Have you ever been interested in natural skincare and pain relief products, but didn’t know where to begin or who to trust? Finding conventional medicine just isn’t cutting it? Shealynn August of August Sunshine Shop found herself in a similar situation when her children were little. Her daughter was dealing with a diaper rash, and Shealynn was finding that conventional medicine wasn’t helping. Digging through her bathroom cupboard trying to find something to help her daughter, she realized she had all the ingredients needed to help heal her skin: shea butter, beeswax, essential oils, and other ingredients. Compared to the conventional medicine options she tried, the natural ingredients healed her quickly. From there, Shealynn decided to start making her own products - such as body scrubs, laundry soap, and more - with the goal to sell them. In seven years time, she opened up Sunshine & Grace Botanicals in June 2020. During this time, her mother was battling cancer, and due to the pain, this motivated Shealynn to create pain therapeutics. After trying Shealynn’s therapeutics, her mother was able to stop taking most of her conventional pain medications. Over time, Shealynn ended up developing over 30 items for her Sunshine & Grace Botanicals line.
Originally, Shealynn’s business was under the name of Sunshine & Grace Botanicals. The name came from her three favorite things: Sunshine, her favorite thing to be in; Grace, because of the grace of God; and Botanicals, because she loves botanicals and aspires to open her own Apothecary someday. After having the business open a few years, she decided to change the name of her shop so she can expand it to the other things she loves doing: painting and creating hand-stamped jewelry. She also started selling beeswax covers and other items, thus expanding her business into August Sunshine Shop. This name came from her last name and keeping the sunshine that she loves. Her skincare items still fall under Sunshine & Grace Botanicals.
Shealynn has taught herself everything she knows about her business. Her mother was an entrepreneur, so she learned at a young age that you can make a profit from anything as long as you market it properly. Shealynn started her entrepreneurial journey making and selling hemp jewelry and tie-dye shirts. Her natural home and skin care product journey grew the more she educated herself and by going to school as a Board Certified Naturopathic Doctor, later evolving into a business. Through this, she has learned how to support bodies from within with the help of aromatherapy.
Outside of August Sunshine Shop, Shealynn enjoys painting and playing her guitar. She’s also been dabbling in flower-pressing, along with exploring other mediums of art. She also loves spending time with her kids teaching them to enjoy the small moments, and going on adventures with their two cats and dog, Willow. Shealynn expressed that she has found life to be too short, so she tries “to enjoy every moment we have here on earth.” She emphasizes the importance of stopping to smell the roses every chance you get. In addition to spending time with her kids and animals, she has a part-time job at The Backpacker and says the people she works with are the coolest people in Baton Rouge! She is also a Digital Marketing Specialist, Social Media Manager, and Freelance Writer for different companies. Her love of writing led her to write her own book, which she hopes can get published one day.
In all, Shealynn loves serving Baton Rouge with natural and organic skincare items. Many people have expressed to her how much her pain therapeutics have helped them. She is currently finishing school to be a Board Certified Naturopathic Doctor and Master Herbalist, scheduled to finish in February, so she can further help people. Shealynn states that she loves “to dive deep into how I can help others get to the root of a healthy lifestyle and gain their health back one naturopathic technique at a time.” She plans to open an apothecary in Baton Rouge to serve this community. She hopes this apothecary can grant a place of harbor people can go to and find how to truly heal their bodies from within. Shealynn’s Sunshine & Grace Botanicals products are unique in the sense they have no preservatives, are non-toxic, and have no added fragrances. Because of this, she is able to offer an aromatherapy experience that stands apart from the rest. She says her experience has been a blast and “shops like Local Supply and markets like Local Pop Up have made a little dream grow bigger every year. Thank you, BR and the surrounding areas for always supporting my little corner of the earth.”
You can shop August Sunshine Shop at Local Supply in store or online. You can also find Shealynn hosting her first workshop at Local Supply on September 22nd from 6-8PM! For this Girl’s Night Workshop, Shealynn will teach you about the importance of aromatherapy and will help you choose the right essential oils for your needs. She will then walk you through how to make your own bath bomb, bath salt, and shower steamer that you will be able to take home. Shealynn will also send you home with a surprise free gift! Grab your girlfriends and enjoy a night of making bath goodies to treat yourself with.
