“I’ve always been very particular with lip products,” co-founder of S’Able Labs Sabrina Elba tells ESSENCE exclusively. This is why her new Moringa Lip Salve, launching today, took almost three years to get just right. Unlike other brands on the market, S’Able Labs is banking on African beauty and formulas native to the continent to deliver cultural rituals through new, melanin-first products. “We want to uplift and highlight A-Beauty and these incredible African Botanicals,” Elba says. “For the Moringa Lip Salve, this was no different.”
Known as the “miracle tree,” Moringa is a sacred herbal plant with ancient medicinal properties derived from every part of the tree, from seeds to roots, bark to flowers. Moringa oleifera is native to Indian subcontinent, particularly the Himalayan foothills, while another species, Moringa stenopetala, grows in the Horn of Africa: southern Ethiopia, northern Kenya, and even Somalia, where Elba’s ancestors are from. “Moringa is such an amazing antioxidant that really helps protect lips from outside aggressors,” she says about the fast-growing, drought-resistant plant in a tube.
Supporting an even tone and reducing hyperpigmentation, which darker skin tones are more prone to, S’Able Labs’ patented HyperPrevent Technology is having its debut in the salve alongside prickly pear enzyme and Bright Oleoactif™. Meanwhile, the formula is packed with lipid-rich ingredients like castor and marula oil, proven to boost your lips’s moisture by 127 percent. “I love the castor oil base—which my mom used to claim was the cure for everything—as this product works great on dry spots through the body, especially cuticles,” she says.
An ingredient native to her daily skincare ritual, Elba says hydrating your lips is one of the easiest steps for healthy skin. “Taking care of your lip health is just as important as the rest of your skin,” Elba—who often starts her day by applying the salve, taking deep breaths, and playing Snoh Aalegra on Spotify radio—says “So often we see everyone talking about the face and the under eyes, which are important,” Elba adds. “But I wanted to create a product that also addressed hyperpigmentation on the lips while also making sure they’re hydrated and nourished.”
On the horizon, “I’m excited to continue our work highlighting A-Beauty and these ingredients that may not be as known but are so efficacious,” Elba shares. Additionally, aside from a few upcoming S’Able Labs events, she’s excited to put the spotlight on the faces behind the ingredients, too. “With our recent work in Ghana, we got to showcase that there are real women behind these ingredients and how their work should be noticed and celebrated,” she says. “I’m excited to see this conversation continue to evolve.”
S’Able Labs’s Moringa Lip Salve is available now at sablelabs.co.