LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Ahead of Juneteenth, one Little Rock Black-owned business is reflecting on history.
Specifically, they're focused on soap making and other natural forms of self-care and how drastically that process has changed over the years.
"All of our products are made all-natural, organic, with a lot of ingredients right here from Arkansas," AcScents Soap Co. Store Manager Donaya Herron said.
Donaya Herron said that while they strive to make unique soap and fragrance products for men, she acknowledged that the industry has changed quite a bit since her ancestors' time.
"They used the ingredients they had right next to them," Donaya Herron said.
Additionally, Donaya Herron said some of the natural ingredients used in these products today are similar to the ones people sometimes used during slavery because African Americans didn't have access to more traditional forms of health and wellness.
"The way you made your soap and stuff, lye water and oils were a lot of pig fat, animal fat," AcScents Owner Jess Herron said. "If you have lamb sheep, all of that, you've taken every part of the animal; nothing was thrown away."
Jess Herron said that people back in the day had to add fats to burnt wood to create soap.
"We have a better way of doing it," Jess Herron said. "We don't use lard anymore. We used to use lard. It makes a great bar of soap, but most of our customers are vegan or plant-based. We try our best to listen to what they want and need, and then we can provide that for them."
Donaya Herron said that these all-natural products are more of a luxury than a necessity for some customers, but they try to accommodate everybody's different needs.
"We have a lot of customers who have different skin conditions, like eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, etc," Donaya Herron said. "With our products, it's a necessity for them. They don't have any other options to use. So they can have fragrances and great skincare and feel like they don't have to sacrifice with us here."
Aside from soap making, they aim to support and network with other Black business owners.
"The only way to build the community is from within, so we can work together and take care of each other," Donaya Herron said. "That's a real community, and that's what we strive for."
Juneteenth has been a federal holiday for three years now.
As a reminder, the post office, government offices and most banks will be closed.
Click here for a list of Juneteenth events in central Arkansas.