Targeting Stress-Related Illness With First Product Launch
Bringing Stress Care to Every Hood
Challenging the wellness industry’s one-size-fits-all approach, she adds, “Wellness looks different for everybody, especially Black people. If you want to eat clean, consume adaptogens, and turn up on the weekend—that’s a form of wellness too. Wellness is finding balance in what makes you feel good.”
Founder & CEO Devin McGhee
Stress is endemic in the Black community, and the systemic inflictions we face can lead to a heightened risk of heart disease. Deon Libra, an adaptogenic beauty and wellness brand, launched its first products on November 11, 2022, to help combat the effects of chronic stress. Their holistic and true-to-self approach is the beginning of a new beauty and wellness standard.
It’s hard enough to exist in a Black body and to compile matters; we don’t see ourselves represented in wellness spaces often or well. This can lead to the belief that these spaces are not for us, implying that our well-being isn’t as important as others. Deon Libra is challenging the traditionally white, skinny, and feminine status quo of the wellness industry by making room for Black folks to be their most authentic selves. They offer an inside-out approach to stress management that doesn’t diminish but emphasizes the beauty that is Blackness.
The initial product line includes Unbothered, an ingestible adaptogenic powder, and Big Up, an adaptogenic full-body oil serum. Together, the products empower folks to feel confident in regulating stress on their terms—and look damn good doing it.
Founder & CEO Devin McGhee lost her father in 2018 due to a stress-induced heart attack. “I’m building the company that can’t save my Daddie, but maybe it can save someone else’s,” she says.
Co-Founder & COO Brit Kirkland pulls from her experience as a former SoulCycle instructor and CrossFit athlete saying, “I’m often the only Black person in the room. They advertise community in these spaces but are not truly inclusive. Welcoming me and tolerating me are two different things. We can tell something’s off, and over time, you start to consider if you’re the problem.”
She is ready to set a new tone adding, “I want to build the wellness brand that makes Black people obsessive about signing up for wellness subscriptions and living well from the inside out, in every arena of their life. I like to think of Deon Libra as wellness meets Hip Hop. It’s a vibe. And if you listen to it, it might save your life.”
Through educational editorials, intentional products, and experiences that encourage rituals around longevity, the brand is creating new resources for Black consumers and reminding us that we are all worthy of enjoying long, healthy lives.
“I’m often the only Black person in the room. They advertise community in these spaces but are not truly inclusive. Welcoming me and tolerating me are two different things. We can tell something’s off, and over time, you start to consider if you’re the problem.”
Co-Founder & COO Brit Kirkland
About Deon Libra
Deon Libra is an adaptogenic beauty and wellness brand committed to delivering functional products with an authentically Black experience. We encourage stress management from the inside out and believe the best ingredients belong in your body and on your body.
