We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Janita Diggins a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Janita, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I started Purple Jade Luxury Products because of my mother. In 2018, she was struggling with fibromyalgia and wanted to find alternatives to the prescription medications. For my mother, fibromyalgia was very hard for her because she has always been a “hugger,” someone who LOVES to hug and express herself with her family and friends, but fibromyalgia stole that from her. Hugs became hard for her to bear, they would hurt her, and that took a toll. I started doing my own research about holistic remedies and came across several methods of treatment that won’t cure, but would help manage some of the symptoms my mother was experiencing. I discovered that plants, herbs and even some spices can be blended in specific methods to create salves and balms, which really invigorated my creative thought processes. My mother was worried that these potentially addictive medications were not effective for the localized pain and discomfort she was experiencing.

I took a weekend and shopped for fresh herbs and other necessary ingredients to see if I could make a healing salve. The internet made it look so easy, so I was nervous but also pretty confident that I could make more than just a mess in the kitchen. With my mom’s help, that weekend we made a small batch of a salve. I was a bit skeptical about plants and beeswax could create something that would give my mom relief, but it really did help her. Within a few minutes of applying the home-made salve to one of her painful flare-ups, she reported relief within 20 minutes! We were both thrilled!
At the time, my mom visited her local YMCA for weekly water aerobics class. After she told her classmates and other colleagues about the “cream” her daughter made that helped her feel better, several of them wanted to try it for themselves.

It was when people started coming back asking for more, wanting to buy more, or asking if I made other salves or balms that the entrepreneur bug finally bit me. I had been working corporate office jobs for all of my adult life and was looking for another way to support my family. I immersed myself in learning about cosmetic formulations, the medicinal benefits of various herbs, plants, minerals and oils and began to formulate what is now Purple Jade Luxury Products.

Consumers are looking for “clean” health and wellness products — we want the benefit of the product, but we do not want the unnecessary chemicals, additives and toxins. Clean topicals are skin-applied products—such as creams, salves, balms, lotions, oils, or gels—formulated with ingredients that are non-toxic, safe, and free from harmful or questionable substances.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have acquired a deep love for plant medicine, wellness traditions and the belief that Luxury can be rooted in healing and nature. My journey started with helping my mother and over time as turned into a passion, a belief system and a way of life that I wish I had discovered earlier. My goal, and the goal of Purple Jade Luxury Products, is to reconnect with nature and remind everyone that Mother Nature really does provide for us in ways we have forgotten or maybe never knew before.

Our offerings include bath and body products such as soaking bath salts, soothing balms and productive salves, handmade in small batches. We prioritize clean, plant-based ingredients, therapeutic essential oils, and time-honored infusion methods to preserve the potency of the ingredients we use.

What sets us apart is our focus on functional luxury. These are not your typical self-care products, they have been researched thoroughly and crafted with purpose. Whether it’s helping manage chronic pain with our warming topicals, unwind from stress through an aromatic bath ritual, or nurture sensitive skin with gentle formulations, each item is designed to support the body and spirit with specific purpose and benefits.

Ultimately, Purple Jade is about creating thoughtful moments of care—for your body, your wellness, and your daily life.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

I have my own website, hosted by Wix – purplejadelux.com

I chose Wix as my web host because not only do they offer a TON of features and benefits along with hosting the domain. Also Wix allows me to bring my own payment processor – since a couple of my products contain CBD, I had to get a separate payment processor – Bankful.

I also have profiles on Etsy and Miiraya in addition to the website because I want Purple Jade Luxury Products to be available any and everywhere possible.

Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.

I do make the products myself, in my kitchen. I market myself as a small-batch artisan creator because this allows me to have control over the vendors I purchase from and the methods the ingredients are grown and sourced. Our goal is to use clean products, from seed to product if possible, which is why I either grow my own herbs, plants and spices in my home garden, or I seek out the most ethically produced ingredients, so there are no chemicals or unnecessary additives in the final products. I have taken several courses and gained certifications on how to formulate topicals, as well as best practices related to cleanest manufacturing processes and standards. For my own body, I am very aware of ingredients in the products I use, and I take that same awareness and dedication to my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://purplejadelux.com
• Instagram: PurpleJadeOnline
• Other: TikTok: PurpleJadeOnline

Image Credits

Headshot Photo Credit: Bluechild Entertainment