My name is Anita Hodge-Brooks. As a child growing up between two islands, St. Thomas USVI and Anguilla BWI, on some of the Caribbean's most beautiful beaches and natural surroundings, I witnessed my parents and my grandmother use nature as medicine, bath, body, haircare and for cleaning. I didn't know it then, but that was the beginning of my journey in creating natural skin and haircare products.
Many years later, after falling and being diagnosed with Peripheral Neuropathy, I had to go back to my roots for healing. After a conversation with my dad about my condition, he encouraged me to use the plants and herbs I grew up with for healing. I started with the moringa leaves from his tree. I combined it with gingerroot and orange peel into a tea ,which became my daily routine. This was one major factor that took me from unimaginable pain, weakness and numbness to being able to be up and functioning again.
After moving to California, my husband developed a skin condition that made his skin look like heavy scales and very dark in color. The doctors could not figure out what it was, so I got to work infusing coconut oil with rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, lemongrass and gingerroot. I then use salt and shea butters with beeswax and the infused coconut oil into a whipped butter. He began to use this instead of commercial brand moisturizers and within a few weeks we started to see improvement. After a few months, his beautiful chocolate brown, smooth glowing skin was back. The family was onboard. I then started researching how to make soap. I started making natural soaps for the family. We stopped using commercial soaps also and our skin has never been healthier. Family and friends were having similar results after using the products as well.
I began to to work with more herbs from the garden, fruits from my sister and my friend's backyards, vegetables, coconut, cashew milks, cow and goat milks, dead and himalayan sea salts, clays and more to create these uniquely wonderful products.
With such positive results, Island Essences Creations was born, and with it a purpose to create the best natural and unique soaps, body, face and haircare products.
It makes me happy when my customers love my products.