Son's ailment leads to homemade cure, business for mother - KMSP-TV

A Lawrenceville mother turned her son's stressful medical condition into a successful business. Using her own recipe, she cooked up a cure for her son's skin symptoms.

Anita Redd's middle son is now a teen, but she says she'll never forget the day he was born.

"He was born in my arms and his skin was flaying off of his lower body," said Redd.

Doctors told her it was an incurable genetic condition, eczema. It's is a skin condition that causes symptoms like flaking, redness, itching, dryness and in some extreme cases - bleeding.

Redd says doctors tried everything from steroids to cream. She worried about the effects it would have on her son and thought there had to be a better way to treat his condition.

She did her research and looked into natural skin conditioners. She came up with olive oil and beeswax.

"My very first container that I made for him was in his dad's roll-on deodorant, Mennen stick. I melted beeswax and added olive oil until it got to be just the right consistency," said Redd.

It worked and Anita's Balm was born. But Redd says she didn't consider it a business until she heard similar skin stories from others in her parents' group. She's now making it for others and delivering it.

A year later, tens of thousands of Anita's Balm products have been sold and they're in stores across the nation, including Return to Eden in Atlanta. Redd says she enjoys success, but helping families get through a stressful condition is her reward.

"This is the true heartbeat of my business. I would be happy to be in Kroger, in Walmart. But these are my customers," said Redd.

Soon, you will see Redd's products even more places. She's currently working out a deal for Anita's Balm to be sold in CVS and Kroger's nationwide. For more information on Anita's Balm, click here.