Jazmine Duke on jD Bath Co & Stewarding a Black Woman Owned Empire
“This journey looks impossible when you lump it all together, it is achievable by solving individual problems day by day. ”
To say we are fans of Jazmine Duke would be an understatement! In the words of So She Slays Co-Founder, Chauncey, “I don’t know what God made you from but I am sure glad you are here.”
Our friendship goes back to the start of So She Slays, almost six years ago, when Jazmine had her first company “FemCon,” a web publication. We began collaborating on topics that we aligned on and even did some interviews together. Check out her very first interview with So She Slays here. Throughout the years we’ve maintained this relationship and have always supported each other in the various adventures that we’ve been on.
We’ve watched this woman grow and transform into not only the epitome of a badass female entrepreneur but one worthy of creating her OWN enterprise. Yes, you read that correctly, this woman has her own enterprise known as JDE, Jazmine Duke Enterprise. When Chauncey and I found this out…I wish you could’ve seen our faces drop. So proud of this woman!
JDE, may be a fairly new addition to the Jazmine Duke brand but her company jD Bath Co is what helped to launch this whole thing. Specializing in non-toxic, vagina-friendly, luxurious bath and skincare products jD Bath Co is at the top of our list when it comes to companies we LOVE! Because of this So She Slays has partnered with jD Bath Co to bring you the limited edition “Hot Girls Stay Fresh” standard and lux boxes filled with some of her most sought after products, including her brand new Rose Water Tonic - the glow up for summer is about to get real!!
We will be launching this exciting collaboration in June so stay tuned but until then we wanted you to get a sneak peek at the woman behind this phenomenal company. To do that we sat down with Jazmine and picked her brain about what went into making jD Bath Co.
What inspired you to create this company?
It really all started when I was suffering from chronic yeast infections. I had seen OBGYN after OBGYN and none of them were able to solve my problem. More often than not I was met with an attitude that these chronic infections were something that I just had to live with. After one particularly frustrating appointment, I was told that I had to stop taking baths. This conversation opened my eyes to how many products contain ingredients that irritate our sensitive parts and skin. I knew I wasn’t going to give up baths so I started working on creating my own bath products. When I had created a product that I loved, Bomb AF was born and jD Bath Co was about six months from hitting the market.
What makes JD Bath Co products different from the rest?
It’s a revolution. My mission is to create a product revolution. jD Bath Co isn’t just another skin and bath care company, we’re here to change this industry. Non-toxic is our norm, not a specialty. Being gentle with the skin and sensitive parts, and only using high-quality ingredients is the only way we create products – that’s how it should have always been! Because this is our mission, we sell and manufacture our products. Most companies outsource manufacturing to another company because owning and running your own manufacturing is a huge investment. But our mission is to change this industry and owning manufacturing is what ensures we are a different kind of skincare company.
It’s only been three years and now with the addition of a warehouse you will be the only female Black owned automated skincare manufacturing company in the US. How does that feel?
I am not exactly sure. Right now, it's very intense. I think part of me is waiting to hit bigger goals to really celebrate success. I’ve been consumed with the daily operations of jD Bath Co and ensuring that the manufacturing company, jDE, launches on time with a pipeline of orders. It’s worth noting that through building jD Bath Co and launching jDE I’ve kept my full time day job. Being my own investor is something that is important to me, it also means that I work a ton of hours and accomplishments can rush by without me noticing. Today, I am incredibly proud to be stewarding a Black owned empire that is staffed by all Black women. That is intentional and it means a lot to me to break down barriers and bring other women with me.
What are somethings you wish you knew before starting your business journey?
All in all, I actually am glad I didn’t know everything before getting started. I feel incredibly blessed to still be in business, surviving a global pandemic, and having a thriving business in 3 years. If I would have known everything before I started, I don’t know that I would have started at all. This journey looks impossible when you lump it all together, it is achievable by solving individual problems day by day.
What is one of the “realist” moments you had in creating/maintaining JD Bath Co where you thought “This can really work.” or “What the hell am I doing?”
Having a team of people work with me on the brand makes it feel real.
What are your favorite must-have products in your line and why?
I love and use all of the products! But, my favorite is probably the Organic Rose Oil - it is so versatile and I use it a lot. My skin drinks it up, it keeps me moisturized and glowing. It also keeps my skin maintained, I have acne, eczema, and psoriasis!
Describe your slay.
Someone described me as a female power broker and that always stuck with me.
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Instagram: @jdbathco
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jdbathco/_shop/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jdbathco/
Twitter: @jdbathco