Our story began in dark despair, but now it's soaring into lots of marvelous light!

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What did I do in intense times of deep sorrow? Pray and create! In less than a year and a half, devastating tragedies struck our family like a firestorm of horrific dominos. I cared for and lost both of my parents to two terrible diseases. Simultaneously, our eldest daughter's body was forever changed after being struck by a truck. She had a long road to recovery. Meanwhile, as my hair fell out, menopause was menopausing, and I developed raccoon eyes from the stress and lack of sleep, our other daughter developed strange rashes and a mystery illness. Our family endured more family losses. It's been tough.

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​Birds & Butterflies

But through affliction, I learned a lot about invention, reinvention, faith, living, light and health, which moved me to start Crushed Herb Labs, LLC (read my lessons below). ​​​Our family needed victories that would soar above sorrow like the birds and butterflies that uncannily visited me on my hardest days. Those birds and butterflies would inspire me to study more about the Garden of Eden and explore the power of plants. Heaven and earth had everything needed for healing.

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My daughters and I needed help. When nothing in stores or prescribed worked or seemed safe and natural enough, this researcher and mother went into action. I vowed that circumstances and illnesses' effects on our skin, hair, and bodies would not win. So, after praying, I started working on solutions in every sense of the word.

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Momma, Ancient Plants & Science in Action

As an eternal university marketing professor who taught innovation, I had a plan. I worked as a global marketing strategist who cultivated science-based inventions, conducted research for big brands, traveled to study targeted consumer innovations in the global South, and I had been inspired and blessed to meet gracious people who welcomed me into their homes, tribes, and cupboards. I had represented the U.S. at international innovation conventions and summits in Asia and Africa. Along the way, I learned about ancient organic remedies used in different global South cultures.

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So, to heal my girls and myself in Texas, I headed out to our family-built greenhouse, cut plants, and pulled homegrown veggies from the freezer. I grabbed dry goods from my pantry and oils and dried ingredients purchased in neighborhood shops in Morrocco. I grabbed jars of olive oil and honey I had picked up in small villages in the mountains of Greece. I ordered leaves, herbs, and powders from Africa, South America, the Middle East, India, and across Asia.

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Then I took out my mortar, pestle, turkey baster, mixer, grinder, dehydrator, and blender and got busy crushing, mixing, drying, simmering, extracting, and testing. I combined organic ingredients used as ancient remedies in several cultures into single-jar ultra-potent serums. ​

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My kitchen became a cluttered lab as I studied plants and their chemical compositions to innovate ingredients to fortify my formulas into superpowered plant-based solutions. I tested serums on myself, friends, and family. They worked, so I started sharing more after learning how so many others suffered similar issues!​​

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​​​​​​Plant-based Success & New Experiments

I was regrowing strong healthy hair, edges, eyebrows, and men's beards with 34 plants! Plus, I was evening facial blemishes; calming dermatitis; lightening scars; creating complexions that glowed; brightening under eyes; and lessening muscle, joint, stomach and menstrual pains! I was on to something big and wonderful--and it was all plant-based and organic!

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Then I started a new revolutionary project. I strengthened and straightened my own natural extra-curly and frizzy hair ONLY with over 25 fruits, vegetables, and herbs. After a blow dry and flat iron pass, my hair was bone straight like I had a hair relaxer, but my formula was safe, contained no lye or harmful ingredients, and did not cause tumors, cancer, asthma, cysts, or disrupt women's DNA and endocrine systems, as so many other hair products targeted to black women did, according to news reports. My healthy formula worked for all hair types and served as a natural hair lotion tonic, too.

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Healthy Formulations & Self-Care

But then, working so tirelessly for everyone else, I was exhausted. Values on my health assessment were written in all red. I learned the hard way about the need for self-care and balance and saving myself as a priority.

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So, I opened Crushed Herb Labs, LLC to share my safe and healthy plant-based solutions with the world and to help other women like me with their self-care issues and goals, too. We are not just an ancient plant-based beauty and wellness manufacturer that blends hair, skin and wellness formulas for health, radiance, and restoration. We are also a natural living and wellness brand centered on supplying beautifully designed self-care goods to help women like me change their lives and not just fly high, but gain altitude!