A business that started on a card table at the Friday Market at the Landing and then received confidence and financial boost from the One Spark crowdfunding festival has opened at the Landing.
Sylvia Williams created NAIWBE (Natural As I Wanna Be), a unisex salon offering manicures, pedicures and massage therapy along with her line of eco-friendly, organic skin care products. It is located near River City Gourmet Shoppes & Dips2go and Nine West Outlet.
Walker is a registered nurse by profession and began developing products that would "represent responsible, healthy lifestyle choices," she said.
The product line includes body cream, facial cleanser, scrub, moisturizer and mask, shower gel and cucumber oil-based shaving products for men.
"Organic products have been around since the 1960s. The market has grown and evolved. People are becoming more educated that their skin is the largest organ in their bodies," Walker said.
All the store's products are locally formulated. Walker said the line is hypo-allergenic, free of artificial colors, formaldehyde and mineral oil, vegan and made with no animal testing.
Manicures, pedicures and massages are available at the salon, which gives Walker the opportunity to demonstrate her exclusive products.
"All the products are designed to help people be as natural as they want to be on the inside and outside," she said.
She said she considered Downtown to be the logical choice for the store.
"We had a table at the market, and then we participated in the One Spark festival. We got a lot of votes and won some money, which helped us get the doors open at the Landing," said Walker.
A grand opening celebration is scheduled at noon Thursday.
Walker said there will be an official ribbon-cutting ceremony along with organic refreshments and product demonstrations.
"Everybody is invited to join us," she said.
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