By Lauren Mixon

Kushae (pronounced koo-SHAY), a Black woman-owned feminine care company, rolled out the red carpets for their newest partnership during a recent press briefing on June 23. The company announced that platinum recording artist and actress LeToya Luckett is their official brand ambassador.

The announcement comes when there’s still a stigma around women not talking about “it” often – you know – down there. After all, “it” is commonly referred to as private for a reason, right?

As sacred as “it” may be, Kushae is making it less awkward to talk about what the company calls “the space below the waist.”

“Women are craving real, credible, honest sources of information about feminine and intimate health,” said Kimba Williams, co-founder and CEO of the company. “We chose LeToya Luckett as our Kushae Brand Ambassador because of her passion for healthy living. We welcome her unique perspective as a woman of color, mom, and health advocate to help spread the word about the importance of using natural, chemical-free products.”

Luckett is a former member of the popular R&B group Destiny’s Child who went on to have a successful solo career. She’s also known for roles in the Netflix series ‘Greenleaf’ and ‘Preacher’s Kid.’

“As the proud Mom of two beautiful children, I understand how the different phases of life can change a woman’s body,” said Luckett. “I support Kushae’s simple, science-backed natural products and welcome the opportunity to spread positive information to educate women about the importance of their feminine health and wellness.”

The difference between Kushae, which is a play on a different word women often use to refer to the place down below, is that the products are natural and pH-balanced, meaning that they are safe to use, as the company says, “from the cradle to the grave.”

Dr. Barbara McLaren, a Board-Certified OB/GYN and company co-founder, said providing healthy, non-toxic products for women is especially important to her. She has that perspective because of her work in women’s medicine and since harmful substances have the potential to cause others the same health complications she faced.

“I was the first person in my family to be diagnosed with breast cancer, so that kind of sent me on a quest to find out, ‘Why me? What am I doing wrong at the age of 38 to be diagnosed with breast cancer?’” said McLaren. “When I set about looking at my life, it was almost everywhere you turn, you’re being exposed to carcinogens, which are chemicals that have been directly linked to cancer in your food products, in everyday soaps, lotions…so I set on quest to kind of detoxify my life of those things…and Kushae is kind of an offshoot of that.”

Luckett said one of her top priorities in supporting Kushae is teaching young girls and women how to take care of their bodies properly.

“As an ambassador and an advocate for feminine wellness, I find it important to do my part in educating young girls and women and about proper maintenance for their baby girl down there,” she said. “I’m doing just that with the all natural, feminine care brand, Kushae. Kushae’s newest edition is natural, non-toxic, and developed by a Black OB/GYN and women’s health advocate to help me, you, our daughters, and our friends stop unwanted odors on the go.”

The company also highlights other strong selling points about itself, like its lineup of nine items to help keep ladies fresh, including a newly released deodorant stick, and its Black-owned and women-led team.

Most notable among those achievements is Williams being one of the first 100 Black women to raise more than $1 million in venture capital funding.

The Multicultural Media Correspondents Association, an investor for Elevate Dayton, helped facilitate the press briefing. Nate Dillard, publisher of Elevate Dayton, is a partial owner of the BIPOCXChange, the platform that hosted the event.