Woman turns dandruff nightmare into thriving business

For years, Joy Williams fought a relentless battle against dandruff. No matter what she used - shampoos, oils, treatments - nothing seemed to make a difference.

The turning point came in 2012, during a humiliating encounter in the streets of Three Miles, St Andrew.

"Everything I use couldn't get rid of my bad dandruff until it reach on my forehead," Williams recalled. "

One day a man see me when I came off the bus going to work, and him seh, 'Come here.' Mi go over and him seh, 'Yuh nah nuh man?' I ask him why, and him seh, 'Yuh nuh see dandruff deh pan yuh eyebrow?' I was so embarrassed that mi seh, 'This is it!'"

That moment of shame sparked a transformation. Determined to fix the problem herself, Williams dove into researching natural remedies. She experimented tirelessly, eventually crafting her own homemade castor oil--a solution that finally rid her scalp of dandruff.

"From that day until now, I don't have another dandruff in my hair. Thanks be to God Almighty who inspired me, and that man who embarrassed me," she said with a laugh. "I make my own products, and they have been working wonders."

Success with her scalp led her to tackle another problem: dark spots on her skin. Turning to the healing properties of the hibiscus plant, she developed a homemade body butter. She kept her new skincare routine a secret - until her radiant skin started drawing attention.

"I started using it, and nobody knew except me and my husband. One Sabbath, mi go a church and one of my church sisters seh, 'Come here, Joy. What yuh using on yuh face?'" Williams said. "I was taken aback, but she seh mi face look so much better. Mi seh, 'Mercy, that mean she did notice the ugly look before!'"

Always looking for ways to improve, Williams rethought the traditional method of making castor oil. Moving away from black castor oil, she invested in a cold-press machine to create a purer, white version that she believes is healthier.

"I used to make the black castor oil so how it get black? Because we roast it and boil it, which is too much heat. The cold press machine gives just enough heat to take away the poison like tr oil, but I stop. We have to unlearn these things," she explained.

Her product line grew, each item inspired by real-life needs. Her natural deodorant, for example, was born after a shocking discovery about the ingredients in store-bought brands.

"I sat one day reading the ingredients on my deodorant and saw 'aluminum.' I already stopped using aluminum pots, so I didn't want aluminum near me," she said. "Mi and mi husband drove round Jamaica searching for a deodorant without it. We couldn't find any, so I had to buy one from overseas."

Though the imported deodorant worked, it lacked a scent-something Williams found challenging, especially while navigating menopause.

"I don't normally use deodorant every day, but this one lasts for 24 hours and it works well. If it can work fi me, it can work for everybody."

Today, Williams's small family-run business is thriving in Spanish Town, St. Catherine. Her husband and children are closely involved, and she even grows most of her natural ingredients herself - except for items like shea butter and mango butter, which she sources directly from parts of Africa.

"I love what I do," she said. "But there are still challenges. Most ingredients I get here, but not everything. That's why mi haffi import a few," she said.