POUNDING MILL, VA – AUGUST 11, 2025 – For Kanika Wallace and her daughter-in-law, Delaney Goodman, developing and manufacturing skin care products started out as way to meet their own skin care needs, but now, she said the products they have created and marketed under the name “NEEKA + LANEY Luxury Bath & Body” have become more than just a brand.
“We’re a mother-in-law / daughter duo inspired by our skin-sensitive loved ones to create skincare products that love them back,” Wallace said.
Neeka Skincare, LLC is a recent recipient of a $10,000 Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) Seed Capital Matching Grant. Seed capital grants are funded from regional funds received by VCEDA which are paid by the natural gas industry.
“Neeka Skincare, LLC, is a unique business in Tazewell County which as it grows plans to scale up manufacturing of its skin care products, which utilize locally sourced and grown ingredients,” said Jonathan Belcher, VCEDA executive director/general counsel. “With its future plans to develop a lavender farm, the new business which projects five full-time and four part-time employees within five years, will also create an agritourism component to what it does.”
Wallace noted she began experimenting with skin and hair care products after she developed an auto immune disease that increased the sensitivity in her skin and hair.
“I went to some tried and true products, but they were not working so my daughter-in-law, who has eczema and I used natural herbs and essential oils to come up with products that worked for us,” Wallace said. “Then we started thinking – ‘if it can work for us, it can work for others.’ We set out to create something luxurious.
“Using local honey and other sustainable products to create organic skin care solutions, we made what we call a ‘Farm-to-Face’ product,” Wallace added. “Our goal is to create luxury skin care products that are affordable.”
Neeka Skincare products – which include a whipped body butter, creamy body wash and foaming body polish — are aimed to meet the needs of those with dry or sensitive skin using natural ingredients. The ultimate goal, Wallace said, is to open a lavender farm and to grow other botanicals for their products as well. Plans call for the farm to be opened to the public with tours and educational workshops offered.
Currently, the products made by Neeka Skincare are made in Wallace’s home, but plans are to scale up in the future and to add a hair care line in 2026 which will include scalp treatment, shampoo and conditioner. Additional skin care products are also planned including a face wash, toner and serums.
Products are currently sold in limited local locations including Appa Bagworks, Between Friends, The Well and at the Crab Orchard Museum. They are also available online at www.neekalaney.com. The business also has an active Facebook page.
Wallace noted the VCEDA seed capital grant is being used to purchase equipment capable to meet the demands of retail and wholesale orders and packaging for products.
“The seed capital grant helped us to be able to breathe a bit,” Wallace said. “In my previous career in accounting, my slogan for my clients was, ‘Keeping you balanced so you can get back to business!’ That’s what the VCEDA grant is now doing for me.”
Wallace worked with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) in developing her application to VCEDA and received a letter of support from the Tazewell County Industrial Development Authority.
“We were proud to partner with Kanika Wallace on Neeka Skincare as she secured VCEDA Seed Capital funding,” said Denise Harmon, director of the Southwest Virginia Community College SBDC. “Her ‘farm-to-face’ approach — using locally sourced ingredients to create high-quality bath and body products — exemplifies small-business innovation and community-driven growth in Tazewell County.”
“Tazewell County and the Tazewell County Industrial Development Authority are pleased with VCEDA’s support of Neeka Skincare’s business growth with the Seed Capital Grant program,” said Tazewell County Economic Development Directory Timothy Danielson. “This business is a valuable addition to Tazewell County and offers uniquely and locally sourced skin care ingredients. The ingenuity of our local entrepreneurs is remarkable. We appreciate the partnership and support of VCEDA in our efforts of a healthy and growing business community.”
Neeka Skincare may be reached by calling 276-254-5588, or by emailing info@neekalaney.com.
About Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority and Southwest Virginia’s e-Region: The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1988 to enhance and diversify the region’s economy and help create jobs, markets Southwest Virginia’s e-Region and its focus on electronic information technology, energy, education, emerging technologies, and entrepreneurship. VCEDA is a unique economic development organization that manages funds for economic development projects from a percentage of the coal and natural gas severance taxes paid by coal and natural gas companies that operate in the region. Located in southwestern Virginia, the region includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton. www.vceda.us or www.e-Region.org.
About the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority Seed Capital Matching Grant Fund: VCEDA region for-profit businesses, within qualifying business categories, one year and under with less than 10 full-time employees are eligible to apply for dollar-for-dollar matching grants up to $10,000 from the VCEDA Seed Capital Matching Fund. Applicants work with the Small Business Development Centers at Mountain Empire and Southwest Virginia community colleges to prepare the applications to VCEDA that include detailed business and financial plans. Businesses must be located in or plan to operate in the VCEDA region in southwestern Virginia that includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton.