African botanical skin care line, 54 Thrones, makes its Sephora.com debut today on the heels of its completion of the 2021 Sephora Accelerate Incubator Program. Its signature Beauty Butters ($24) and an exclusive Beauty Butter Trio set ($29) will join the Clean At Sephora umbrella.

Founded by Christina Funke Tegbe in June 2016, the brand’s name is derived from the 54 distinct countries that make up Africa. All of the ingredients for its face and body products are grown on African soil and are ethically sourced in collaboration with women-run cooperatives and entrepreneurs. Its hero ingredient, shea butter, is sourced from both Ghana and Uganda.

“I am thrilled to be bringing African Beauty to Sephora,” said Christina. “This partnership is monumental for inclusivity and representation. I can’t wait for our customers to be able to find us at the same place that they shop for all their beauty needs.”

54 Thrones joins seven other powerhouse female-founders of color as they prepare to introduce their beauty brands to the Sephora customer as part of the retailer’s recent incubator program.

“The Sephora Accelerate program was a once in a lifetime experience and I am so grateful to have been a part of it. There were so many gems of information shared. I especially enjoyed the branding workshops and I immediately put those lessons into action,” said Christina. “One thing from that session that I loved was the idea to take pleasure in breaking the rules and doing things differently. I think it’s important for brands to embrace and lean into the things that differentiate them.”

When it comes to advice for fellow entrepreneurs, Christina shared the following, “First, take nothing personally. Your brand is close to your heart, but not everyone is going to love what you create and that’s okay. Second, it’s better to finish than to be perfect. If you wait until everything is perfect to launch then you’ve waited too long, so launch, gather feedback, iterate and repeat. Third, stop getting advice from people who have never been where you’re trying to go. This one can be tricky because many people may give their advice solicited and unsolicited, but be very intentional about who you lend your energy and ears to. Have a goal and seek out those who have been there already.”