A Symphony of Scents with a Splash of Purpose A Fragrant Revolution A s an entrepreneur and a mom, Marisa Bentley finds self-care incredibly important for her well-being. “I think, as women, it is easy to put others’ needs ahead of our own. Finding ways to pamper ourselves and unwind from the demands of life is crucial to finding balance and health—inside and out.” The company she and her son Lincoln founded in 2022, Lippy Lu, addresses skin care.
MOTHER-SON PARTNERSHIP
She says it has been a joy to watch him have a reason to get out of bed in the morning and find pride in his work, and she hopes that they can continue to partner together on this for a long time. “Running a business with my son is one of the greatest experiences of my life. Lincoln is such an amazing man, and it means so much to work together—creating something really beautiful together.” She says launching one’s own business, or setting up a family business, can be a good path for disabled people. Each person with disabilities has a unique combination of strengths, capabilities, and support needs, so the answer to employment for yourself or your child or family member may be to create a job that works. MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES Creating dignified and meaningful employment opportunities for people with disabilities is a fundamental aspect of Lippy Lu. Each aspect of putting together Lippy Lu’s handmade products, from label art to product creation to packaging, is handled by a disabled person, and they all earn fair wages for their work. “Behind every product created and behind every one of our beautiful labels, there is a story and an artisan who created it. All our products are handmade by special needs artisans,” says Bentley. 191
Marisa’s son and Lippy Lu’s co-founder, Lincoln, is on the autism spectrum and has many support needs, yet he contributes greatly to the company’s success. They founded the company to ensure that he would have stable and meaningful employment in a supportive environment. She relies on the strengths he brings to the business and relishes how they learn from each other. “He is a significant member of this team and, frankly, the inspiration behind everything we do. He is quite literally my silent partner. It has been a joy to watch him learn new skills and gain more and more independence. In the beginning, I would stand with him and help him with the recipes, but now he requires very little supervision. He is meticulous and detail-oriented, so plays a big part in the final inspections of the products. Lincoln has a sensitive nose, so plays a very important role in the scent profiles that we use,” says Bentley.
“Skincare is an easy and important part of this self-care equation. When we take care of our skin by adding a relaxing spa-like aromatic experience at home, it helps us refuel so we can return to the urgent demands on our time and attention. It is the whole idea of putting on our own air mask first so that we will be able to take care of others.” Lippy Lu produces all-natural body scrubs, lip balms, and bath salts to create smooth and beautiful skin. “Our products are hand mixed in small batches from pure and simple ingredients,” co-founder Marisa Bentley says. “It all started from a desire for natural and beautiful-smelling products.” Bentley affirms that Lippy Lu’s ingredients are all-natural, and nothing is synthetic or artificial. “Our products are infused with essential oils, fruits, and petals—using all that nature has to offer while enhancing your aromatic experience. They are never tested on animals. This is skincare approved by nature.”
PHOTO CREDIT MARISA AND LINCOLN BENTLEY WRITTEN BY CRISTINA DEPTULA
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