Meet Tamykah Anthony: Forensic Scientist/Toxicologist & Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tamykah Anthony and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tamykah, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
While completing my coursework to become a Forensic Toxicologist, I started paying more attention to the ingredients in products used daily and realized how toxic some of them were. When educating others about this, I was always presented with the same problem: what brand/product could I suggest instead? Since there was not one brand I could wholeheartedly vouch for, I decided to create one! A product line that would be natural, safe and effective that individuals and families could trust. My first product was a natural deodorant because I was concerned about the growing number of women of color being diagnosed with breast cancer and the links that were being made to aluminum and other potentially harmful ingredients in antiperspirants and some deodorants. Soon after, customers started asking me to make safer alternatives to other products including toothpaste, body wash, dish soap, laundry soap, lip balms and more and the business grew and grew. To date, there are over 30 products on the product line, all still made by me

What should our readers know about your business?
What sets me apart from others is my accessibility, my transparency and my passion for educating, plus being a toxicologist makes me the ideal person to create non-toxic products. I believe everyone should be in a position to make informed decisions when it comes to their health and wellness, so even if after shedding light on a potentially harmful product, a customer chooses another natural brand, I have done my job as long as they now are aware of what they use on their bodies. Being a business owner has had many challenges. I went to school for science, not business, so I have had to learn certain aspects of business “on the job” rather than prior to starting. It can also be challenging to keep yourself motivated when starting and building a business. The first few years are filled with what seem to be losses and you may not see the growth quickly. Some days you feel like “throwing in the towel”, so that’s why it is very important to cultivate a “why”. Your “why” being the reason why you started or the reason why the world needs your talents. On the days when I get discouraged, I focus on my “why”, which is to provide the community (specifically the Black community) with the tangible and intangible tools needed to have optimal health and wellness. My products have broken generational curses and created new and healthy rituals and traditions in families that I know will be passed on and so it is my responsibility to do my part.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My first shoutout would have to be to the Creator for bestowing me with the gifts and insight needed to create and maintain my business. I would also shoutout my children for being the best little “hype people”. They also need a shoutout because as a homeschooling mom, I would never be able to run my business AND teach them if they weren’t so amazing. My science and life mentor, Dr Nathan Lents, has been my number one supporter since college and was the first person to ever tell me that I has what it took to be a scientist. And lastly without my customers, I would have no business so I would like to shout them out for trusting me and the products I create.

Website: www.xanthines.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/xanthinesallnaturalproducts

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xanthinesallnaturalproducts/

Image Credits
Michael Law Photography