Growth & Jobs | EYL Castor oil reaps success

Castor oil is often revered as the miracle oil and has been used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes since the days of old. Owners of EYL, a Jamaican company, know this well and have capitalised on the thriving castor oil business. Interestingly, EYL is the Yiddish word for oil and is pronounced ‘ile’ just as it is said in Jamaican patois. The story of EYL started in 2002 when the couple, Audrey and Mortimer Wilson, decided to find a solution to a personal issue.

For Mortimer, castor oil was a must-have in his daily skin care routine, however to his amazement he was sent on a tireless search when his usual supplier ran out. He searched the markets of Kingston for the nutrient-packed commodity, but to no avail. He needed his moisturiser, and the yearning for the product led the couple to make their own.

This was not an easy task, as it saw them often scouring the Corporate Area for castor seeds and even sometimes travelling to as far as Portmore in St Catherine, collecting seeds from trees on the roadside. As fate would have it, while the couple was producing castor oil for their personal use, their honey business started to fold due to problems facing the local bee industry at the time.

Eventually and perhaps fortunately, they quickly made a business switch to producing castor oil on a large scale. “We said no, we have to find something else to make an income,” reminisces Audrey.

With castor trees growing wildly in Jamaica, the couple knew that they would be able to meet the demands of the market, since seed supply would almost be constant. Currently, some 20 to 25 persons supply them with castor oil seeds. “We have a little network of people and it’s beautiful,” Audrey said smiling.

At the helm of the management team is Mortimer who is in charge of production, Audrey executes the marketing and sales functions of the business and an employee deals primarily with the castor seeds. The product line now includes EYL castor Oil, EYL Castor, EYL Lavender, EYL Rosemary Oil, and EYL Castor Oil and Honey Soap. The number one selling product is EYL Castor Oil.

The company uses a cold pressed process to extract approximately 10 gallons of castor oil daily, which is twice the amount they produced in the early days of the business. “We sell a lot to the cosmetics market. Hairdressers and small manufacturers want the local natural oil as their main ingredient,” Audrey stated.

She added that the castor, lavender and rosemary oil are the favourite on the retail market for maintaining hairlines, especially among young people. The business couple however has a concern, “80 per cent of castor oils on the market that are branded ‘Jamaica’ are not made here,” Audrey said.

Bootleg Jamaican castor oil is however not kicking them out of the business, as is evident by their growing fan base locally and internationally. EYL Castor Oil is available online, as well as in local and overseas beauty supply stores and pharmacies. The company has penetrated markets in the United States of America, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Increasing demand of the products has seen the couple offering express three to five days shipping service, in addition to the regular four-week service.

EYL has been in operation for 17 years and their products have been approved by several governing bodies, such as the Trade Board and the Bureau of Standards Jamaica. For more information on how you can become a part of the castor industry, visit dobusinessjamaica.com.