WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--COVID-19 has brought crucial challenges to women and small businesses across the globe. This holiday season, consumers have the opportunity to engage in socially conscious gifting through Yes She May, an online shopping startup featuring thoughtfully curated fashion, beauty, wellness and home décor products made exclusively by women-owned businesses around the world.
“On our journey to help female entrepreneurs, we spoke with over 300 women founders and selected the most innovative to tell their stories on our site and build a bridge with consumers beyond just the transaction of goods,” says Mei Xu, who founded Chesapeake Bay Candle in 1994 and grew it to a $60 million business by 2016, before selling it and launching Yes She May in 2020. She adds, “On Yes She May, you transcend geographical borders and current travel challenges to meet these female founders where they live and create — and when you buy, you’re supporting their communities along with their businesses.”
Among the over 800 products from 50 women-owned brands on Yes She May are:
- “Diba” Turkish Cotton-Linen Scarf ($18) and “Olympos” Turkish Cotton Towel ($27) by Loom.ist — a line of ethically conscious resort wear and home textiles crafted from natural fibers hand-loomed in Turkey. The soft, long scarf can cover shoulders from a chill or be tied as a sarong. The quick-drying towel is fabulous for beach/boating. Co-founder Cigdem Toraman was inspired by her upbringing in a Turkish fishing village where women wove their own fabrics. Female business partner Nilufer Senen thrives on sharing this type of local artistry.
- Green Tea Water Bomb Moisturizer ($16) for all skin types and Peptide Water Bomb Moisturizer ($16) for oily/combination skin, by Bonajour — a vegan, cruelty free skincare line, created by young Korean woman Dahae Kim after her years-long struggle with sensitive skin. Bonajour works with experts on natural cosmetics, and invests an average of 550+ days in research/testing to create products from ingredients sourced close to earth.
- Bamboo Headband ($10) by Angelrox — a versatile, handmade fashion piece produced from sustainable, plant-based fabric, for wear as a headband, scrunchy, sleep/face mask or neck cover. Angelrox founder Roxi Suger, who learned to sew at age 8, designs eco-friendly, versatile apparel for women of all shapes and sizes; each item is consciously crafted in a historic textile mill in Maine.
- 'Mala' Eau De Parfum Travel Spray ($28) by HENNY FAIRE Co. — Crisp and sheer, this artisan perfume was inspired by a botanical species native to Appalachia. Blending precious absolutes and plant essences with biodegradable, vegan aromatics, the scent is naturalistic and long-wearing. The brand is named for a legendary Appalachian herbalist who shared her foraging and compounding skills with girls in her community who are now the women behind the company.
- Down Under Rub ($45-$75) by Be You CBD — a CBD and botanically-derived essential oil blend for discomfort, sore muscles and joints, and localized pains. Company co-founder Heidi Millar saw CBD’s positive effects after her diagnosis with thyroid cancer and a genetic disorder that causes numerous health concerns; she and Jen Engevik source pesticide-free, cruelty free CBD from a sustainable farm in Oregon.
- Minis - Shampoo, Conditioner & Blow-Out Creme ($29) by SEEN — a haircare line from Harvard-trained dermatologist Dr. Iris Rubin, who found patients were struggling with breakouts from other hair products. Her solutions are color-safe; clinically proven to be non-irritating and not to clog pores; and formulated without sulfates, silicones, phthalates, parabens, dyes, gluten or animal testing.
Most orders from Yes She May are sent directly from the women-owned brands that make the items. Shipping in the continental U.S. is free for orders of $75 or more (excluding sales tax). Holidays bring special savings offers to the bespoke online boutique.
For more information on Yes She May, its brands, their female founders, and Mei Xu, visit www.YesSheMay.com.
