Detroit Couple Promotes All-Natural Wellness with ‘Socialite Body Essentials

By Lynzee Mychael DIGITAL CONTENT WRITER

The desire for quality all-natural skin products has increased in demand since the pandemic. Black consumers are searching for options made with the Black experience in mind, by brands that have direct ties to the community. While mainstream corporations scarcely line shelves with shallow definitions of “Black” products, this has inspired change for some frustrated by these slim offerings.

Devoted couple Brandon and Selena Parker are the energy and love behind the Socialite Body Essentials brand. This all-natural skincare and body care brand is a joint effort of the pair, who started making body butters in their home to combat their daughter’s eczema outbreaks. After creating an effective product using all natural ingredients, the couple’s inquisitiveness led them on a journey of self-awareness and enlightenment. Selena said learning that most skin problems started internally sparked a personal inventory check within herself, catapulting her journey into health and wellness.

“We got in touch with our mental health and our internal body. That then translated into the herbal tea, the safe skincare, facial care, and hair. We just wanted to make good products without chemicals, and it just evolved from there. As we evolve, the company evolves too.”

Although the brand began as a skin- care line, the Parkers quickly realized that their impact could expand beyond skin essentials and provide a complete wellness experience. Currently Socialite Body Essentials offers a wide range of products including body care, natural deodorant, haircare, herbs and fragrances. The couple advocates for their customers to get in alignment with themselves by listening to their body, learning about their well-being and reconnecting with nature. Selena said by connecting with nature she was able to get back to herself with a better understanding of who she is.

“It wasn’t until I reconnected back to nature that allowed me to find myself. Reconnecting back to nature can rejuvenate you. And I think in our society we’re not balanced. We’re eating too much; we’re not working out enough. So, our products and what we offer can help spark a light in people because sometimes by the time your skin has

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Motown Witch Celebrates Spring With the Ancestors

“Spring cleaning is everything!” said Yvette Wyatt, who’s a witch, a conjure woman, lifelong Detroiter and owner of Motown Witch. The Michigan Chronicle reached out to her via email about how Vodun and Hoodoo believers celebrate the new season. Spring ‘started’ on March 20 at 5:24 p.m., according to The Farmer’s Almanac.

And Wyatt means not only cleaning one’s outside environment, but also one’s insides.

“Everything gets washed, and unused and broken things get thrown away,” Wyatt said. “My grandmother would also clean us out internally by giving us castor oil. I tend to still do this by juicing and eating fresh salad during this time.”

Vodun and Hoodoo join other earthbased or goddess-based faith practices such as Wiccans and Druids in marking Spring as the beginning of the new year. Spring is considered the restart of the natural—and, by extension, the spiritual--cycle, from the flowers and trees blossoming, green grass regrowing, farmers planting seeds and animals mating and having offspring.

Some Christian denominations adapted aspects of the blooming season into the holiday of Easter, such as Easter eggs and the Easter Bunny. Some Biblical scholars have said that, according to the details of the Nativity story—specifically the mention of lambs—meant that Jesus was born in the spring and not in the winter.

African traditional religions are about connecting with nature, venerating your ancestors and being an upstanding person, said Wyatt.

According to Brittanica.com, civilizations that used calendars marked March 25 as New Year’s Day. The Roman king Numa Pompilius is commonly believed to have switched the day to January 1 during his reign around 715-673 BCE in honor of the Roman god Janus, who was the god of new beginnings. Other scholars think January 1 became the official New Year’s Day in 153 BCE. Julius Caesar’s calendar, known as the Julian calendar, kept the first day of January as the start of the new year.

However, when the Roman Empire

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Spring

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Considering that this was also the antebellum period, enslaved Africans and African Americans probably adapted their New Year’s Day clinging to whichever day, be it March 25 or January 1, Wyatt observed. She said her mother did her cleaning ritual on January 1, and her grandmother did her cleaning ritual in the spring.

Wyatt stated that the particular way that Black folks clean, especially Southern and Southern-descended folks like many Detroiters, is based on African traditional religions like Vodun and Hoodoo. One such activity is throwing out the old broom and mop and getting a new one for the new year.

Scholars trace the ritual of spring cleaning back to three cultures: The Jewish tradition, as stated in the Torah, of preparing for Passover by thoroughly tidying the home; The Persian ritual of ‘khane takani,’ a 3,000-year-old tradition of sweeping, dusting and removing clutter to prevent bad luck in the new year; and the South and Southeast Asian holiday of Songkran, a purification festival in which people completely wash down their homes as well as rinse each other with water. They also perform a sacred rite of pouring water over statues of Buddha to ensure blessings and good luck in the new year.

Though academics haven’t written much about the housecleaning rituals of different African nations, African American historians have reclaimed the history of enslaved Black people and how they maintained their homes from pioneering sociologist W.E.B. DuBois and his negative portrayal of how Black people kept their dwellings in the antebellum South. Scholar Tyler D. Parry states in Black Perspectives that the broom became one of the primary tools.

“Maintaining a clean environment provided order to a life often chaotic, and enslaved people used the surrounding [natural] materials to manufacture their brooms,” such as broom sage or tall weeds found in fields, he said. Enslaved Black people used everyday brooms to sweep the dirt floors in their cabins and to keep their yards tidy. Special brooms were made for the culture-famous wedding rite of “jumping the broom.”

Other rituals that Black folks do that are rooted in African traditional religions are, according to Wyatt, pouring libations, or pouring some liquor for the “homies not here”; ancestral veneration, like setting a plate at the table for a deceased family member and maintaining the grave site; and covering one’s head when doing spiritual work.

The unfortunate thing about this, Wyatt said, is the stereotypes some Black people have about the faith practices themselves.

“People fear what they don’t understand. So, Vodun and Hoodoo are viewed as evil and devil worship, although there are no ‘devils’ in African traditional religions. African traditional religions are about connecting with nature, venerating your ancestors, and being an upstanding person.”

For those who want to reclaim the spring rituals of African-based religions—besides throwing out the old broom and mop and getting new ones--Wyatt recommends:

Deep cleaning your house, including washing the walls, the windows, and the window treatments as well as throwing out unused and broken items.

Detoxing your body, such as doing a juice fast, water fast or raw food fast.

If possible, honoring your ancestors by cleaning the debris from their graves.

Skincare

From page B-1 a reaction there’s a lot of dam age that has been done internal ly. That’s why it’s so important to know what you are putting in and on your body.”

The couple prides themselves on knowing that their products work. Not only have they seen the results working on themselves and close family and friends, but they have also received numerous testimonies from their customers with positive updates and tearful messages of gratitude.

“You can look at our labels and read everything that’s in it [our products]. You can go to the store and buy everything that’s in [it]. There are not any big scientific words that you don’t know. So, outside of the fragrances, everything is all natural. That’s a huge thing for us in terms of customers who are looking for clean, natural ways to nourish their hair and skin,” said Brandon.

Brandon and Selena moved their oper-

Empire Kitchen

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The Empire team does not disappoint, and McArthur says there were necessary changes made internally to ensure the proper blend and proficiency would be reflected within their restaurant walls.

Operations Manager Keanna Sawyers works alongside McArthur to set and enforce standards, bringing her experience and style to the heart of the business.

Terrence McDonald and Chris McClendon are the head chefs supervising and coordinating all of the incredible meals that are served at Empire. This immaculate team brings flavor, color, and tradition to every meal, making it hard to get the same thing twice. Tiara Demeyers, who is the acting bar director, oversees the craft drinks. All drinks are made with fresh ingredients and served in an eye-catching way. McArthur says customers drink their craft beverages with their eyes first.

“The Very Berry is a popular vodka drink that’s served with a bubble on top. It is a must try. My favorite drink is The Rare Situation. This drink has a pleasant yet unexpected taste that is heavy on the pallet. It is made with fresh passion fruit and delivers delicious flavor.” ation from their home to a warehouse in Taylor, Mich., where they currently house their photography and gym studios. JMTPD hotography and A.W.O.L.F Fitness are two other passions the couple use to exercise their creative side and give back to the community. Selena started JMTPD after her grandfather passed to carry on his legacy of photography and family. Brandon, who has always had a love for fitness, offers personal training and online coaching.

Empire Kitchen and Cocktails hours of operation are Tuesday -Thursday 4pm12am, Fridays 4pm-1am, Saturday 11am4pm, and Sundays 11am-11pm. Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays between 11am and 4pm. Visit empirekitchendetroit. com for more information and to make reservations.

“Our purpose is in this business. We’re touching people and we’re helping people feel better. And that’s invaluable to both of us. I know we become better people because the energy that we put into our products and with communicating with our customers is so much better. It’s so much calmer, it’s creative, and that reflects in our business. So, when you have one of our products it should make you feel like we do, which is good,” said Selena Socialite Body Essentials are available online for shipment at www. socialitebodyessentials.com. Actual products are available at Authentic Roots of Detroit and Hair Goals 313. For updates or to learn more about the product line follow them @socialitebodyessentials on Instagram.