Young woman starts skincare business after battling acne

After 10 years of fighting hormonal acne, which surfaced when she was 11 years old, Janae ‘Sunshine’ Edwards has sought to learn about proper skincare on her own and has fashioned it into a business to help others suffering from the condition.

Despite never being bullied at school or feeling humiliated when the acne broke out consistently, Edwards was determined from an early age to gain control over how badly her face got infected.

During her teenage years, she would often try various home remedies to bring her breakouts under control. She tried a wide range of items – apple cider vinegar as toner, a mixture of baking soda and lime, or even cornmeal – as a mask.

She later transitioned to using natural products like turmeric, tea tree oil, and quaco leaves, a medical herb used to treat rashes and eczema flare-ups on the skin.

These helped but not to the extent that she would have liked.

“It was [a] struggle ... . I never went to a dermatologist. Everything I used was home care and trying to burst the pimples. Going to school, my face was, you know, bump-up, bump-up all around,” she told The Gleaner.

At times, Edwards said her self-esteem took a plunge.

But as she grew older, her determination to overcome the condition only got stronger.

After graduating from Oberlin High School in 2018, Edwards enrolled at The Face Place Institute of Aesthetics.

At 19, she founded Sunshine’s Glow, which has since grown to not only offer skincare services, but also body-waxing, massages and the installation of lashes, which has become a popular niche in the beauty industry.

“However, my main focus is skincare,” she said, adding that although there was no cure for acne, there were ways to manage it and keep it under control.

Her sister, Joyhi Edwards, 24, also had acne breaking out mainly on her cheeks and back.

Despite being the younger of the two, Edwards has served as a motivator for Joyhi to take better care of her skin.

“Every time me find somethin’ new, me tell she weh fi use, so me motivate she because me more love the skincare than she. So, basically, me go inna di skin care fi help others and help she,” Edwards revealed.

Both sisters have since brought their condition under management.

Edwards, who works Monday through Saturday, said business fluctuates, and the majority of those who make appointments range from teenagers to 40-year-olds seeking acne facials.

DEEP TREATMENT

“I have clients that go to dermatologists that still come back to me. Dem say that dermatologists just take their money, look on their face for two minutes, and never yet tell them to do a treatment or a facial or something,” she said.

“Them give them cream and the cream nuh work. The cream make it worse,” she added, noting that while she is not trying to beat up on the profession, specialists will only examine the skin and prescribe medication rather than perform the deep treatment and care needed to remedy some infections.

Edwards is encouraging young girls and their parents to invest in seeing a dermatologist and other beauty-care professionals who can begin treatment early to help their children avoid bullying, which many persons face at school due to the condition.

“If you don’t have the money, see if you can steam your face [with a warm towel],” she advised.

Edwards can be contacted at 876-853-2410 or via e-mail at sunshinesglow1@gmail.com. She can also be found on Instagram at sunshines.glow.

asha.wilks@gleanerjm.com