Pedicurean on a Global Mission

Brooke Young is on a mission to help impoverished women around the world. And your skin will be all the better because of it.

Young, a personal beauty advisor for Sephora, was born and raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Three years ago, she started her own skin care line, Pedicureans, made 100 percent from fair trade products purchased from women farmers in West Africa, India and parts of Asia.

Young grew up a foster child, a victim of domestic violence, and so she battled with skin problems and her own self-image of beauty: “I had very low self-esteem, and I was a foster kid, so going to the dermatologist for me was not a real option,” said Young.

A talented dancer, she later attended LaGuardia School of Performing Arts, where, in her acting classes, she learned how to apply stage makeup. She said immediately, she was taken by the idea of using makeup to help create a specific look and image to suit a character's role, and she also loved the idea of helping women feel better about themselves.

But, she said, she found very few products or services that targeted the needs of women of color.

"Growing up in Bed-Stuy, I was disheartened to not be able to find any spas anywhere, even though, I learned, we are one of the biggest consumers of skin care and makeup. Yet, we were never a focus or marketing target for makeup.”

So in 2009, at age 27, Young started Pedicureans, a line of eight skin care products for men and women, including a facial cream, two scrubs, two washes, a dry oil, a clay mask and a soap. She financed the line through direct sales and out of her own pocket-- an expensive endeavor, particularly since she buys only fair trade.

“So many of the skin care products you buy on the market come from these regions where women literally are paid pennies to produce it, and then the companies turn around and completely water them down,” said Young. “I wanted to make sure the money was going back into their pockets.”

The more Young learned about fair trade and the communities it affected, the more wedded to the idea she became. But as an independent retailer she could only move so much product. She wanted to make a greater impact.

So, three days ago, Young launched a fundraising campaign for Pedicureans on the indiegogo crowd-searching site to raise $30,000 towards building out a full-service high-tech spa that will service the community of Bed-Stuy. She has raised $75 so far.

“Pedicureans will have a global mission in that when you pay for your services, you know you’re receiving products that are 100 percent all-natural and also you’re helping to give back to the less fortunate,” said Young. “These women do back-breaking work producing shea butter, cocoa butter, sugar cane… and they should be able to benefit from it.

"The spa stations are sick. They’re like nothing you’ve ever seen in Bed-Stuy; these are stations that you primarily only see in Japan.”

At each spa station, Young wants to include an iPad monitor where customers can pay directly for their service, purchase more products and learn about all of the fair trade organizations around the world that sell a variety of other skin care items.

Other plans include free classes at the beginning of June about how to purchase fair trade and, when the store is up and running, discounts for high school students based on their report card grades.

With $29,925 left yet to fundraise, might her plans be somewhat lofty? Maybe. But doable? Absolutely: Every dream starts with an idea, a mission and a strong will.

“This is my first endeavor really going outside of the box and doing something like this,” said Young. “I’ve been doing this out of my own pocket and really pounding the pavement, because I’m serious about the product and I’m serious about the mission.

“I can’t turn back now.”