Can I be honest with you? I never imagined that I would have a skincare line for babies. But one thing about being a mother is that we'll do anything for our children. That's how this all got started.
My youngest son, Jakobi whose last name is Bays, which inspired the brand's name had horrible eczema. And when I say horrible, I mean it. His skin was discolored and incredibly dry. I tried almost every product on the market. Whew... I wish I could get a refund on those products. I'm joking, but I really did try everything labeled for eczema or dry skin. Yet nothing ever helped.
Of course, I went to the dermatologist, hoping steroids might work. But would you believe it? Those products didn't help either. At this point, I was just as frustrated as Jakobi.
I remember being interviewed on a podcast, and the host asked me about some of the difficulties I face with Jakobi. Having a medically fragile child comes with its challenges, but at that moment, all I could talk about was how uncomfortable he was due to skin irritation. The host then asked me, "Why don't you just come up with your own products?" At that very moment, the seed was planted. I laughed it off, saying, "Girl, I've never made skincare," and continued the interview.
But that night, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I reached out to a few people who had skincare lines, hoping for some guidance. Unfortunately, no one was willing to help me. They immediately said they did their own research. I wasn't asking for their formulas I just wanted to know where to start. So, I turned to what I knew best: God and Google.
I searched and read about chemists and formulations. At times, I felt discouraged because I knew nothing about either. But God set me on a path, and I found a chemist from Europe to help with the formulation. I was so grateful.
Months earlier, I had written and self-published my first children's book, Jakobi and Me. The profits from that book allowed me to pay the chemist, and when we received the stimulus check, I used that for inventory.
The three products I started with were the main things we used on Jakobi daily: oil, body wash, and lip balm. These essentials were designed to soothe and heal his irritated skin, and they became the foundation of Baby Bays Naturals.
Now, you might be wondering if I did all of this in one night came up with a name, the products, and found a chemist. It actually took about two weeks. But I’m a strong believer that what God has for you is for you. That podcast interview planted a seed in good soil. I received the product from Europe in August, and I wanted to make sure it worked on Jakobi before trying to sell it to others. It worked! It really healed his skin, and it was all natural.
Then came the next challenge: making the products myself. That part was so scary because I had never done it before. But I got in the kitchen, and I did it. I still can't believe that I created this line, Baby Bays Naturals.
It all started with God allowing that seed to fall on good soil. Here I am, four years later, still pushing and sharing our story. I'm building a community of parents who just want their babies to be comfortable, parents who want their special babies to be seen and represented.
I hope this gives you some more insight into my "why" and "how." We still have a goal of raising $750.00 so we can get our GTIN and get our products into stores. To help us reach that goal, we're offering a special code—Bays2020—which will be available for the next 7 days. Thank you for being part of our journey.
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