Local businesswoman brings self-care to the capital

Note: This article was originally written in Sept 2023 as a graduate school assignment.

In a city known for its community of perpetually busy professionals and changemakers, 39-year old Laquansia Bennett -- founder and formula designer of Candor All-Natural -- aims to to simplify self-care.

A Southeast DC native, Bennett's initial interest in creating skincare products began in 2018. As her passion for the craft grew, she became alarmed at the amount of toxins and chemicals present in most mass-produced skincare products.

Over time, it became critical to her that all-natural products and ingredients were more accessible, especially to those with least amount of time to relax.

So, in November 2020, Bennett launched Candor All-Natural, a skincare and candle company. 

"I wanted to share my story with the world and share it with my family. So I started Candor All-Natural," Bennett said. "And then 'candor' means honesty and transparency in all of [my]  products."

Candor All-Natural's products include soaps, candles, bath salts, and body butter. The value she places on transparency is evident in the visual design of her candles.

"I didn't want to do a normal candle. And I wanted to have the element of 'natural' so you can see it's not missed," Bennett said.

Since Bennett melded the idea of an all-natural candle with the concept of a bouquet of flowers, the candles offered at Candor boast a unique array of colors. Most have eucalyptus leaves and dried flowers ranging from burgundy to deep blue embedded in cream wax.

At the St. Anne's Church Flea Market in Tenleytown, the colorful aesthetics of the candles, soaps, and bath salts stood out among other tables.

However, Bennett's mission is two-fold. Not only does she aim to make natural skincare more accessible, but she also wants to bring luxury to the home of working professionals, specifically for the working woman who forgets about her own self-care in favor of helping others.

"I think just making the effort to create the time for you to self-care and love on yourself is very, very important," Bennett said.

She plans to create marketable "self-care kits" that include all the products one might need for a luxurious night in, including candles, bath salts, soaps, and even a little bottle of wine.

"... If you know that you have a kit here that is going to make you feel a certain way because it smells a certain way or it does something for you, I think you're more inclined to create that space for you to do that."