The idea for Sisters IV began circa 1996, when it became apparent that I, my husband and our four daughters suffered from different degrees of eczema. In addition to making sure that the family ingested healthier foods and adequate water for proper nourishment, focus was also spent on what could be applied topically to the skin. Constant doctor’s visits, however, resulted in high-priced creams and emollients. After further research, I found information about Shea butter. I then realized that purchasing the Shea butter and making our own products, where we controlled all of the ingredients, was of greater benefit to our family. Also, as our family was very active in dance and athletics, we began mixing bath salts for muscle relief. Initially our products were made just for family members; however, positive comments about the condition of our skin and the fragrances we used resulted in us also making products for others, especially those that we knew suffered from eczema. One day, I got a comment that prompted me to consider my own company. A friend of mine was surprised that the girls and I ever had eczema, indicating that she saw no evidence of the usual signs exhibited on the skin. She then stated that whatever we were doing and using was working. After that, we formed the company Sisters 2. My husband had already named a small cookie company after our eldest daughter Najeeba, so in order to make Daughters Two (Sakinah) and Three (Hanan) feel included the skin care company was named for them. Our byline, ‘seeking abundant tranquility,’ comes from a combination of the meanings of their names: Sakinah means ‘peace and tranquility’, and Hanan means ‘love, compassion and an overabundance of good’. We were a very busy family and so the company remained small, filling a few orders and vending at select events each year. Eventually, our fourth daughter came along and, when we decided to spend more time on the business, we included her (Khadijah) and the eldest daughter into the fold. Hence, our company materialized into Sisters IV. Although we started out with Shea butter and Bath Salts, we have increased our product line to include lotions, body oils, 3 additional kinds of Shea butter (whipped, exfoliating, and Baby Shea), soap, and a variety of specialty bath products. We also have a ‘IV MEN’ line, which caters to those fragrances that appeal to men, and a Baby Shea line that features pure Castille soap, Baby Shea, and Baby Oil for more sensitive skin. In addition to providing quality body care products for customers, the aim of Sisters IV was to show my girls that they didn’t always have to work for someone else but could be entrepreneurs and start their own business. All of our products are hand-constructed and made with the intention of providing natural and organic ingredients to cater to healthy living. The customer is of the utmost importance to us, and providing them with products that help and prolong healthy living is the foundation for what we do.
