Business is a little personal for the Nayels of Pawleys Island. Husband-and-wife owners of Bare + Bloom Naturals started researching the business concept because of a health need in 2016 shortly after their daughter, Lily, was born.

“My wife, Savannah, experienced some hormonal changes and the thing that bothered her the most was hair loss; nobody had told us that this was a thing,” says Ahmed Nayel. “We were trying to figure out how we solve it and went through trying all kinds of products, but at the same time being hyper aware of what we were eating, what we were putting on and in our bodies and how that might transfer to the baby. I think a lot of new parents go through that.”

The result of their research: nothing out in the natural alternative market was working—certain products even made the symptoms worsen. So, the couple developed their own line of earth-conscious, high-quality, natural hair and skincare products.

“My family comes from the Middle East and uses a lot of natural and traditional ingredients for their beauty regiments,” says Nayel. “And Savannah’s from the South and her grandma and her great aunts use similar things. So we spoke to them, did our own research, and the first product we really made that ended up cultivating the idea Bare + Bloom was a hair loss treatment that was all-natural and oil-based.”

That was in September 2019, with the official launch in April 2020 … during the pandemic. Since then, Bare + Bloom has grown into a health-conscious brand of skin, hair and baby products—all bearing creative, tongue-in-cheek names, i.e., the baby balm is “Sweet Cheeks,” and formulated with natural ingredients, like aloe vera, tea tree oil, cacao seed butter, frankincense oil, coconut oil, rosehip seed oil and witch hazel.

The Nayels first met in 2010 while students at the College of Charleston. Ahmed, born in Egypt and raised in New York, also works as an engineer and sustainability consultant. Savannah is a native of the Murrells Inlet area. In addition to Lily, they are also the proud parents of 2-year-old Abraham.

Aligning with their care for the environment, Bare + Bloom donates a portion of their net profit to the South Carolina Wildlife Federation.

“We hope to expand that in the future, with nonprofits in the realm of conservation, whether it’s energy or water resources,” says Nayel.

The couple also wants the brand to serve as a solution for hair and skin issues, like they’ve had over the years, as a multi-ethnic family.

“We set out to create something that not only was sustainable, but was also very effective,” says Nayel. “Products that are minimalistic and didn’t have any harmful or irritating ingredients, but instead wanted to make a product line that was inclusive.”

Bare + Bloom Naturals currently sells its products online, but the Nayels hope to offer the line in retailers and salons, depending on the course of the pandemic. For more info, visit bareandbloomnaturals.com.