By Britley Blessitt – Co Arts & Entertainment Editor
Do you ever get so sick of stretch marks, dry skin, or eczema breakouts? Do you ever get so sick of those skin remedies filled with harmful chemicals? Do you ever feel like you would rather cover up than show off your skin? Fear not, I have found the perfect solution for you and anyone else in body care peril. Chad Harrison Nails, 40, Rutgers Newark- HLLC Psych major, has founded Enri Sumari’s Body Shop.
To a customer, friend, stranger or family member, how would you describe your business?
“I am the producer and distributor of raw, natural body care products. I am to provide all natural alternatives for body care. I make Omni ( all) butter (lotion) that can be used for all parts of the body, body scrubs and body wash. There are three different types of the body scrub: salt, sugar, and baking soda. There are also seven different scents I have created such as: Omni Original unscented, Newark Nectar, Bloomfield Bouquet, South Orange Suede, Livingston Leather, Montclair Musk, and Irvington Ice. “
What made you start this business?
“At age 10, it was visible to see that I had mild eczema. But ever since I started making my body care products, it is hard to tell that I even have eczema because the products work really well. There are people that come up to me and they’re like, “Your skin is so soft and smooth. What do you use?” And then I tell them I make my products. After that, they automatically ask if I could make my products for them. There are so many people who have severe acne, burn scars, stretch marks, dry skin or eczema so body care products means a lot to them. They want to make sure they are taking great care of their bodies.”
When you first started Enri Sumari, what was the biggest obstacle you faced?
“I started this business when I was 38 years old. I would say that my biggest obstacle was a knowledge gap. I really did know what I was doing. I really did not know where to start.”
You stated previously that you strive to create natural products for your customers, what are some of the ingredients in your products?
“I use shea butter, coconut oil, argan oil, joba oil, and cocoa butter to name a few. The process of creating my body care products is very raw, natural and I thoroughly dedicate time to mix all ingredients together. If you can’t pronounce an ingredient, I don’t put in my products. In some of the body care products in store, there are a lot of ingredients that are just in there and could be harmful because we don’t exactly know what they are.”
Your business name, Enri Sumari, is very unique. How did you create that name for your business?
“Enri is another language to say my mother’s maiden name and the breakdown of my middle name, Harrison. And Sumari is how you would say my last name, Nails, in Swahili. I wanted to honor my parents and my heritage. I am from a African – European heritage.”
What makes your business unique from other businesses? What makes Enri Sumari so special?
“I would say the level of dedication and care. Now what does that truly mean because anyone can say they put love and effort, right? This business is not about the money, I truly want to see and make my customers happy. Every chance I get, I’m either testing out new samples of natural ingredients , new scents for my products and studying my customers’ feedback. There are also calculations behind the results of my products. I studied thermodynamics and applied it to cosmetic making.”
What is your most memorable client story?
“My most memorable client story was an expecting mother and she wanted to find a reliable treatment to get rid of her stretch marks. Within three weeks of using the body butter I created, the stretch marks were no longer visible.”
How long does it take to create your body care products?
“The whole process for each creation would be a couple of hours factoring in the time it takes to melt, mix and properly set the ingredients. The body butter takes six hours to complete. The body scrub takes an hour and the body wash takes two hours.”
Who do you feel are your biggest competitors?
“Honestly, my only competition is really me. My competition is me the day before versus the me I am today. I always challenge and push myself.”
What do you want your customers to take away from your business?
“I want them to know that there’s a strong relationship of trust, positivity of using natural products, and I want them to be able to say “ This man really cares about me and my needs.” I make each product with care from my basement that took me about 3 months to convert into a product lab. I want my customers to know that they’re receiving the real deal, that is all made and produced by me.”
Where do you see Enri Sumari in five years?
“I see my business as one of the best selling body care shops in the country. As we speak right now, I am literally in the process of working on a distribution deal with Salon Centric who partners with L’oreal. I will be sending over my body care samples and hoping for the best.”