Growing up, Adia Howard watched her father pour his energy into building a beauty business from two simple ingredients: shea butter and black soap sourced from Ghana. Over two decades, he transformed those basics into RA Cosmetics—now the largest importer of shea butter in the country and a staple of Atlanta’s beauty scene.
“He worked seven days a week, constantly,” she said. “His determination to care for his family and community made me so proud. That work ethic poured into me.”
So when it came time for her dad to retire, Howard—who had her own career as an occupational therapist—faced a stark choice: let the business slip away from the family, or take over. In 2022, burned out after COVID, she decided to apprentice under her father, eventually becoming COO.
“Healthcare let me help people from the inside out. Now I do it from the outside in,” she said, referencing the company’s clean, cruelty-free products. “Our products are made from raw ingredients—nothing else. They nourish your hair and skin, and they’re gentle enough for the whole family.”
She knows this firsthand: “We were my dad’s first test subjects. He created these products to care for our sensitive skin.”
RA Cosmetics has been selling on Amazon since 2016, but one of Howard’s first moves as COO was to dig into the data. She analyzed search keywords, trimmed underperforming items. On realizing that products were often slow to reach customers, she also devised a strategy for using Fulfillment by Amazon to pick, pack and ship products, prioritizing low-weight items to minimize fees.
For RA Cosmetics, Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program created a reliable stream of recurring revenue—doubling their sales.
“I’ve learned so much just by tapping into Amazon’s tools,” she said. “The free educational resources and data reports have helped me grow as a business leader.”
Although Howard didn’t come from a business background, she brought a fresh perspective—and a willingness to learn—that has helped RA Cosmetics grow by 40% since she stepped in.
A key driver of that growth has been Amazon Subscribe & Save, a program that allows customers to schedule regular deliveries of their favorite products. For RA Cosmetics, it’s created a reliable stream of recurring revenue—Subscribe & Save sales have doubled since Howard joined.
She’s also tapped into Amazon Vine, a program that connects sellers with customers to provide real, unbiased reviews. For Howard, Vine has helped build trust and boost visibility.
“Amazon Vine has really helped people understand our product in a way they wouldn’t have otherwise,” she said.
And while RA Cosmetics has long been a staple on Atlanta store shelves, Howard says Amazon’s seller tools have allowed her to take that message of clean, natural beauty to a global audience.
As the business grows, so does its impact. RA Cosmetics sources from farmers in Ghana, Honduras, and Chad, and manufactures everything locally in Norcross, Georgia—bringing jobs and economic activity to the Atlanta area.
For Howard, the brand’s success is about more than sales. It’s about community, heritage, and building a future.
“I bring my son into the warehouse so he can see how far we’ve come,” she said. “I want him to understand the legacy we’re building—and know that anything is possible.”