Nigel’s Jamaican Almond Oil

Remember back in 2012 when I tried yoga in Jamaica for my very first time?  Four years later I reunited with her and let me tell you, this woman never stops doing amazing things!

Not long after the yoga experience I started seeing this almond oil stuff popping up on Jessica Houghton’s Facebook page and I was a little curious.  Over time there seemed to be more and more hype about it;  she was expanding her business, attracting hotels that wanted to carry her Jamaican almond oil, and appearing on TV interviews in Kingston.  Eventually I kind of wanted to know what all the hype was about.

Finally, in April the timing was right and Jessica and I were able to link up again so I could find out what the deal was.  What I received is a most awesome and educational afternoon in her yard which is also a little almond farm and their oil pressing location.

 

 

Jessica and her husband Nigel (hence the name Nigel’s Jamaican Almond Oil) live and work in their little almond “factory” which is about ten minutes outside the town center of Negril.  I’ve met Jessica before but this was the first time meeting Nigel who was such a pleasant person to get to know.  The two of them live in a humble little home in a much bigger yard full of almond and Moringa trees.  They also have a small staff of locals who are part of this fascinating, yet grueling process of growing, harvesting and cold-pressing almonds into small bottles of oil.

 

 

I had no idea what kind of work was involved in producing this product but I spent a few hours at their place intently listening.  I admit I was a little bit floored at the process from start to finish.  First of all it takes a LOT longer than I would have ever thought because they do it all by hand.  No automation involved here.

 

 

I’m going to try to recollect what they told me about it.

The team first harvests the almonds from the trees and then the almonds are laid out to sun dry for weeks until they look something like this.  The green one is fresh off the tree and the darker one is dried.

 

 

Once the almonds are dried they are removed from the pod by hand with nothing but a hammer and some manual dexterity.  Already, just knowing this makes me marvel that it takes 500 almonds to produce one tiny little bottle.  My first thought is that these people must really love what they do.  I can’t imagine the time and care involved to produce the oil in enough quantity to actually sell!

 

 

Nigel handed me a couple of almonds out of the pod to eat and I actually felt guilty taking them knowing how much work goes into their product.

The one thing that impressed me the most about this entire operation is that Jessica told me their product is so organic that the entire work crew ONLY listens to inspiring, uplifting and motivational music and audio recordings while working.  She has actually taught her workers to buy into and believe in the power of positivity that lovingly goes into their almond oil.  I simply love this philosophy.

Okay, on with the process:

Once they have extracted enough almonds from pods the next stage begins – cold pressing them with a manual press.  Then, once every drop of oil is extracted from the batch of almonds it goes on to be filtered several times which to me, would be like watching paint dry.  In Jessica’s house, near where we sat and talked I saw a large container on a shelf in her main room.  It looked as though there was some sort of cheesecloth filter inside it which was filtering out any impurities.  Below the filter the container was nearly half full of golden almond oil.  I believe she told me that was the last filtering round of many for that batch of oil.

After that, Nigel and Jessica manually stick labels onto the little bottles, manually fill them and manually seal them to sell.

 

 

Okay so now you’re probably saying SO WHAT?  What is the almond oil good for?  What do people even use it for?  Jessica was very informative (and hilariously candid) about many of the uses for the oil.  The main one that stuck in my head was obviously skin, and even though she and Nigel say it is fantastic for use on many skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema and other ailments I was strictly thinking of anti-aging.  I look at Jessica who is (50?) I think she said, and her skin is radiant and amazing.  That can’t all just be island air!

Jessica also told me the oil can be taken orally, used for hair and scalp, and so many other uses.

First of all I’d like to tell you that this is NOT a sponsored post.  Jessica did not ask me to write this – I sought her out because I wanted to know for myself and have something cool to write about.  Secondly, I’m the world biggest skeptic when it comes to natural products or ANY product that claims to be good for health, beauty, etc.  I have crates of unused products that I buy and try a few times, never to use them again simply because I wasn’t happy or it didn’t do what it claims to do.

 

Now here’s my testimony for this almond oil.

I bought a bottle for $1250.00 jmd (about $13.00) while I was visiting Jessica.  I didn’t try it nor open it until I came back to Canada but just for kicks I thought I’d start using it on my face after my shower each morning.  I was a little afraid of putting pure oil on my face but she told me it absorbs beautifully so I did it anyway, hoping for the best.

After about a week of using it religiously each morning my skin LITERALLY felt like velvet.  A Canadian woman who came with me to Jessica’s also bought a bottle so I texted her after my few days of using it and asked her, “Do does your skin feel super velvety with this almond oil”?  Her results were the same!  I distinctly remember telling her that I’m a believer!  To the point where I constantly touch my face just to feel the soft, smooth skin.  It’s simply amazing and I haven’t even used it for anything else yet!

 

How can you get some almond oil for yourself?

Nigel and Jessica are easily accessible via their Facebook page and their online Etsy shop.  If you’re not in Jamaica that’s no problem.  Jessica ships worldwide and even has a few distributors in the USA and Canada.  She also informed me that some resort spas such as Couples are carrying the almond oil.

 

It was an absolute pleasure seeing Jessica again, even if it was four years later.  It was also my pleasure meeting the man behind the name – Nigel.  They’re a wonderful couple with an inspirational little business going on there, which is only growing from what I’ve heard.

 

 

 

2018 UPDATE:  Nigel and Jessica are based in the USA now and still producing their almond oil with authentic Jamaican almonds grown in the same yard in Negril, Jamaica.