Lydia Evans, an aesthetician by profession, appeared on Shark Tank’s season 6 with her line of men’s grooming and skincare products she called S.W.A.G Essentials, where S.W.A.G. stood for Soap, Washing, and Grooming Essentials. Her products were formulated and prepared from her kitchen counter and sold only to men at that point as their skin problems were the inspiration behind her business.
Her brother, a barber in Texas, had asked Lydia to develop a product that would help soothe the hair bumps and razor burns that are a common problem for men, especially men of color. Lydia took the challenge and went at it with full force. After two years of trial and error, she finally developed a holistic range of skincare products for men that she then started selling on her own website to earn profits.
Her most famous product was a loofah bar soap that had loofah placed in a bar soap. She claimed the product to cleanse, exfoliate and disinfect the men’s skin. The lather left behind can also be doubled as a shaving cream, saving time and money for its users.
Lydia soon started making money with her one-of-a-kind product ideas. Before coming to Shark Tank, she could generate $625,000 in profit, which spoke a lot about the potential market of such products. However, the profits of S.W.A.G Essentials didn’t impress the sharks, nor did the business idea seem reliable to them. Lydia, who had come in Shark Tank asking for $125,000 for equity of 20%, received no offer and returned home empty-handed.
But who can stop a woman who’s determined to achieve big? While we may have seen Lydia return empty-handed, she claims she returned home with valuable advice from the sharks of the business world. That’s when she, too, started thinking of her product line as a business and making necessary changes.
Our Review of S.W.A.G Essentials
Instead of seeing the Shark’s rejection as a failure, Lydia considers it a redirection. She went in as an aesthetician but came back as a businesswoman. Lydia worked on the advice she received from the Sharks and worked on making her website more user-friendly while coming up with ways of expanding her product line.
Though Lydia had just started S.W.A.G Essentials with men’s grooming products from her kitchen, she has since scaled her business and moved out to achieve big. Her two-bedroom apartment is no more her laboratory; she now has a 3000 sq ft factory, which looks after all the order dispatching work. As of June 2022, her business has generated 2 million dollars in annual revenue, not bad for a business that Sharks rejected.
Besides that, Lydia has also managed to expand her product range since mass production started for S.W.A.G Essentials. You can find numerous options in products for different skin types to solve various skin problems. Additionally, S.W.A.G Essentials now also has a new line of products solely for women’s skin care needs.
S.W.A.G Essentials products don’t just cleanse, exfoliate and disinfect anymore. These products also reduce breakouts for acne-prone skin, decrease oil production and fight stubborn acne scars for clear skin and a youthful glow.
The men’s grooming and skincare line of S.W.A.G Essentials has found some extra love from the athletes constantly working out and breaking into tons of sweat. The S.W.A.G Essentials products are perfect for people with skin issues due to excessive sweating.
Pros of S.W.A.G Essentials
S.W.A.G Essentials products were all the rage back when the show aired in December 2014 at a high time for business: Christmas. It has grown since in terms of its loyal customer base. Here’s what we consider as some of the best attributes of S.W.A.G Essentials products:
- The products, whether soaps, washes or grooming products, are 100% organic
- Their products are also environmentally friendly, making them attractive to eco-conscious customers
- W.A.G Essentials products are formulated to target numerous skincare issues with a single product, making it a holistic skincare line
- Since you can meet all your skincare needs with a single product, it saves you a couple of bucks
- the products are gentle on the skin and don’t cause irritation
Cons of S.W.A.G Essentials
While there are numerous pros of S.W.A.G Essentials, here are some things we have heard its customers complain about:
- The formula of some products can be quite drying, leaving the skin rough instead of moisturized
- For some people, their product line is expensive as compared to other skincare company products giving them the same results
Who Is S.W.A.G EssentialsFor?
Although the recent expansion makes S.W.A.G Essentials products perfect for anyone and everyone, the S.W.A.G Essentials is ideal for athletes. The constant sweating makes their skin oily and irritated, which S.W.A.G Essentials can treat effectively.
If you have acne-prone skin or constantly deal with oil breakouts, S.W.A.G Essentials products can also help you fight these skin care issues. S.W.A.G Essentials products are also promising for people dealing with many hair bumps or razor burns upon hair removal procedures.
Are There Any Alternatives?
While numerous products have a similar product range as S.W.A.G Essentials, Burt’s Bees stand’s out from the crowd. Its organic skincare products are all the rage today as they’re quite gentle on all skin types and don’t have any strict categorization of products.
Besides that, Burt’s Bees products have a moisturizing formula that soothes irritated skin effectively. Made up of 100% natural and nature-friendly products, Burt’s Bees is certainly the new talk of the town and a potential alternative to S.W.A.G Essentials.
Our Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for high-quality organic products to deal with all your skin problems, S.W.A.G Essentials is certainly a business you should buy from. Its annual profits and strong leadership in the form of Lydia Evans make this business promising and worth a try. The aesthetician-cum-businesswoman is constantly upgrading her products and updating her website to provide her customers with the best service.
With a comprehensive range of products, be assured there’s something for everyone at S.W.A.G Essentials. You can find the products on the S.W.A.G. Essentials’ website and on Amazon.
