Taken from the pages of Style 101 Magazine!
The secret to Jamaica's fountain of youth, is Sandra Gustard's Pimento Oil.
Traveling across the globe, in search of the best, natural healing, Gustard has combined some of the world's finest ingredients into an elixir that's sure to sooth the soul... Here's the scoop:
1) What does cleanliness and being ‘earth-balanced’ mean to you?
To me (Lady English), cleanliness simply means being in a state of purity, untainted, unsullied… uncompromised! To be ‘earth-balanced’ means to be in harmony with God’s supply and provision for our sustenance, as ‘He’ intended; the desire to be at ‘one’ with nature, in its purest, unadulterated form!
2) Do your products reflect the way you feel about life and Mother Nature?
Definitely! I only want to ingest and/or apply herbal, natural medications to my body; therefore it behooves me to want the same for my consumers! I pride myself on the fact that all of our products are chemical, additive and preservative free! Our product line is small, as I have to undertake research to ensure that any product that Cockney Finestyle, LLC releases, is only of the highest grade and cultivated in its natural state! Each bottle or jar is custom made, bottled [and] labeled by hand, there is nothing mechanical utilized in our process!
3) Who inspires you?
God! I give Him all the honor, praise and glory for the wisdom and strength to persevere, despite the challenges. Secondly, Madame C.J. Walker (one of the first, female African-American entrepreneurs), [who was quoted as saying] “There is no royal flower-strewn path to success. And if there is, I have not found it for if I have accomplished anything in life it is because I have been willing to work hard!” [And] finally, Estée Lauder, because she only wanted her brand in the hands of people who were known for having ‘the best!’
4) When did you embark on your journey of becoming an entrepreneur?
Well, prior to migrating to the States, I was a freelance journalist, booking agent and artist manager (amongst other things), so I always knew I could sell music and people! However, in 1997, [after women] kept stopping me on the street and asking about my attire, I decided to sell clothes and shoes [out of] London! I sold my wares mostly at West Indian beauty salons, nail shops, etc., and did brisk-business selling as a ‘mobile boutique!’ I established Cockney Finestyle, LLC in 2001 (as it was my intention to open a chain of stores selling European fashions), but both the stores I had, failed, as the clothing sizes were just, too small for the majority of customer[s].
After a visit to Jamaica [in] 2008, I discovered Pimento Oil at Bath Fountain, a natural, mineral spa where people would flock to heal all kinds of sicknesses. I received a full-body massage (with Pimento Oil), and after that day, I felt like a new person. I had suffered permanent nerve-damage to my left arm, several herniated discs and a severely pinched nerve, for which I had been receiving cortisone shots. I approached who I thought was the creator of [Pimento Oil] and ordered several gallons of the ‘miracle oil,’ [but] when the container’s arrived in New York, I was horrified to find that it was a poor replica of the original! So, basically I just researched the ingredients, had my family send me the leaves, barks, berries, etc., and came-up with my version of ‘Pimento Oil.’ I literally, just cooked and soaked everything for 3 months… used it, and gave away many, many samples to people, to see if it did what it was supposed to do, and the rest -as they say- is history!
5) Where do you find most of your work materials and/or ingredients?
All of the ingredients come straight from Jamaica, with the exception of the packaging. All of the botanicals in our products grow abundantly wild in Jamaica, without any assistance, other than real, Jamaican sunshine!
You can buy Fountain Pimento Oil, Jamaican Black Castor Oil Liquid Hair Food and other Fountain Products from AfroDeity!
Embrace Your Inner AfroDeity
Leilu