Meet Ina Melendez of INA DAYLE in Doral

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ina Melendez.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Ina. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My story is a bit of a rollercoaster, but I guess – who’s isn’t?

I graduated with my BFA in Fashion Design and had a career designing for 3 years until my health simply wouldn’t let me keep going. I had always dealt with one issue or another, but up until then I had been able to manage the pain.

From one day to another.. I couldn’t hold a toothbrush to brush my teeth, turn a doorknob, stand up without my knees giving out… The list goes on and on but basically, my body was completely giving out on me. After seeing several specialists I finally had an answer, I have late stage Lyme Disease and Babesiosis. I went from chasing my dreams to being 99% bedridden and in constant excruciating pain.

Because of Lyme, I have become incredibly sensitive to scents, especially chemicals and fragrances. I switched my entire protocol to be completely natural and through that process started using essential oils. I decided if I am going to be stuck in bed, I may as well learn something… So I studied and tried to retain as much information (Lyme affects your memory and cognitive function so this was and is still incredibly difficult).

I began teaching about the benefits of these oils and then decided to start creating some skin products for friends and family. It really happened from one day to the next as I quite literally, dreamt up the recipes. Yes, recipes. That’s what I call what the industry would call formulas.. because to me it is so much more than that. It’s blending natural ingredients together in a way where their aromas come together perfectly. It’s about creating multi-use products, that don’t leave you with extra issues.

Anyway, once I saw how much people loved the products I was making I decided to make it into a brand.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not.

Geez, I mean when you create a business from scratch there will always be struggles. That’s just how it is. Entrepreneurship is hard, anyone who tells you different is lying.

Some of my personal struggles have been dealing with fighting for my life (literally) and trying to grow my business at the same time. I struggled a lot with the fact that I physically can’t do as much as I want to do. But here’s the thing, I would rather grow slower (and be able to physically handle it) and eventually be able to do everything I want to.. Than bite off more than I can chew and crash (which happened a year and a half ago).

Is chasing your dreams easy while bedridden? No. But is it worth it, absolutely.

Please tell us about INA DAYLE.
I handcraft completely natural skin and hair care. Using organic ingredients and pure therapeutic grade essential oils, there really isn’t another product out there like ours.

We are known for creating versatile products that are recyclable, vegan, gluten free and paraben free.

I am most proud of our dedication to give back. For each product sold we donate $1 to Lyme Disease patients in need. The reason this is so helpful is because insurance doesn’t cover anything, not even the testing needed to see if you have Lyme. This means patients are spending upwards of $100,000 per year, just on out of pocket medical expenses. Forget student loans… imagine being 26 with drained savings, maxed out credit cards filled with medical payments, and unable to work due to debilitating pain.

This community is suffering minute to minute, some without the support of family or friends. But through social media, something really incredible happened. A community of Lyme patients all across the world was formed. A community of strangers who became friends who are there for each other each step of the way.

That’s why I decided to give directly to Lyme patients in need. I wanted to give back to the community who has shown me what real support is. I want to give my fellow warriors a reason to have hope, a reason to believe in miracles.

What were you like growing up?
Creative, determined, always analyzing everything and everyone…

I have always been into anything art related; painting, drawing, sewing, photography, modeling etc.

I’ve also always known I wanted to create a brand, and I’ve always known the name.. ever since I can remember. I was the kid who saw the branding side of basically anything.

Pricing:

• everything is less than $60
• $1 from each product sold is donated to Lyme disease patients in need

Contact Info:

• Website: www.inadayle.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @inadayle
• Facebook: Facebook.com/Ina-dayle
• Twitter: @inadayle

Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.