Business

Men’s Self-Care in Baltimore

THE AFRO — Randy Lewis can’t say for certain when the new trend of men’s self-care took off, but he’s loving being in front of it.

Published

6 years ago

February 10, 2019

Oakland Post

By J. K. Schmid

Randy Lewis can’t say for certain when the new trend of men’s self-care took off, but he’s loving being in front of it.

“I always took care of myself, always groomed myself,” Lewis told the AFRO. “I saw that a lot of men weren’t. Did they think that men just don’t take of themselves, they just throw shirts on and go out the door?”

A part of Lewis’s self-care is his thick full beard. It stands out and it seems completely free of strays, patches and split ends. He’s been growing it for 12 years.

Lewis attributes the uptick in the rise in the prominence of beards as fashionable to the Facebook page Beard Game Matters.

“It started to spread when they got like millions of followers,” Lewis said. “And I think that’s how beards became really popular in the last couple of years.”

All the while, in pursuit of perfection, Lewis tried any number of off-the-shelf consumer beard care products.

“My beard was still sketchy,” Lewis said. “ It was still growing in, but it wasn’t healthy: A lot of breakage, I had a patch here and there; so I started researching.”

A week on Google, looking for natural and quality solutions led Lewis-literally-to right in his backyard.

“I was like, ‘wow,’ so I’m growing stuff right in my garden that I can use and basically infuse it with the natural oils to create beard products. That’s what I did. I did it for like four months, where I test different recipes that I came up with.”

One successful test saved Lewis’s family a lot of pain and cash.

“My nephew suffers from extreme eczema, and the doctors wanted to put him on steroids and it was costing my sister a lot of money. And then I went back to computer: researched what herbs, what natural oils works for eczema. I created this butter just for him, and then I added it to the company. He’s been using it for two years.”

“My sister made me cry,” Lewis said. “She made a post on Facebook and she was saying how I created this for [Lewis’s nephew] and his skin went from that to this and that’s thanks to his uncle and not the doctor’s who were trying to stick him.”

Lewis works out of his home in Edison, where he provides on-site care: steam baths, brush ups and sales, he also says he has a strong mail-order demand as well, shipping as far away as California.

The space is cozy, and Lewis’s care for plants dominates the environment. The next week’s harvest of basil, mint and rosemary are right up front for customers to inspect alongside bottles of oil infusing for Lewis next creations.

There’s a boutique aspect in that old recipes are only available upon request. During the AFRO’s visit, Lewis was working on a new coconut lime butter.

As the business expands, Lewis is catering to more and more women. He’s developed a new hair oil with eucalyptus and rosemary, and as Valentine’s Day approaches, he selling not only to men shopping for themselves, but women shopping for the men in their life.

Before Father’s Day, in April and May, Lewis will be relocating downtown, near Lombard and MLK and he hopes to wind up with a one-stop-shop for every kind of men’s self care.

“I basically want to turn it into like a GQ/men’s spa type of thing,” Lewis said. “Have my steamer going where you can get your beard treated right on the spot. I want a barber in there, maybe two, where you can physically get hair cuts.The whole nine yards, maybe get an outdoor space where you can sit back and have a cigar. There’s a lot of women’s spots out here. We don’t have a lot of things for men. I’m trying to build something for us.”

Appointments can be made at FIVEOCLOCKCO on Facebook and Instagram.

This article originally appeared in The Afro.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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BWOPA Honors Black Leadership and Legacy at 2024 Ella Hill Hutch Awards Dinner

On Dec. 5, BWOPA held its Annual Ella Hill Hutch Awards Ceremony, at the Fairmont Claremont Hotel in the Oakland/Berkeley Hills. At the event, the group comprised of Black women from various professional backgrounds, honored distinguished local and state leaders whose contributions have shaped civic engagement and advanced critical social issues impacting Black communities.

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

L-R: BWOPA State Executive Director LaNiece Jones; State Asm. Mia Bonta; BWOPA 2024 Man of The Year/Urban League SFBA CEO Ken Maxey; BWOPA State President Hon. Dezie Woods-Jones; State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas; Rowena Brown, Oakland Councilmember At-Large, Elect; BWOPA State Regional Director Vashone Huff. Courtesy photo.

By Oakland Post Staff

Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) is a statewide non-profit advocacy and membership organization committed to solving problems affecting Black Californians.

On Dec. 5, BWOPA held its Annual Ella Hill Hutch Awards Ceremony, at the Fairmont Claremont Hotel in the Oakland/Berkeley Hills.

At the event, the group comprised of Black women from various professional backgrounds, honored distinguished local and state leaders whose contributions have shaped civic engagement and advanced critical social issues impacting Black communities.

The evening was hosted by Dr. Shawna Charles, founder of The Charles Communications Group (CCG) headquartered in Los Angeles. Charles served as mistress of ceremonies.

With a track record of elevating voices and empowering communities, Charles’ leadership and insight brought a certain dynamism to the celebration.

“Each year, this event not only celebrates the enduring legacy of our beloved BWOPA founding member, Ella Hill Hutch, but also reaffirms and amplifies our unwavering commitment to building and sustaining Black political power across California,” said Dezie Woods-Jones, BWOPA founding member and State president.

“Ella Hill Hutch’s trailblazing leadership continues to inspire us as we forge ahead, empowering Black women to lead, advocate, and shape a more equitable future for all,” added Woods-Jones.

This year’s event introduced the DWJ Rising Star Award, honoring young leaders like Solano County Board Supervisors-elect Cassandra James, Danielle Motley-Lewis, Naomi Waters and newly elected State Assemblymember elect Rhodesia Ransom (D-Stockton).

According to organizers, the awardees all exemplify “the next generation of changemakers.”

Other awardees included:

Lifetime Achievement Awardees: Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-12) and Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson
Man of the Year: Kenneth Maxey, CEO of the Greater SF Bay Area Urban League
President’s Corporate Award: Yvette Radford, Kaiser Permanente
In the Spirit of Ella State and Chapter Awards: Dr. Carolyn Greene, Dr. Marcella K. Smith, Dr. Carolyn Drake, Tinisch Hollins, Jackie Jones, Gloria Burgess Johnson, Tamika L’Ecluse, Ellen Nash, Betty Reid Soskin, and Ay’Anna Moody.

BWOPA also celebrated local champions across its chapters, including leaders in voter education, healthcare, criminal justice reform, and community advocacy.

In a statement, BWOPA said, “Honoring Ella Hill Hutch’s legacy, BWOPA recognizes her pioneering efforts as the first Black woman elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Her tireless work amplifying underrepresented voices continues to inspire BWOPA’s mission to build Black political power across California.”

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to our members, partners and allies who believe in BWOPA’s vision to invest in building power for Black women’s leadership,” said LaNiece Jones, BWOPA State executive director. “Your support ensures that Black women have a voice at decision-making tables locally, regionally, statewide, and nationally, advancing diversity and equity in leadership spaces.”

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Council of Islamic Relations Applauds Alameda County Decision to Divest $32M from Caterpillar

The divestment from Caterpillar, a company criticized for its human rights abuses globally—including the destruction of Palestinian homes, infrastructure, and agriculture, as well as in the U.S. prison-industrial complex, border militarization, and immigration detention centers—is a significant step in ensuring that Alameda County’s financial resources do not perpetuate harm.

Published

1 week ago

December 14, 2024

Oakland Post

CAIR-SFBA Policy Coordinator Musa Tariq. Courtesy photo.

Special to The Post

The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, this week welcomed the Alameda County Board of Supervisors’ decision to divest $32 million in public funds from Caterpillar and unanimously commit to adopting an ethical investment policy.

The Board’s decision follows months of advocacy by Bay Area Divest!, a coalition of community organizations calling for accountability in public investments.

In November, CAIR welcomed the reported freeze on the delivery of bulldozers to Israel as an “implicit admission” by the Biden Administration that the far-right Netanyahu government is using that equipment in the ethnic cleansing of Gaza.

CAIR-SFBA Policy Coordinator Musa Tariq said:

“This is a historic moment for Alameda County, demonstrating the power of community advocacy and the County’s leadership in ethical governance. The decision to divest from Caterpillar sends a clear message that public funds should not support corporations complicit in human rights violations.”

In addition to divesting from Caterpillar, the Board voted to move forward with developing a comprehensive Ethical Investment Policy, recommended by District 5 Supervisor Keith Carson.

This policy will include criteria to exclude “investments in industries, corporations, or governments that perpetuate harm to communities and the planet,” such as fossil fuel extraction, weapons production, and entities involved in war crimes, apartheid, and other severe human rights violations.

Alameda County has a proud legacy of socially responsible investment. In 1985, the County divested from South Africa to protest apartheid, and in 1996, it barred investments in companies doing business with Burma due to human rights abuses.

“This forward-thinking policy positions Alameda County as a leader in socially responsible investing,” added Tariq. “By committing to craft the policy within 90 days and implement it within six months, the County has set an ambitious and commendable timeline.”

CAIR-SFBA is an office of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.