A civil engineer by profession, hair and skin enthusiast by passion, Jodie Dublin-Dangleben is bringing life and beauty to great hair crowns both in Dominica and abroad.
Jodie is the proud CEO of Jaydees Naturals which has taken the local market by storm. The company creates organic formulas to improve skin and hair conditions using mostly local herbs. The product line, so far, includes shampoos, conditioners, face masks and cleansers.
Speaking to The Sun, the hair enthusiast explained that she started the venture simply as a means to address one of her main, day-to-day challenges.
“Because I am a civil engineer, my job requires me to be in the field a lot. Back then I had relaxed hair and had to wash it very often because dirt and grime would build up. My hair became very dry and brittle. I really wanted to formulate something for myself that was natural. That’s how it started,” she said.
Dublin-Dangleben took extensive research into creating its products and still researches ingredients to this day. She is committed to ensuring that her products are eco-friendly and equally good for hair and skin
“Growing up in Dominica and hearing about Nature Island, I don’t just want to say Nature Island, I want to be Nature Island. My parents instilled in me the importance of caring for the environment,” she said. “So I didn’t want my business to be the one adding to the effects of global warming.”
Jodie tried her formula on friends and family for whom it also worked. They then encouraged her to go into business with her product.
This was in 2012. Jaydees Naturals was officially registered in 2017. During her ten years of mixing and matching different elements and compounds, Jodie says one of the most difficult challenges she faced was the lack of advisors in the specific field.
“I didn’t have mentorship, I didn’t have a manual for the steps I needed to take, so research was very important to me. I had to educate myself on how our hair grows. And my business has another component where we educate people,” Jodie said.
She remained committed to her passion and gradually expanded into skin care products. The CEO of Jaydees Naturals says the most rewarding part of this line of work is being able to help someone solve a problem.
“When I get a review at ten or eleven o’clock or at night, there’s no greater feeling than knowing that I solved a problem for someone. A lot of us are concerned about our image with acne and scars and for me to help someone with that is really something I’m looking forward to,” added Jodie.
Another high point in Jodie’s hair and skin care career was being recognized at the inaugural ceremony of the Caribbean Women Inventors and Inventors Network (CaribbWIIN), an affiliate of GlobalWIIN. She is the second Dominican woman to be awarded at that event in May of this year.
“I received a special recognition award for women engineers in the Caribbean,” said Jodie.
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As for the future of Jaydees Naturals, its CEO was careful not to divulge too many details, but shared something in the works for babies and toddlers.
“I have previously launched a line for children – shampoo, conditioner, body wash and oil – but I am doing more research so that it is fragrance-free and hypoallergenic,” she added.
A new idea that came to him during the pandemic will also be expanded, and will also enter families throughout Dominica.
“I have this fragrance, it originally started as a hand sanitizer, many people also used it as a moisturizer. It can also be used to disinfect desks, worktops, etc. So I’m going to go to household items,” she said.
Jodie, who attributes much of her success to her use of social media platforms, teased the Dominican public to look out for more healthy and natural creations from her company in the future.
