Javin Williams bottling 92-y-o’s grandma’s home remedies
Published:Wednesday | August 16, 2023 | 12:09 AMShanel Lemmie/Staff Reporter
When Javin Williams was a child, one of his favourite memories was of his grandmother, Miss Tessy, using the herbs from her garden to create concoctions to remedy his dandruff. Though Williams’ problem was ever-present, the mixtures plucked from his family garden in Manchester were incredibly helpful and helped to alleviate the issues presented.
Now years later, Williams is using those lessons learnt from childhood to bring organic hair and skincare to the mainstream through Herboo Botanicals.
With their flagship product, a two-in-one dandruff-fighting shampoo, Williams says they are “really trying to commercialise organic home remedies with health benefits”.
He explained, “We kind of found a solution for a lot of people who usually go with the synthetic products on the market and we basically use that to drive our growth.”
Launched officially in 2015, Williams told The Gleaner, as the male head of cosmetic company, he has always suffered strange looks.
“They are always a bit surprised because I am a male in a female-dominated industry. So they [are] kinda wondering like, is this for real or is he joking. But then when I tell them my story and the growth of how we started out and how we approach things, they come to appreciate it. It’s like Softsheen Carson.”
Scoffing at the bias he went on, “I think it’s a misconception that men shouldn’t take good care of themselves. When you go to the barber and you get a fresh cut, it’s like, it elevates your confidence. You feel so good within yourself, so just imagine taking care of your skin and getting rid of the pimples on your face and you have a smooth, nice face. So it’s almost like you investing in yourself as a man. I think if you ask some women, there’s nothing more attractive to them than seeing a man that is well kept.”
He says since the start of his company, he has had to rely on his 92-year-old grandmother even more.
“The type of family that I come from, when you get sick you don’t necessarily run to the doctors first. You see your parents and your grandparents and they look ‘bout the plant, so it’s almost like what we’re used to. So, she was very happy that I am using the knowledge. I try to even speak with her a lot more.”
He continued, “It’s just her wealth of knowledge about plants and the benefits to the body which was very significant for me. That was the knowledge that I used to perfect the product line. Then of course, over the years we perfected the formulation because it wasn’t an excellent product in the beginning, because it wasn’t cleaning the hair. I wanted to make it as natural as possible. Some people said it have in too much this, too much oil, and then I didn’t have a strong chemistry background then. So it was like every time I made the product, it had a different consistency. It came out different because you know like when you make something and you put a pinch of salt or a pepper; there’s no structure or measurements in place. But with the help of [the Scientific Research Council] (SRC) and Ministry of Health I was able to standardise the formulation.”
While there have been numerous companies pushing for organic product in the market, Williams say what sets Herboo apart is their dedication to the environment.
“There are several things that set us apart, [including] our commitment to taking care of the environment because our mission statement is about celebrating the environment and connecting the world with nature. We also have a very simple list of ingredients, so that even somebody in primary school can read the ingredients and know exactly what they are using on their scalp. They’d see the rosemary, they’d see the peppermint, they’d see the lemon grass. And they have more peace of mind. And we don’t use synthetic ingredients in our stuff so it’s all natural and the benefits actually work. We do a lot of research, we invest in ensuring that when we tell you it helps with dandruff, it really helps with dandruff.”
Keeping a hand in his community, Williams explained, “Most of the ingredients, the plants, are sourced in Manchester. We support local farmers, so we buy herbs from them. It’s a way of building the economy. For example, one of our farmers who provides the rosemary, he never really had a market to sell his rosemary and he was almost going to stop doing it, and Herboo was able to come in and start supporting him and buying from him so he is able to feed his family now, all because we’re supporting him as a farmer. And there are other farmers who have certain plants that they never paid attention to but then they realise that there is actually a need for it, like the lemon grass. So this is just a way of supporting and building the community and keeping the wealth in Jamaica, rather than purchasing from abroad and sending all of the money overseas.”