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For this week’s body-care conversation, Glossy sat down with Sabrina Elba (@sabrinaelba; 720,000 Instagram followers), the model, UN Goodwill Ambassador and co-founder of 3-year-old clean skin-care brand S’ABLE Labs. Last week, S’ABLE Labs announced the launch of its latest product, the Okra Face Serum, a retinol with botanical peptides derived from okra — it’s an ingredient the brand calls nature’s Botox due to its ability to stimulate collagen. With S’Able Labs, Elba aims to bring more awareness to A-beauty and the healing benefits that ingredients sourced from the continent of Africa can provide.
Growing up as a melanin-rich person struggling with acne, Elba struggled to find a product that protected her skin tone and also solved her skin condition. As she recalled, many of the popular acne products at the time destroyed her skin barrier and caused more inflammation because of the overpowering acids in the formulations.
“When I was younger, I was using so [many skin-care products] and using too much stuff, burning my face off. I couldn’t find anything that could deal with my postinflammatory hyperpigmentation and acne well enough to keep my hyperpigmentation at bay but also cater to my skin needs,” Elba told Glossy.
The frustration Elba experienced over decades is ultimately what led her to create S’ABLE Labs, alongside her husband Idris Elba. Holistic and safe-for-sensitive-skin ingredients are the hero ingredients in the brand’s formulas. While working to launch S’ABLE Labs, Elba realized that many of the ingredients she and the brand’s product officer, Jessica DeBruyne, were selecting for products were ingredients she was already familiar with. It was an “aha” moment for Elba, who is of Somali descent.
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“African botanicals have the highest antioxidants in the world because the climates are harsh. So we wanted to pack our products with these beautiful antioxidants and highlight them, not hide them, in the INCI. People need to know what these ingredients are … because they’ve been carried out through heritage for so long,” Elba said. “My mom has used a lot of these ingredients in her DIY products, so I grew up watching her mix and make these ingredients.”
Three years into her founder journey, Elba shared that launching a skin-care brand has drastically changed her relationship with her own skin and body care. Mostly, she has seen the benefits of adopting a simpler daily routine.
“I’m more willing to adopt a consistent routine and believe in it because I feel like it’s benefiting me. It’s like when you work out and you start to see the results — you’re more inclined to keep working out. Whereas, before, I would jump around and give up because nothing worked for me. Now, I know how to take care of my body,” Elba said.
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One routine Elba now swears by is her turn-down nighttime routine. “I’m a bit more holistic at night,” Elba said. Some of those habits include showering at night. “I’m using the Naturium Glow Getter Body Wash at the moment, which I’m loving, as well as African black soap. I get [out of the shower] and I immediately use the S’ABLE Labs Black Seed Toner, which is anti-inflammatory. Then I go straight into the rest of my skin routine, finishing off with the Okra Face Serum. And I have to have a leave-in conditioner … I’ve been using Luster’s Pink Conditioner for a really long time, but [sometimes] I’ll switch to Fable & Mane’s Holiroots Hair Conditioner or Miss Jessie’s Leave-In Condish,” Elba said.
To close out her routine, Elba said she reaches for a couple of necessities. “I need my lippy. I can’t go to bed without lip balm because my lips are notoriously dry. I’m using the Biossance Squalane+ Rose Vegan Lip Balm — I love it. And then I finish with body lotion. I love the Josie Maran Argan Cake & Coffee Whipped Body Polish — I need it to go to bed.”
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