Adventure
Lydia Gibson holds a bottle of her coconut vanilla oil she offers as a moisturizer through Eva Jenae Naturals.
Unexpected
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Alumnus develops skin care line out of necessity
here’s not much many parents won’t do to help their children, especially when they are suffering. And when Lydia Gibson’s new daughter Eva Jenae was experiencing some skin and scalp issues, she set out in the kitchen to find the solution. “Before her first birthday, we took her to the hospital with some skin issues and issues with her scalp and the doctors told us it was eczema. The creams and things that were given to us weren’t quite working, so that’s when I started researching natural ingredients and ways I could treat her skin and scalp conditions,” said Lydia. “That’s how Eva Jenae Naturals was born.” That was 2006. Lydia’s first formula for a body butter began to improve the condition of her daughter’s skin. She shared the body butter with others, who also loved the moisturizing qualities. They thought she had
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We are Wayland | Unexpected
a marketable product.
“I started sharing these mixtures with my friends, family and coworkers and they would say, ‘why are you giving this away? Why don’t you sell this?’ but I had a lot going on at the time,” recalls Lydia, whose husband was still on active duty with the U.S. Air Force. “Eventually I had to resign my job due to another military move, and it seemed like the perfect time to start my business. We officially started in 2011. This is my 10th year in business, and we’re still learning a lot and growing.”
Adding education Early on in the life of Lydia’s business, she decided to go back to school for her master’s degree. She chose a familiar place: Wayland. “I had started my bachelor’s degree at Wayland while in Clovis, but when we got
relocated I transferred to finish that,” she said. “But I decided to go back to Wayland for my graduate degree, and I earned a degree in management, majoring in human resources. I had two kids under 5 at the time so it was important for it all to be online, and Wayland was perfect for my situation.” Lydia started Eva Jenae Naturals in 2011 after the family moved to Fairborn, Ohio, with the Air Force. Husband Brandon retired from the service in 2014 and now works for the Veterans Administration. Also an Air Force veteran (1999-2002), Lydia now has a full-time job with the Department of Defense in human resource. Both work from home.