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Homegrown: Story-time about the ingredients I grew up with

Imebeth Thompson
Dec 18, 2022
3 min read

Updated: Jan 23, 2023

I was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica. Growing up, I didn’t realize how much of my culture would reflect in my passion, but here we are! One day while mixing up Aloe & Honey Curl Defining Cream– I had a flashback to when my mom would apply aloe Vera to my scalp. The residue during a wash would run down my face into my mouth. The taste was so bitter, but I knew my hair was going to be soft to the touch yet strong.

I wanted to share a few of the ingredients used in my own product line, Beth defines beauty products that are woven into my childhood memories. There’s a lot of history here, let’s get into it!

Hibiscus Flower 🌺

This ingredient has always been close to my heart. I grew up with a hibiscus tree in my backyard, so there was always an abundance of its flowers nearby. The vibrant pinks & reds always called to me. I would use them to decorate my hair and my dollhouse. Growing up, my family would all enjoy hibiscus tea for its soothing feeling. I knew as a child that it was good for me.

Imebet 16years old- Kingston, Jamaica

During my hair journey- I found that the hibiscus flower is rich in vitamin C which is great for hair growth. I have a more in-depth blog on hair growth and different natural remedies you can use. I use hibiscus in more than one product – I love the light hues of pink it leaves behind & of course the nutrients & smell! 🌺

Aloe Vera Plant 🪴

Aloe Vera and I had a bittersweet relationship growing up – literally. My mom would wash my hair or give my siblings & I raw Aloe Vera to drink after summer break which can be bitter. However, digesting raw aloe Vera is known as “Purging the blood” in Jamaica. We were taught that aloe Vera had the power to clean our blood. I investigated why this may be and it could be connected to Aloe Vera’s ability to lower blood sugar. 🍃

In the hair department, Aloe Vera has loads of benefits. When applied directly to the scalp, it can:

help soothe an itchy scalp

Strength hair from the root

Reduce the look & feel of “greasy hair”

Protect from UV rays.

Coconut Oil

Coconuts are such a big part of Jamaican culture. My mom would task me with cracking fresh dry coconuts open, then prepare the coconut by grater or blend it in an electric blender. After juicing/squeezing it, we’ll have the leftover, which we called “coconut trash”. We would use this freshly pressed coconut milk for rice & peas, a popular dish back home.

I’ve eaten coconut in so many forms – One of my favorite ways to eat coconut was mixing coconut trash with brown sugar. Or eating coconut jelly from soft coconut. We kept its oil around as a moisturizer for the skin and scalp. 🥥

Castor Oil

While Coconut oil was used as either cooking aid or remedy for dry skin. Castor Oil was used in our hair for thickness & growth and as a remedy to help with detoxing the body. That’s a good thing about natural products – you can always get more than one use out of them!

In all, I couldn’t be more grateful for my upbringing. Seeing the dots connect throughout my life has been a memorable experience. Getting to know the same ingredients my mom used on me on a deeper level to include them & have them in my products has been a true full circle moment, and we’re just getting started!