Meet India Fields | Owner & Creator of Almost Edible Body Care

We had the good fortune of connecting with India Fields and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi India, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My mindset behind Almost Edible Body Care is to create moments of lush comfort and educate about the benefits of the organic ingredients nature has to offer, while simultaneously learning myself. Last but not least, our goal is to underline the importance of self-preservation, self-care, and self-love!

Over the years, I continually experienced irritations and discomforts while using common big-name brands. Unfortunately, because my body and skin were having such bad reactions to wipes, lotions, and soaps, I was absolutely terrified (lol) of the ingredients in most bath bombs, scrubs, masks, and so on.

I wanted to create a line of products that would be appealing to everyone’s senses, while still providing a “go-to” for those with sensitivities like myself. We are really big on not using any harsh chemicals! This is what the name Almost Edible was derived from. A lot of our products are literally edible! For the others that aren’t edible, well, that’s because some natural ingredients we use, such as some essential oils, are harmful if eaten in high doses. Therefore, like most body care companies, we stick to the general rule that all products are for external use only. Most importantly, I want to bring a sense of equity to the self-care community. Everyone deserves a moment to slow down and give back to themselves! Therefore, we create for the many types of skin out there and always feasibly price products to open up accessibility to the community.

I came into this industry knowing that it could be considered a bit over-saturated. However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Meaning that success is my perspective and no one else’s! Even if things never grew past that very first supporter (myself lol) I would still feel just as satisfied and accomplished! I just enjoy continually learning, being creative, and I, too, needed alternative options!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
When speaking career, I’d like to consider myself a bit of a “unicorn”. Outside of just reallyyy liking this terminology (lol), I have dipped into a few different career “pools”. My educational background surrounds computer science and its implementation or developmental skills. Instead of taking the usual developer route, I decided to step into user experience/user interface research and design, the perfect combo of my tech side and my love of creative arts. I used expertise from both skillsets to create Almost Edible’s website, business cards, social media content, posters, and almost every bit of branding you’ll see.

Of course, being a business owner amongst other responsibilities is challenging at moments, however, most things worth it is! I would have to say my greatest challenge is finding a balance between my current livelihood and the investments of time and money towards my future. To be honest, this is something I am still working through. However, to best combat this I stay as organized as possible. I have to write my to-do lists, prioritize those lists, budget bills (with my cute little notebooks lol), and so forth. However (because there will always be challenges….), I believe mindset is most important! My intent is to remain optimistic at all times, understand that most things of value don’t happen overnight, and not stress the things I can not control. Regardless of any challenges, I’m super excited and ready for what the future holds. I have been diving into what makes me happy while creating an environment that allows me to flourish, and this is just the beginning!

I guess I’ll leave this section off with something I want to keep reminding myself and hopefully this can speak to someone out there. Just throughout giving your all, never forget to slow down and allow yourself to “smell the flowers”, i.e. rest, live, appreciate what is around you! Never be ashamed to recharge, this is one of the hugest parts of productivity in my eyes!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Honestly, if I had to take someone on an adventure in my area it would be very food-filled lol. I’m definitely a bit of a foodie, plus that’s what my city (Detroit) is all about: the arts, beats, and eats! I’d have to start by asking have you ever had a coney dog, a Faygo pop, Better maid chips, or a White Castle burger? If the answer is no. We have a long way to go (lol)! Of course, if you’ve never had these Midwest “delicacies”, we’ll start there! However, afterward is when we’ll get into the nitty-gritty.

I can identify that I may be a bit biased (lol), but our area has some of the best destinations for culture and vibes. In the past few years, Downtown Detroit has become filled with eclectic hang-out spots, upscale dining, and boutique hotels and bars. My personal favorites are San Morello Italian restaurant and Leila Lebanese restaurant. However, for a quick bite, I’d lean towards places like Bucharest Grill, Mootz Pizza, Basement Burger Bar, and Sweetwater Tavern. The options are literally endless (lol). Inside downtown Detroit, you also have stops like Greektown, Belle Isle, and the river walk off of the Detroit River. After downtown Detroit, we’d have to have to go southwest Detroit. It’s a must and can all be summed up in three words: authentic Latino food!

Next up would be Ferndale. A very vibrant and colorful city, and a literal safe haven for the lgbtq+ community if you’re looking for one. My most recent visit here was to a restaurant called The Corner. This place has a shorter menu, however, that’s because they have so much to keep your hands busy. A bookshelf wall full of any board game imaginable, music DJ music games for prizes, ax throwing in the back of the place, and the bartenders make the most delicious drinks! My personal favorites in Ferndale would have to be One-Eyed Betty’s, Howe’s Bayou, and Orchid nightclub.

The next stop would have to be downtown Royal Oak. Main Street is a strip of everything you could want or need, from cute little boutiques to pretty dope bars. I most often went to Royal Oak for the boutiques like Pitaya and Burn Rubber, a movie at Emagine theater, or food from one of the many options. My favorites are Astoria Bakery (which it’s also a location in Detroit-Greektown) and Detroit Eatery, a little “hole in the wall” with the best butter chicken and an A+ tres leches cake. As you see, Detroit Eatery’s menu has influences from multiple cultures, which very closely resembles the culture you get in our area. You get heavy Mediterranean, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Asian including Eastern Indian, and even Polish, German, and African influences, plus more.

For shopping, we would have to visit The Somerset Collection. This mall is, by far, my favorite! The brands range from Urban Outfitters and Victoria’s Secret to Louis Vuitton and Hermes, and the food selection is just as vast. Troy, MI is just a great place to shop and eat, I must say!

Outside of the areas I spoke about, I have a few honorable mentions! Lou’s Deli, Lou’s Deli, Lou’s Deli!!! This place has had a hold on me since childhood.

Honestly the best corned beef sandwich I’ve ever had and please try the Russian dressing on it if you like thousand island type sauces. If you have a sweet tooth, I’d suggest House of Chimney Cakes, Sherlie’s Delight Phillipino bakery, or one of Detroit’s top-rated cheesecake bakeries. Last but not least, another piece of water I like to visit is Mercer beach, a smaller beach that is about 20 – 30 minutes outside of Detroit.

Just know we are all about our food and fun! lol

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I, of course, want to give a shoutout to my business and life partner, Lex. I’ll keep it light (lol). Thank you for always being supportive, unconditionally loving, being my best friend, my confidant, and compliment through it all!

I’d also like to shoutout my community of family, friends, and loved ones. Thank you for always showing up and showing out!

Lastly, I’ll never discount the power of strangers…ever! Shoutout to yall!!! Thank you so so much to everyone who has shared, viewed, purchased and supported in any fashion or form. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Website: www.almostediblebody.com

Instagram: @almostediblebody

Twitter: @almostedibleus

Facebook: www.facebook.com/almostediblebody OR @almostediblebody

Other: TikTok – @almostedibleus

Image Credits
@uncwhlgn