Gay entrepreneur Tye Shirley turned his skin sensitivity into a line of organic cosmetics
SOAKED IN BEAU TYE Tye Shirley makes morning primping a joy. (Arnold Wayne Jones/ Dallas Voice)
J. DENTON BRICKER | Contributing Writer
dentonbricker@gmail.com
Gay men love to primp, and Tye Shirley is no exception. And like most average Americans, he used to expose himself to more than 200 chemicals before he walked out the door every morning, from shampoo to deodorant to cologne.
Only Shirley didn’t react well to those products, due to sensitive skin allergies. That’s why, when he was in college, Shirley started making bar soap for himself, his friends, family and partner Mark.
“I was allergic to pretty much everything available,” he says. “I was just a blotchy red mess from all these soap and detergents I was using. Even the products that were hypoallergenic didn’t really do anything for me so I started experimenting, trying to create something that would work for my own skin. Having a nerdy interest in science, cooking and beauty, I started doing research and discovered recipes that would work for me.”
That was the germ of Beau Tye, Shirley’s line of handmade, all-natural cosmetics for sensitive skin. The real jumping off point for the company, however, came when a close friend asked him to create customized soaps for his annual Christmas party. (“He was tired of giving out poinsettias,” Shirley notes.) The friend’s staff loved them and wanted to know where they could get more.
“[That’s when I knew] I needed to take this to the next level,” he recalls.
His first foray was selling soaps at farmers’ markets, which led to a first production space and expansion of distribution. And while the line has expanded to lotions and other products, soaps are still the core item. The six most popular scents are leather (!?), lemon verbena, lavender, dragon’s blood, honey almond oat and eucalyptus mint, but it’s what’s not in the soaps that makes them stand out.
“There is no petroleum in any of our products,” Shirley says. “If you look at the top 80 percent of ingredients in most commercial products, most of the ingredients are petroleum-based or synthetic, manmade chemicals. Most of them can be linked to cancer, autoimmune toxicity allergies, skin sensitivity and other ailments and problems.”
Three members of Shirley’s immediate family have suffered cancer due to of petroleum exposure, so he has an especially strong aversion to such products touching his skin.
“Mineral oil is a byproduct of gasoline production, and often times ends up in the top two ingredients of commercial products,” he says. “It is more expensive for petroleum companies to dispose of than to give to the cosmetic industry who use it to bulk up the [formula].”
The base of Beau Tye soaps is 70 percent olive oil — a safe, natural and effective skin moisturizer.
Shirley likes to say if you wouldn’t consume something, why would you put it on your skin … though he’s not suggesting anyone to take a bite out of his bars.
“Your skin is the largest organ of your body. We use more than 15 types of oils and the reason is because all of the different nut and vegetable oils soak into the skin at contrasting rates. Some have small molecules and soak into the skin rapidly while others take a bit of time. This way some can immediately penetrate and hydrate whereas others serve as a protective barrier,” Shirley says.
It was a natural step to expand the line — with all-natural products, it’s an easy transition from soaps into lotions, lip balms, body powder and even candles.
“It only made sense to utilize those same ingredients purchased in bulk to create a larger line of products to maximize your beauty regimen: Cleansing, toning, moisturizing, and protecting the skin. You can’t just stop at cleansing,” he says.
Many items were inspired by Shirley’s friends and family. For instance, Save Your Sole foot and heel balm came about from a friend in Chicago who asked him to create an ultra-hydrating product that would protect her feet against the harshness of Midwestern winters; customers who expressed an inability to find a body powder that didn’t smell feminine or contain talc triggered the invention of Beau Legged body powder, a neutral, lightweight powder that wicks away moisture, prevents chafing and absorbs three times its weight (perfect for the avid cyclist or jogger in humid Dallas).
“We don’t try to sell things to people — we have customers that try to sell us on what to make for them,” Shirley explains. “The natural market is really narrow when it comes to quality products because everyone tries to get away with filler. We’re big enough to compete with other soap competitors, but we are small enough to customize and we will take the time to design something unique for you. We’ve had requests from dude ranches to hotels from Dubai.”
Shirley is even able to leverage his day job as a full-time flight attendant for Southwest Airlines to benefit his sideline — and keep his hectic life sane.
“Every time I go on a flight, I take samples and pass them out to passengers, pilots and fellow crew members,” he says. “I have discussions with people all across the country about Beau Tye and why I believe in them. I enjoy traveling and find it brings a lot of inspiration to the creative process. For instance, when I go to Charleston and walk down the jasmine-perfumed streets, it can lead to creating a product that reproduces the sensation. A lot of my exposures to different scents, botanicals and herbs come from my travels.”
You can see the entire product line by visiting MyBeauTye.com.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition June 21, 2013.