A passion for natural healing, combined with a commitment to sustainability, is what gave rise to Ansah by Birchwright, a Jamaican-made skincare line tailored for eco-conscious consumers.

Founded by Sandra Mullings in 2017, the brand was born out of her personal experience with hormonal acne during perimenopause. Faced with side effects from conventional medication, Mullings took a different path.

“I decided that I wasn’t going to take the medication. I was just going to do the research and, you know, kind of figure out what I needed to do, what I could do that was natural to heal my acne — and that’s kind of how the brand was born,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

Mullings, who completed a certificate in herbal and plant medicine from Cornell University, says that training informs her product formulations. She launched the business in 2017 from her home in the United States before relocating to Jamaica in 2021.

Starting with body care products, her first items were body scrubs, followed by facial products in 2018. The initial facial product was a powder cleanser developed to treat her hormonal acne. It was formulated without surfactants, soap, or lathering agents, instead using oatmeal as its base, chosen for its gentle, soothing properties and suitability for all skin types. The product line then expanded to include a facial oil and later a face mist, originally made to manage hot flashes during menopause. The mist, which she distils herself, contains locally sourced lemongrass and rosemary and was eventually added to the product line for its skin benefits. Another key product in the line is the Moroccan Beldi, a gel soap formulated as a gentle, soap-based cleanser.

Mullings has been funding her skincare business entirely on her own since its inception.

“The biggest challenge that I’ve had is that I’ve been bootstrapping my business, just kind of scaling and growing the business without any external funding, with just whatever I made,” she shared with the Sunday Finance.

Initially, she used her pay cheque from full-time employment to support the business but when the pandemic disrupted her income she shifted to working full-time on the brand, relying solely on product sales to keep operations going. With the business still operating as home-based, Ansah by Birchwright is distributed through select stores and limited online channels. She is looking to expand and has been revamping her website as part of a wider rebranding effort. Ansa by Birchwright’s products can be found in Locale, Callaloo Butik in Treasure Beach; Carby’s; and the Jamaica Pegasus Gift Shop. The products, she admitted, are on the pricier side; however, she argues that her customers are environmentally conscious individuals who value clean ingredients and ethical production practices, and have both the means and mindset to invest in sustainable skincare.

“If I’m making something natural and I’m making something sustainable, it’s going to be a slightly higher price point because I’m very discriminating when it comes to which ingredients I use,” she told Sunday Finance.

Mullings positions her brand for those who not only care about the health of their skin but also about the impact of their purchases on the planet. That commitment to sustainability has helped Ansah by Birchwright gain recognition. At the recent JMEA Expo, Mullings was awarded second place for Best New Exhibitor. She also received a community impact award through a grant initiative run by Young Women and Young Men of Purpose.

As more local skincare brands enter the market Mullings remains unfazed. She believes the space allows for differentiation and says her commitment to sustainability continues to set Ansah by Birchwright apart.

“I don’t feel like there is a large number of brands that are as committed to sustainability as I am. And I’m willing to just stick to my niche, just stick to my lane, and cater to people who are passionate about eco-conscious everything,” she said confidently.

While she acknowledges that this focus may limit the size of her market, Mullings says she is more interested in building a purpose-driven business than chasing mass appeal. While she continues to ship to a few long-standing customers in the United States, where the business began, she does not yet consider it formal exporting. That, she says, is something she is actively working toward. The goal is to scale up production and meet the requirements for international trade, starting with the European Union, whose standards she says closely align with her brand values. Achieving EU compliance, she believes, would open the door to wider global markets, including the United States. In the meantime, she is focused on improving the export readiness of the business, including revamping her website and refining processes. Long-term, she hopes to leverage her background in plant and herbal medicine to position Ansah by Birchwright as a globally recognised Jamaican skincare brand.

The Ansah by Birchwright face mist, handcrafted with distilled lemongrass and rosemary, was originally created to ease hot flashes but has since become a customer favourite for its skin-soothing benefits.

Ansah by Birchwright’s face cream is formulated to hydrate and nourish the skin using clean, plant-based ingredients, ideal for those seeking a sustainable, eco-conscious addition to their daily routine.

The Moroccan Beldi gel soap by Ansah by Birchwright offers a gentle, traditional cleanse, crafted as a natural alternative for those seeking a soothing, non-stripping skincare experience.