other wellness products made by Black women business owners.

Teas by Rodné Graham, candles by Devin Jackson and soaps by Tracie Graham Wilson fragrance the space at You Good? Self Care Sanctuary in Woodlawn.

During the week, Staples can be found in her shop hugging local business owners, trading tips, smiles and self care products.

“My overall goal was to be way more than just skincare. I know that self care is more than just topical,” Staples said. “The idea was to collaborate with other small businesses that compliment self care and wellness.”

Rodné Graham, founder of Sips of Nayture, and Staples have known each other since high school. They walked the Ramsay graduation stage together and supported one another into adulthood as they started their own businesses.

When Staples was preparing for the grand opening of You Good? Self Care Sanctuary, she reached out to Graham and her mother, Tracie Graham Wilson, to put their products on her shelves.

“She saw the beginning of when I started selling my teas and I saw the beginning of when she started her skincare line. We bought from each other and promoted each other. We’ve always had warm encounters,” Graham said. “Kenya is big on that, she likes working with other people, she likes to collaborate. She’s a great, great person to collaborate with.”

Staples also works with neighboring businesses in Woodlawn. In early February, Staples collaborated with Alexis Kimbrough, owner of Herban Soul Cafe, to host a vision board party, Galentine’s Day and a singles’ night event.

“We wanted to promote self love and female friendships,” Staples said. “My goal is to build a community around self care, wellness and mental health and really start those conversations.”

Kimbrough said both she and Staples are passionate about mental health and wellness.

“[The events] were a success. They were really fun. The connections that were made were great and being able to bring people together in a safe space and create a community to just laugh, share experiences and have a good time, it was a success,” Kimbrough said.

“It’s easy to collaborate with Kenya because we’re already on the same page about mental health and wellness. What better neighbor to have, that has the same mission, than her.”