NC Businessman Turns Hobby Into Cosmetics Company

John DeBerry, President of Blo-Glo, Inc
John DeBerry, President of Blo-Glo, Inc

Making Your Outer Beauty Match Your Inner Beauty

Mankind has been in search of “miracle cures” for most common ailments since civilization began. From the alchemists and apothecaries of ancient Rome, to Chinese medicines for restoring youth, to the miraculous and efficacious cures unlocked from deep in the Amazonian jungle, discovering and defining cures using herbal remedies continues to be a detailed quest of man today.

Blo-Glo, Inc. is an herbal products company specializing in all-natural cosmetics that is currently doing test marketing in North Carolina. With relatives in the Asheville area, founder and president John DeBerry will be collaborating locally with the A-B Tech Business Incubator Center on its Enka campus.

DeBerry’s original goal was to find cures for a family illness. “My father died at the age of 47, and he also had two sisters die at ages 44 and 45. Then, two brothers died, one at age 32, and [the other at] 52. In 1999, my oldest brother died at the age of 48. All of my family member’s deaths were from heart attacks. In 2002, my nephew had a heart attack at 26, but thankfully he survived.

After blood chemistry workups and laboratory testing and research were done on surviving family members, it was determined that there was an abnormality in the DeBerry’s bloodline that caused their blood to coagulate abnormally. Such abnormalities are called “Coagulopathies” in the medical community, defined as abnormal or prolonged clotting of the blood by deficient or impaired clotting factors.

Janay’s Facial Cleanser is a great remedy for Eczema, Psoriasis, or dry itchy skin.
Janay’s Facial Cleanser is a great remedy for Eczema, Psoriasis, or dry itchy skin.

While searching for a medicinal cure for his family’s pathology, Deberry and his wife came up with an herb-based soap, which they started using and gave to friends. He began developing natural hair and body products with his special blend of natural herbs. Soon the Janays Herbal Products line was founded.

“Those same herbs, which have been used for centuries, are still used today,” he said. In his research, he found herbs that would also help persons suffering from high-blood pressure, diabetes, skin problems, and other ailments. He noted, “Germans in World War II would use herbs to cure burns and rashes for their soldiers in the field.

“This started out as a hobby for my wife and me, now it is a family business,” said DeBerry.

Much of it has been built by word of mouth and consumer demand.

For example, while attending a hair show in Asheville, DeBerry sold a bar of soap to a barber whose son had a bad case of dandruff. The soap cured the dandruff and the barber started shaving his customers with the soap, and soon the barber’s customers were DeBerry’s customers as well.

Meanwhile, the family was developing a second product, Janay’s All-Purpose Shampoo. “Demand creates our need to make more products,” Deberry said. “Janay’s has nine products now.”

The company also relies on testimonials from uers of his products, especially the Facial and Body Cleanser. He has collected more than 700 so far. He notes, “There is a 35-year-old lady who had eczema since she was 17. She had been going to physicians and dermatologists and her condition didn’t improve. My sister gave the lady a bar of my soap to use. Her eczema has improved tremendously.”

Deberry and his wife (Renna) started dating at 14, married at 24, and are the parents of two grown children (John Jr. and Johnria) and a grandson (Xavier). He notes that while he was earning his masters in Entrepreneurship at WCU, his daughter was also in graduate school. The entire family believes in both education and the entrepreneurial spirit, giving life to the company’s motto: “Making your outer beauty match your inner beauty”.

For more information about Janays Herbal Products, visit the website at www.janaysherbalproducts.com.


Disclaimer: Product claims, research, and information expressed in this article are those of John DeBerry, President of Blo-Glo, Inc, and Janay’s Herbal Products. The Urban News does not purport or make any medical claims in this article whatsoever. Please contact your medical healthcare provider before using any product(s) for medicinal purposes.