15-05-2025
Sabrina Dhowre Elba On S'ABLE Labs Launching A Trend-Defying Lip Balm
Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre Elba with the S'ABLE Labs Moringa Lip Salve
S'ABLE Labs
There's no doubt that moringa is having a moment in the skincare world right now. It just so happens to be the star of S'ABLE Labs' latest launch, The Moringa Lip Salve. But Sabrina Dhowre Elba, co-founder of S'ABLE Labs along with her husband, actor Idris Elba, doesn't want you to think of moringa as a flash in the pan.
'Superfoods and powerful antioxidants go in and out of trend,' Dhowre Elba says. 'When I started this brand, a lot of these ingredients I recognized from my childhood and hearing about growing up as an African woman, these are staples passed down through A-Beauty [African Beauty]; they've been used by generations. So, we very much try not to call them trends at S'ABLE. We don't think they should be trends. They've stood the test of time and we want people to start recognizing them for their efficacy, so we champion ingredients that we know are efficacious, powerful antioxidants from the continent, so that we can keep them mainstay, rather than going in and out. But it's so great that people are finally starting to see the benefits of moringa again, and talking about it, especially as a superfood and something you eat—it's highly nourishing, it's packed with antioxidants. It's an exciting time for moringa, which leans well into what we're doing.'
The S'ABLE Labs Moringa Lip Salve
Ideal for lip care, moringa is loaded with vitamins, antioxidants and essential fatty acids. Its high concentration of oleic acid keeps moisture in, plus vitamins A, C and E protect lips from sun exposure and oxidative stress. Known as the 'miracle tree,' moringa has been used in skincare and medicine for centuries due to its protective, healing and hydrating powers. The drought-resistant tree can grow 10 to 12 meters high in dehydrated environments, which explains why it's so potent.
'It's taken us almost three years now to get this product to launch, but [while] we were formulating, I didn't feel there was anything out there that was satisfactory enough,' Dhowre Elba says. 'And I still don't feel that today. A product like this is so overdue. Lip has always been one of my favorite categories, so I'm excited to put this out.'
The S'ABLE Labs Moringa Lip Salve is all about nourishment. 'What's so great about moringa is it's very healing,' Dhowre Elba says. 'Our clinical studies came back showing that you get an increase of moisture by 127% in just four hours. You'll feel it on your lips that it does linger. It's like a nice velvet seal and lasts up to eight hours. For people who suffer from dry or cracked lips, this is definitely the lip balm for you.'
The S'ABLE Labs Collection
S'ABLE Labs
In addition to moringa oil, the S'ABLE Labs Moringa Lip Salve spotlights prickly pear. The dream team works to protect lips from external aggressors. The deeply nourishing and restorative vegan formula works to help lips achieve a more even and brighter lip tone. There's also castor oil and peptides to spark collagen production and prevent trans-epidermal water loss, as well as licorice root and marshmallow root to prevent and treat hyperpigmentation. Their proprietary Ultra Filling Spheres trigger collagen and elastin while repairing and strengthening the barrier.
'Prickly pear acts like an enzyme, so one of the ways that we're addressing hyperpigmentation is to exfoliate dead skin off of the lips,' Dhowre Elba says. 'If you have an enzyme in there, that helps with the exfoliation process and the cellular turnover and cellular renewal.'
True to the S'ABLE Labs ethos, all of the ingredients in The Moringa Lip Salve are ethically sourced. In addition to being a model and entrepreneur, Dhowre Elba is a UN Goodwill Ambassador for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and also works with civil society organizations like Farm Africa, Conservation International and the European board for Global Citizen. Her background has given her the knowledge and perspective to champion ethical sourcing, as well as using 100% PCR packaging and sustainable materials.
The S'ABLE Labs Moringa Lip Salve
S'ABLE Labs
'We make it a sticking point to source all of our raw materials that are African from the African continent, responsibly and traceably,' Dhowre Elba says. 'That's something that we've become increasingly passionate about upholding, and it's a core pillar of our brand. We know the communities who supply our raw materials. We are making sure they're supported, that they're paid fair wages, that there isn't any mistreatment or child labor, for instance, in our supply chain. That's something we do with the brand and outside the brand in our philanthropic work. The moringa comes from Kenya, the marula comes from Namibia and the prickly pear comes from Madagascar. Those are three great responsibly sourced ingredients in our lip balm that we're excited about.'
Another cornerstone of S'ABLE Labs is their exclusive Hyperprevent technology, which breaks down and prevents melanin growth and overproduction by blending powerful African botanicals with cutting edge science. It's a potent tool in treating hyperpigmentation, making the formulas ideal for melanated skin—and for everyone.
'One of the reasons we started the brand in the first place was to address the needs of melanin rich skin and I haven't seen that in this category,' Dhowre Elba says. 'One of the best things about this lip balm is that it incorporates our Hyperprevent technology, which addresses dark spots and hyperpigmentation on the lips. That's not something you hear often, right? Smokers' lips or sunspots or any kind of discoloring that might come from inflammation or other causes can be addressed with this lip product. I'm super picky with lip products. It's my desert island product because my lips are always dry. For me, this was also a way to satisfy a need that I wanted and fill a space with something unique.'
The S'ABLE Labs Moringa Lip Salve
Many S'ABLE Labs products were launched to fill a white space. 'I had suffered from teenage acne, and then it came back again in my adult years, as it does, which no one warns you about,' Dhowre Elba says. 'I remember thinking back at that frustrated point in my life as a teenager, and feeling like there was nothing out there that was holistically addressing my needs, but also on top of that, especially in my older years, realizing that as a Black woman, I didn't feel that there were enough products on the market that spoke to me and the issues that I was facing, like post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, weren't being addressed the way that I thought they should be. When we put the brand out, we called it a melanin inclusive brand because we discovered that melanin-rich skin is a more sensitive subgroup, which is why I wasn't feeling my needs were wholly addressed. If you create products for us first, they're better for everyone. Our skin's a little bougie. It's a little drier, a little bit more prone to inflammation. So, work with the most sensitive subgroup, and everyone can benefit from the extra benefits.'
Dhowre Elba also believes that everyone can benefit from A-Beauty. 'I grew up hearing my family talk about how powerful these ingredients are, and it really does show in our formulations with the clinical studies that we get back,' she says. 'We always tell people, 'wow, look at how much the antioxidants have boosted the efficacy of these formulations.' But also, as an African woman, seeing ingredients that I recognized at home as being African out in the market without any stories behind them, they felt a little bit appropriated. I wanted to explain those stories and also show people that there are faces behind those ingredients, and African women behind those ingredients. It was a little bit of a reclaiming, but also a championing of something that's wholly effective. It has been the cornerstone of our formulations because Africa has the harshest climate, so the antioxidants are super resilient and they're very powerful in that regard. I can't wait to see where the A-Beauty space goes.'
