I’m getting ready to do something unprecedented in BGLH’s 11 years of operation: shut down whipped butter production for two months in June and July.
Global warming is very real, and it’s rapidly intensifying. For years we shipped year-round. I even advertised this as something that set us apart from other body butter businesses that only operated seasonally. But almost every year has gotten hotter. And perhaps more concerning, the span of extreme heat is getting longer.
To give you some perspective, it’s only mid-March and we’ve already had three melting complaints this year. Our butters are now melting in transit as early as February.
We will still produce our black soap and body oils year-round, as they’re not sensitive to heat, but they only account for about 7% of our revenue.
I’m both relieved and nervous about the upcoming summer hiatus.
I’ve been open about how difficult 2025 was for me personally and for BGLH financially. So the idea of a break is very welcome. But it also introduces financial strain.
Last year brought a perfect storm of challenges. Tariffs and ingredient shortages meant we waited months for raw materials, or were forced to buy them at retail price just to keep production moving. Inflation and layoffs meant customers purchased less.
We entered 2026 with very few cash reserves, plus debt from loans we needed to stay alive in 2025.
When I moved to Colorado in August 2024, one of my longtime customers, Tiffany, reached out to me. She noticed I would be moving to her neighborhood (Littleton stand up, lol!) and offered to be a resource, and a friend.
We scheduled a time to meet for a walk and hit it off immediately.
Tiffany and I are the same age, live in the same neighborhood, and are adjusting to life in a state with a much smaller Black population than we’re used to. (Colorado is less than 5% Black. Tiffany moved here from Houston, I from Brooklyn.)
Critically, Tiffany is a management consultant for large corporations— something I wasn’t aware of before we met. When BGLH sales dropped in 2025, she helped me think through how to stabilize the business. Her advice and guidance are a big part of why BGLH is still here.
We met again this past weekend to walk, grab food at a local chicken spot, and talk about life and work. I told her about my plan for a June and July hiatus and how nervous I felt about the financial implication.
She listened carefully and then said something that made me pause.
“Your hiatus may actually need to be longer. The South is still 100 degrees in October.”
As soon as she said it, I knew she was right.
To be clear: the plan for 2026 is just a June and July hiatus. But the truth is that, in 2027 and beyond, that shutdown window may be doubled to a span of June to October.
The climate is changing, shipping conditions are changing, trade is changing. BGLH needs to change too so we can keep making the products you love for years to come.
The summer hiatus will stretch our finances to their limits, as we lose tens of thousands of dollars in revenue.
I share that not to alarm or upset you, but to be transparent about where things stand. And to explain how you can help us navigate this transition.
Place your orders now, before our June hiatus, and before temperatures rise in your area.
Not only will you have soft, unmelted butter ready whenever you need it—you’ll also help BGLH stay financed during the months when shipping whipped butter simply isn’t possible.
Many customers are already in the habit of stocking up when the weather is cooler, and we are now officially recommending that approach for everyone.
Thank you for supporting us! It means more than you know.
~Leila
