Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacey Manigault.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
There’s really no short version of my story because Essential Body Concepts didn’t come from one moment.
My paternal grandparents, my father, and five of his six siblings all passed away from cancer. They lived and grew up in an area of our city where there was a railroad yard, and as a child, I would spend weekends with my paternal grandparents. I remember the trains sitting there in the rail yard and the smell of oil permeating the air throughout the neighborhood.
Nobody could ever tell us exactly why so many members of my family developed cancer. I don’t pretend to know the answer now. But I remember being a child and recognizing the environment around them probably didn’t help. As I got older, I started thinking more about the connections between our environment, our health, and the products we use every day. That curiosity eventually led me to researching how to make body products that I felt comfortable with my own family using on their skin.
But there was another influence that was just as important—my maternal grandmother, who raised me.
She could do just about anything. She was a caterer, a seamstress, an upholsterer, a quilter, a cook. I can still remember her teaching me how to decorate soaps with greeting cards and paraffin wax. She was always making something. She taught me how to work with my hands and, more importantly, she taught me not to be afraid to figure things out.
I didn’t know it at the time, but those little moments instilled something in me. I never thought one day I would own a skincare company, I was just a little girl learning from her grandmother.
My business acumen can be attributed to my paternal grandfather. He owned a grocery store, so entrepreneurship was also something I grew up around. Between my grandparents, I saw two things that have stayed with me: you could create something with your own hands, and you could build a business that served your community. They probably wouldn’t have used all the terminology we use today about entrepreneurship, branding, or legacy. They simply worked hard, took care of people, and created something for their families.
I started making soap in 2016, and then, like I tend to do, I got curious. I didn’t want to just know how to make it. I wanted to know the why— why does this type of oil do this? Why does this formulation behave that way? Why does one product feel different from another? What’s actually happening on the skin?
The more I learned, the more questions I had. That curiosity took me deeper into cosmetic formulation and product development, and eventually, Essential Body Concepts became much bigger in my mind than making handcrafted soap.
Today, Essential Body Concepts is growing into a skincare and education company. I still love making the products, but I don’t want the story to stop there.
That’s where The Essential Skin Library™ comes into focus. I want to create books, guides, workshops, and hands-on experiences that help people understand their skin and the products they’re using. And eventually, I want to introduce young people to cosmetic science and formulation—to let them see that there are careers, businesses, and opportunities behind the products they use every day.
When I look at Essential Body Concepts now, I realize that so much of my life is sitting inside this company. My grandparents are in it. My grandmother’s creativity is in it. My family’s story is in it. My curiosity is in it. My professional experience is in it. And my grandchildren are in the future I’m trying to build.
I want to leave them something they can be proud of—not just something they can inherit, but something that teaches them that they can create, learn, lead, and build something of their own.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not at all. And honestly, I don’t think I would want it to have been completely smooth, because some of the hardest parts have taught me things I probably wouldn’t have learned any other way.
I’ve had to learn patience. I’ve had to learn that sometimes you have to change the plan without giving up on the dream. And I’ve definitely learned that working harder isn’t always the answer. Sometimes you need a better system, a different strategy, or you simply need to step back and look at what you’re doing differently.
That’s hard for me because I’m a planner. I like to know where I’m going, what it’s going to cost, and what the next step is. But entrepreneurship doesn’t always care about your plan.
I’ve also had to learn some hard financial lessons. I’ve self-funded Essential Body Concepts, and there is only so far you can stretch your personal finances. I’ve put money into this business that, quite honestly, I probably should have used somewhere else. There have been times I’ve looked at what I’ve invested and wondered, What am I doing? Am I really going to be able to make this work?
The mobile store is a good example. I bought a sprinter van with a vision to construct a mobile retail experience. I could see Essential Body Concepts as a mobile retail experience. I could see myself taking the products into communities, meeting people, teaching classes, and creating experiences around the brand. I could see it so clearly in my head.
But seeing it and paying for it are two completely different things.
That’s probably one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned: a vision can be right and still be expensive.
And there have been days when the financial pressure has been so heavy that I’ve thought about quitting. That’s the part people don’t always see when they look at a small business from the outside. They see the product, the pretty pictures, the finished presentation. They don’t see the worry behind it.
But I also know why I’m doing this. I know what I want Essential Body Concepts to become, and I know what I want to leave for my children and grandchildren.
So I keep going.
I’m learning that I don’t have to have the entire road mapped out. Sometimes I just need enough faith to take the next step.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Essential Body Concepts started with soap, but over the years, it has grown into something much bigger. Today, we handcraft everything from our bar soaps and shower gels to body butters, beard balms and oils, Body Velvets, and Love Bombs—our take on the traditional bath bomb.
But for me, it’s never been about simply making a product that looks good or smells good. I’m very particular about what goes into each formulation and, more importantly, why it’s there. I want to understand what each ingredient brings to the product and how the finished formulation is going to feel and perform on the skin.
That’s really what pulled me deeper into formulation. I wanted to move beyond following recipes and start understanding the why behind what I was making. My goal has always been to create products that feel good to use while helping the skin feel nourished, moisturized, and cared for.
For me, that’s where the art and the science of Essential Body Concepts come together.
What I think sets EBC apart is that I don’t want people to just use our products—I want them to understand what they’re using and why.
I believe skincare should be enjoyable. You should love how a product feels, smells, and fits into your routine, but I also think you should be able to ask questions about it and get real answers. What’s in it? Why is that ingredient there? What does it actually do?
That belief is what led me to develop The Essential Skin Library™. I envision it as a collection of books, guides, workshops, and hands-on learning experiences that make skincare, ingredients, formulation, and skin science easier to understand.
For me, education isn’t something separate from the Essential Body Concepts brand. It’s part of the reason Essential Body Concepts exists.
We also have a mobile boutique underway, which I’m really excited about. I envision it being a way for EBC to get out into the community—to farmers’ markets, events, festivals, and other places where I can meet people face-to-face and let them experience the brand in a more personal way. We’ve also started offering soapmaking classes, which has been especially meaningful to me because it brings me back to what my grandmother taught me: there’s something special about learning by actually making something with your hands.
And there’s a lot more I’m hoping to bring to life over the next year.
But honestly, what I’m most proud of isn’t one particular product or even one business venture. It’s the fact that EBC has a real purpose behind it. There is a reason I started this company, and there is a reason I keep building it even when it gets difficult.
Some days are harder than others, and I don’t always know exactly how everything is going to come together. But I know why I’m doing it. And that matters to me.
I’m not just trying to build a business. I’m trying to build something that means something.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
There are a lot of ways people and organizations can work with or support Essential Body Concepts.
We work with retailers, community organizations, event organizers, educators, schools, makers, and other small businesses. That can look like soap making classes, team-building activities, corporate events, and private group gatherings; corporate gifting; wholesale, white-label opportunities; and workshops.
I’m especially interested in opportunities that allow us to do more than simply sell a product. I love creating experiences where people can learn something, make something, and walk away with a better understanding of what they’re using on their skin.
The educational side of EBC is also something I’m really passionate about. The Essential Skin Library™ is a long-term project for me, and I envision it growing into books, guides, workshops, hands-on experiences, and eventually programs that introduce young people to cosmetic science and formulation.
So I’m always interested in connecting with people or organizations that can help move that vision forward—whether that’s through expertise, resources, publishing, schools, community organizations, or even just an idea I haven’t thought of yet. Sometimes one conversation can open a door you didn’t know was there.
And support doesn’t always mean spending money.
Of course, buying from a small business helps tremendously. But so does telling somebody about Essential Body Concepts, sharing something we’ve posted, inviting me to teach a class, introducing me to someone who might be a good fit for the business, or simply following along and cheering us on. As a small business owner, I don’t take any of that for granted.
Ultimately, I’m looking for relationships, not just transactions. I want to work with people who believe in what we’re trying to build and who see an opportunity for us to create something meaningful together.
If there’s a genuine way we can learn from each other, collaborate, or help each other grow, I’m always open to the conversation.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.essentialbodyconcepts.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/essentialbodyconcepts/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=essential%20body%20concepts
