Warning: This story includes mention of self-harm.
CHICAGO — Tyris Manney was 14 years old when he realized his skin was changing.
The adults in Manney’s life told him it was normal. A few friends were going through the same changes, too, he said.
But Manney’s blemishes hadn’t improved by the time he was 21. He struggled with severe acne, clogged pores and hyperpigmentation. He’d pick at the inflamed bumps and leave scars in their wake, Manney said.
Manney’s acne — and a long list of ineffective attempts to treat it — took a toll on his mental health, self-esteem and confidence, he said. He started using photoshopping apps to edit his appearance. He stopped leaving his home.
In November 2019, Manney attempted to take his life.
“After my recovery, I came to the realization that I’m still alive and here,” Manney said. “I decided it’s either I continue down this road with my mental health struggles or I try to take matters into my own hands and start my own skincare company.”
Manney, now 26, is the founder of Tyris Manney Beauty, a skincare company that champions mental health awareness. He received a business certification from the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce and the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois in July 2023.
Manney hopes to revolutionize the skincare industry by creating plant-based, organic products that “heal everyday skin issues and actively maintain healthy skin” for everyone, he said.
Manney’s beauty line includes shea butter face moisturizers, Beet Face pore cleansers and Apple Juice toners. Manney formulates, names and designs his products.
After years of suffering, Manney’s products treated his acne, he said. Hopefully, the Tyris Manney Beauty line can do the same for others, he said.
“My only hope is that I can help people with their confidence, self-esteem and mental health through their skin,” Manney said. “My vision is to have glowing, healthy skin for everyone.”
‘A Beauty Icon’
Manney grew up in Auburn Gresham, where his great-grandparents bought a home in 1962. Generations of his family lived in the neighborhood, attended the same schools and hosted the best block parties, Manney said.
Manney moved to Parkway Gardens with his mother and siblings when he was 13, but Auburn Gresham always felt like home, Manney said.
Growing up, Manney’s mother would leave for work in the early morning, and he and his siblings would watch music videos on VH1 to wake themselves up in her absence, he said.
Music videos from Nicki Minaj, H.E.R. and Usher inspired Manney’s style, he said. He wanted “the clear skin and to be a beauty icon, too,” he said.
Most influential of all was his Aunt Nooney, a “beautiful woman” who always wore makeup and designer clothes, drove the best cars and lived in the most gorgeous neighborhoods, Manney said.
“My mom was a single mom. We were poor, and I didn’t have the best clothes and shoes. I mainly thrifted my stuff and was ripping my stuff apart trying to dress a certain way,” Manney said. “I looked up to my aunt because she showed me that, as I got older and started to work for and do things for myself, I could also be like her.”
‘Push And Drive Forward’
Manney founded Naked Nostalgia, a clothing line, in high school. He’d learned to sew through the After School Matters’ Fashion Forward program and would stitch thrifted clothes together to create designs. He continued the business through college at Harold Washington.
But by 2018, traveling to thrift stores to buy and design clothes “lost him,” Manney said. His acne had also worsened.
Manney tried a range of skincare products to treat his acne. He went to see a dermatologist in 2018 but had to stop once the price of products started to rack up, Manney said.
Fed up and with nowhere else to turn, Manney started formulating skincare products from his Little Italy apartment kitchen in May 2019, he said. He attended cosmetic classes and marketing courses to learn the ins and outs of the beauty industry.
Manney created his first face cleanser, sugar scrub, moisturizer and serum in August 2019, he said.
Manney’s acne wasn’t the sole reason why he attempted suicide in November 2019, “but it played a big part in it,” he said.
“Having skin issues affected my self-esteem and confidence. I also suffered with mental health issues,” Manney said. “It got so bad that year.”
After his recovery, Manney decided to “push and drive forward” his skincare brand, he said.
“I had to realize that I had to keep fighting for myself and something I believed in,” Manney said. “If I needed to rest, I rested. If I needed to cry all day, then I cried. I had to keep fighting and talking to my family and friends. Journaling and reading books was good, too.”
Manney sold his first products to his coworkers at Wicker Park’s Buffalo Exchange in early 2020, he said. They told their friends, who told theirs.
During the early days of the pandemic, Manney spent his time formulating a new moisturizer and serum, he said. He rebranded Tyris Manney Beauty and relaunched the line in August 2020.
Manney received his business certification from the LGBT Chamber of Commerce Illinois in July 2023. This February, he completed the chamber’s LGBTQ+ Biz Boot Camp.
The experience “opened my eyes to another level of entrepreneurship,” Manney said.
“For so long, I’d been doing it all by myself. Now, I feel like I have a community of people to help and support me,” Manney said.
‘It Will All Work Out’
Since relaunching his skincare line, Manney has received an outpouring of support from family, friends and strangers, he said. Some people have reached out to share their journeys with mental health and skincare.
“I love it because it indicates that we are all battling something, even if it isn’t as bad as my story or worse,” Manney said. “Everyone has something they’re dealing with day to day. It’s therapeutic for me to know that.”
Manney aims to sell his beauty products at an affordable price. He hopes to make $113,000 in revenue in the next 12 months, he said. His company is on track to reach the milestone, Manney said.
Manney also plans to partner with mental health and skincare organizations this year “to bring more awareness to the problem,” he said.
The Tyris Manney Beauty Company will soon launch a program that gifts BetterHelp’s virtual therapy services to 100 underrepresented and low-income individuals on the South Side. He hopes to raise $150,000 to start the program. People can donate to help fund the program here.
“Hindsight is 20/20,” but if Manney could meet his younger self, he’d share words of encouragement, he said.
“I would tell them to keep living,” Manney said. “At that point, I couldn’t see a lot for myself. I was just trying to get through the day. But I think I would tell them to keep living and relax because it will all work out.”
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