We were lucky to catch up with Joy Edwards recently and have shared our conversation below.

Joy , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Growing up I always had very sensitive skin. As I got older and continued using products that weren’t right for my sensitive skin, it became drier until I eventually developed atopic dermatitis on the back of my hands.

I didn’t realize I had atopic dermatitis until I was an adult. I just always thought I had dehydrated, itchy, and sensitive skin. It never donned on me to go to a doctor or dermatologist, it was just one of those things I dealt with as best I could as a single mother with three boys, I had more important things to worry about.

In 2014, I received a chemical burn on my scalp from a perm and again, I have no idea why it never donned on me to seek medical attention. It was really bad, but again, I just figured it was one of those unfortunate things we go through from time to time.

I took to the internet looking for natural, chemical-free products to treat my scalp and found nothing. At this time, the natural hair community was relatively new, so the information and products were minimal so I took matters into my own hands.

I began researching oils and butters and came across Shea Butter which had a number of nutritive and healing properties I began experimenting, mixing, and blending it with other oils until I came up with a formula that really helped not only my scalp and hair but the backs of my hands were clearing up as well.

Shortly after, I found a soap and cosmetics-making school in my area and enrolled in a beginner’s course to cold process soap-making with the intention of getting help and advice from the instructor after class on how to improve my formula.

Five minutes after the class began, I fell head over heels in love with cold-process soapmaking! My second passion in life found me (my first is music)!

I received the help I needed to stabilize my formulation and I immediately bought supplies to make my first batch of soap for my family and I haven’t stopped since.

I began using what was supposed to be a scalp treatment all over my body and kept fine-tuning it and it’s not my whipped body butter. My skin has never been so soft and moisturized in all my life! I knew I had to share with others who have been suffering from dry, itchy, sensitive skin too.

My family has sensitive skin as I do, so I make all our soaps, body butter, and lotions to keep our skin healthy and it is my passion to help as many other women and their families maintain the health and vitality of their skin and that of their family as well.

Joy , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Like most people in the beauty industry, I was looking to solve a problem for myself and my family. In my case, it was trying to heal a chemical burn on my scalp that led to me finding a solution for repairing and nourishing my dry, sensitive skin.

The beauty industry has a way of portraying to the general public that skin conditions such as dermatitis, dryness, itchiness, and sensitivities are uncommon when they are widespread.

Many women feel ashamed and embarrassed to acknowledge their skin issues and often suffer in silence looking to color cosmetics such as foundation, concealers, and other products to hide what they feel are blemishes which often exacerbate their issues.

I believe all women deserve to feel beautiful and confident in their skin. Having dry, sensitive skin is very challenging, but with the right products, it is manageable.

I understand the daily lives and schedules of women are naturally very hectic and busy, but I also understand the importance of daily self-care and having just a few moments of peace to relax, unwind, and recharge so you can be at your absolute best and that’s why I created Sweet Surrender.

Sweet Surrender was founded to help women restore, revitalize, and maintain the health and vitality of dry, sensitive skin through daily self-care. I formulate all my products with high-quality, natural, and plant-based ingredients designed to be gentle and nourishing.

To empower women to embrace their daily self-care, my products are also designed to fit seamlessly into the busiest schedules. Whether in the morning, the evenings, or both, my products help women to create opportunities in their daily lives to pamper themselves and escape the chaos.

Sweet Surrender makes it easy to pamper yourself daily and improve the health of your skin without having to even think about it. My products are the perfect blend of beauty, luxury, aromatherapy, and functionality.

Just a few simple tweaks can be the difference between skin that’s dry and cracked and skin that’s soft, supple, radiant, and a daily routine that leaves you looking and feeling your most beautiful best.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I was born and raised in San Diego, CA. When I began my business in 2014, I had been working for the City of San Diego for over twelve years so I was using what I could afford to fund and support my business.

As time progressed, the cost of living get kept going up and my paycheck was staying the same. To say things were hard financially was an understatement, so I began exploring my options.

In 2016 I decided to move my family to Henderson, NV. Expecting it to be a lengthy process, I was shocked when in just a few months I was offered a job with Clark County. I took it as a sign and in February 2017 I left San Diego and headed for the desert.

Unfortunately, I sustained a knee injury moving boxes upstairs. Not knowing anyone, or having insurance yet, I asked around at work for advice and suggestions on where to go to get medical treatment until my benefits began and no one helped me. With Nevada being a “Right to Work” state, and not having the proper medical attention and care I needed, my injury worsened every day I went to work until finally I couldn’t walk. I had taken too much time off work and was let go.

I was devastated, scared, and in shock. I have never been let go from a job before and here I was with two of my three boys in a new state, a new city with no friends, family, or support system.

In the midst of my panic attack, there was a small voice that said to me, “Stop worrying, you’re not broke!”

I immediately began applying for other jobs with the County, State, and other city municipalities. My applications were accepted but no one was hiring. Shortly after, my computer just stopped working so I began going to the library every day using their computers to look for and apply for work emailing resumes like crazy.

Again, here came that little voice telling me, “You are not broke! You have money!” and it finally donned on me, I truly was not broke and had no need to worry …. just yet.

Fortunately, I worked long enough I had three more paychecks so my rent and bills were covered for the next two months. I went and bought a laptop and immediately figured out a budget for my household expenses and since I couldn’t get a job, I made allocations to work my business full-time and requested a withdrawal from my retirement account from the City of San Diego.

It has not been easy, but I’ve been bootstrapping everything for my business. No loans, grants, or anything and it’s not from a lack of trying, it just hasn’t worked out for me.

That was a major and unexpected shift in my life; however, instead of focusing on the negative aspects of the situation, I remain thankful for the opportunity to be able to shift gears and work on my business full-time and not just as a side hustle that working 40 hours a week would have left me too tired to focus on.

Things don’t always work out the way we expect them to and definitely not the way we want them to, but I have come to learn that as long as you are able to shift gears and go with the flow, things work out the way they are supposed to.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

Yes, I manufacture all my own products and I love it!

In 2014 while looking for natural solutions and remedies for treating a chemical burn on my scalp, I found a soap and cosmetics-making school in Lemon Grove close to where I was living in San Diego.

Initially, I registered for the Cold-process soap-making class for beginners because it seemed fun, but I also wanted the opportunity to ask the instructor for help with the cream I was working on, which is now my whipped body butter.

I was totally engrossed in the class and fell in love with soap-making five minutes in. It was so fun and exciting to be able to choose whatever oils I wanted to make soap!

I love having complete control of the ingredients that go into the products I make. I love creating my own formulas and manufacturing my own products.

I love testing new soap recipes. The process never changes, but each oil you choose has a different reaction in soap. For instance, coconut oil gives lots of bubbles in soaps but in large amounts can be a little drying, whereas olive oil is very nourishing on the skin but has very little to no lather or bubbles in soap.

I wish I had known when I was a kid I was going to love soap and cosmetics making, instead of biology I would have taken chemistry instead!

One thing I’ve definitely learned, it’s never too late to find and follow your passion in life and I look forward to being a formulator and manufacturer for many years to come!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sweet-surrender.biz
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/sweet_surrender_co
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/4sweetsurrender
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joy-edwards-aa10b88a/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEFbsAV5PyEITSJNoVIb7Cw
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sweet-surrender-spa-quality-bath-and-body-care-henderson-2?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)

Image Credits
Joy Edwards