JAS: Tell us a little about yourself! I'm a DIY fanatic that loves all things natural. My desire to create things and work with my hands came from growing up with a mother who's very creative. As a child I really didn't get into the hands on activities because was exploring mainly academic endeavors. As I became older I realized it was very therapeutic for me to create things by hand and I loved the idea of creating things they way I wanted them instead of always having a cookie cutter model.
When I decided to wear my natural hair it was a natural transition for me to use the knowledge I attained from previous training to begin crafting products my hair loved.
JAS: Have you always been Natural? If not, what prompted you to do so?
I've been natural almost 6 years. My decision to go natural came because I was tired of the chemical burns. My scalp was always irritated after relaxers and I decided I didn't want to continue with that process anymore.
JAS: Tell us a little about your business.
We specialize in hand crafting hair and body products using the best oils and butters the Amazon and tropical locations have to offer. We create our products with Cupuacu Butter, Murumuru Butter, Brazil Nut Oil, Sapote Oil, Mango Butter, Macedamia Oil, and other natural goodies. In addition to the hair and body products, we also hand craft loose mineral eye shadows with more makeup to come in the near future.
We’ve stepped outside of the box to use other ingredients that have great benefits. Many domestic products
have the same ingredients which don’t offer a lot of variety for people that desire more options and different results. We take great pride in offering ingredients that are not very common but offer benefits above and beyond what most consumers expect. All of our ingredients are packed with vitamins and minerals that are great for hair and skin with our focus always on using the best natural ingredients to condition, soften, and moisturize hair and skin. JAS: What inspired you to start your business?
It really all began with my skin in 2007. I’ve always suffered from eczema and severely dry skin which needed steroid creams to remain under control. After numerous expensive visits to the dermatologist, I finally visited a holistic doctor who suggested I try some natural soaps and oils on my skin. I immediately went to the herb shop and realized there was a world of natural oils and plant products that were very beneficial to the skin. I started using the natural products on my skin and they worked miracles. My skin was no longer dry, itchy, and irritated all of the time once I started using natural products. Fast forward to 2008 I realized I had a complete “lab” of oils and butters because once I starting researching ingredients I would buy various ingredients to make my special concoctions.
The hair care products were birthed around that time when I decided to actually keep my hair curly instead of straightening with ceramic irons so much. I realized my curly hair was a lot different from my hair that was straightened with ceramic irons. My curly hair seemed to be dry, hard, and wouldn’t retain moisture. To make matters worse, my stylist was no longer working at the salon after having her baby. At that point I realized I didn’t know how to care for my own hair. I went through the product junkie phase which only resulted in me wearing wigs or braids a lot because my hair was a mess even with the commercial products. Nothing ever gave me results for more than 2-3 days.
One day I just happen to take a class from a cosmetic chemist on how to make natural butters and lotions for the skin because I still have all of these ingredients that I have to do something with. After taking the class I discovered the link between skin and hair; what makes my skin soft would more than likely make my hair soft because of the triglyceride levels in oils. I would experiment with my ingredients at home, but by this time I was very intrigued by handmade hair care products from many small companies. I ordered from many of the small natural hair care companies and often enjoyed the results with the exception of none I tried would provide my hair with enough moisture.
I decided to take an assessment of my hair because I knew I wanted to use natural ingredients, I just needed to figure out what worked for my hair. I started taking notes on what my hair didn’t respond well to; mainly studying the ingredients in the products. Once I realized the ingredients my hair didn’t like I started researching ingredients to find something my hair might like. After a year of experimenting I finally found Amazonian butter and oils and started mixing them into my concoctions. To my surprise they worked better than anything I’d tried in the past.
At that point I had body and hair products; at the same time I learned to hand craft mineral make-up as well. For there the concept of the company was birthed.
JAS: What words of wisdom would you offer to other entrepreneurs or those who want to start a business?
I would tell anyone who wants to start a business to definitely follow their dreams, but do your research so you'll have an idea of what to expect. In addition, make sure it's something you enjoy doing because a lot of time goes into operating a business. If you enjoy what you're doing the long hours you spend operating your business won't be in vain.
JAS: Where can our viewers purchase your product(s)?
They can purchase all of the goodies on the website purabodynaturals.com. We are in the process of expanding into other regions so if there are any salons or entrepreneurs that are interested in retailing the products they can contact me at info purabodynaturals@gmail.com for more details.
Santeyonne was kind enough to send us some of her products to try! Stay tuned for our reviews!
No comments:
Post a Comment