Skin Care Lovers Must Check Out Pink Walnut

What started as a natural skin care hobby for Najma Jamaludeen turned in to an online business and now a brick and mortar store in the Historic Dundalk Town Center.  After 10 years of an online store and numerous festivals and fairs in Michigan and Maryland, Ms. Jamaludeen decide to put down roots in Dundalk.  Pink Walnut is located at 36 N Dundalk Ave.  Ms. Jamaludeen makes all her products fresh while you wait, allowing her costumers to pick the ingredients that work best for you.   

“It is my belief that ingredients you put on your skin should be made the same way you make delicious food, using natural healthy ingredients blended with care and precision.” Ms. Jamaludeen wrote in an email.   

Crafting body care products was a personal project at first.  Unsatisfied with the products available for her daughter’s sensitive skin and hair, she began crafting her own products.  “My upbringing in upstate NY was entrenched in natural ingredients and I was raised on simple products from local farmers markets and health food stores. Once I was introduced to shea butter through a connection to West Africa, I was hooked and so the journey of mixing my own products began,” Ms. Jamaludeen said.  

The process of crafting a new recipe can take time depending on what products Ms. Jamaludeen is using.  There is a good deal of chemistry involved in the process and understanding how different ingredients interact with one another.  

“The order in which you mix ingredients, how much stirring, or even if you blend or mix matter for the final product. When you are not using manufactured chemicals, it is a bit more challenging to get a stable consistent product.” Ms. Jamaludeen said.  Fortunately, she has a background in textile technology and had to learn a good amount of chemistry to understand how to make manufactured fibers.   

Ms. Jamaludeen’s store is chic and cozy.  Chairs and couches line the wall so customers can relax while they wait for their personalized product.  The Pink Walnut even has its own bistro bar allowing customers to get an intimate view of the crafting process.   

“I am looking to use this space to share my mission to inspire creativity and elevate consciousness one deliciously healthy product at a time.”  Ms. Jamaludeen wrote.  

Opening her shop in Dundalk was an easy choice for Ms. Jamauludeen, a Dundalk resident.  “I decided to make my business home here because of the opportunity for growth and its convenient location to Baltimore and surrounding cities. Dundalk is also a small town with a quaint ambiance and loyal residents that make it perfect for my type of business.”  

Visit the Pink Walnut Tuesday-Saturday 10 am – 6 pm in person or shop online.