( ENSPIRE Beauty ) Sunny in Denbigh Launches the Sunflower Essential Collection
Dr. Gillian “Sunny” Nelson Frederick is the visionary force behind Sunny In Denbigh, a Jamaican-born natural hair and skincare brand that has captured hearts and curls across the globe. From humble kitchen experiments to a flourishing beauty line grounded in heritage and holistic wellness, Sunny Nelson’s journey is one of purpose, perseverance, and passion. Founded in 2019, she was a working mother of three who thrived and created a beauty brand, trailblazing the natural hair and skincare landscape. Rooted in Jamaican heritage, Sunny Nelson has revealed the latest products made from all-natural ingredients. The Sunflower Essential Collection is a vibrant, two-product line designed to nourish, define, and celebrate textured hair in its most authentic form.
Sunny Nelson talks about her upbringing in Denbigh and how it shapes her business and products. In addition, she delves into how she caters products for all curly types, from 4C curls to relaxed curls. She explains the challenges of motherhood and how it affects making products for daily self-care easier, especially for families. Furthermore, Sunny Nelson describes the Sunflower Essential Collection campaign and how the culture and beauty of the Dominican Republic, where the campaign was shot, reflect her core values for Sunny Denbigh. Lastly, she ends on a high note, offering advice to future entrepreneurs and women of color who want to pursue their own businesses.
As a Jamaican-born entrepreneur, how has your upbringing in Denbigh shaped both your approach to business and the products you create for your customers?
Being a Jamaican-born entrepreneur has really shaped my entrepreneurial journey. If you know any Jamaicans, you know we are authentic and truly ourselves in every room we walk into. That is honestly who I am and how I run my business. Being from Jamaica, where everything is made from scratch, fresh, and natural, has influenced how I formulate and make our products at Sunny In Denbigh. I still find joy in making our products in small batches and in delicately selecting my ingredients, just as I grew up seeing the women around me prepare whatever they were crafting that day.
In an industry that’s often focused on niche markets, what does it mean to you to create products that cater to such a diverse range of textures, from 4C curls to relaxed hair?
This means everything to me. As a woman, I honestly believe that we should have the freedom of expression. We should have the right to wear our hair and express ourselves however we want. And we should also have access to natural products that cater to us, regardless of how we choose to wear our hair. Our products at Sunny In Denbigh cater to all hair types, including natural hair, locs, relaxed styles, straight hair, curly hair, and color-treated hair. We carry products for everyone. Everyone deserves good, non-toxic products. I represent every woman when I say, “No one wants to be confined or boxed in or told how to wear their hair, especially not in 2025.”
You’ve been vocal about the challenges of motherhood while building your business. What role has your experience as a mother played in the creation of products that are designed to make daily self-care easier, especially for families?
In all transparency, I believe that if God hadn’t blessed me with two daughters, less than two years apart, with type 4 hair, that I would not have been in this business. Being a mom to daughters forced me to create products that not only worked for them but also for their hair type. As mothers, we are fixers; our children look to us for answers, and we feel an obligation to provide solutions. This is exactly how I felt that day when my daughter came home, crying about not loving her hair. That was a defining moment for me, and I knew I had to do something to protect her self-esteem. That’s exactly why I am in this position as a beauty brand owner: before anything, I am a mom, and I’m gonna make sure my babies always have what they need.
The campaign for the Sunflower Essential Collection was shot in the Dominican Republic, a place you’ve described as being close to your heart. How does the culture and beauty of the island reflect the core values of your brand and resonate with your customers?
First, let me say this: the Dominican Republic was the first island that I’ve been to where I honestly felt like I was in Jamaica. Now I visited Punta Cana, but my experience in Puerto Plata was so much different, so refreshing, and so authentic. Even though I speak little to no Spanish, I could tell from the smiles on their faces, the gestures, and the eye contact that I was welcome, I was seen, and for me, that type of hospitality is everything. I remember mentioning to my husband that, besides Jamaica, the DR would probably be the only other island I’d want to own a home on. It reminded me of how colorful Jamaica is. I remember just being mesmerized by all the different hues of brown people, like all the different textures of hair. The culture is so rich and so beautiful to see, all these different brown people just coexisting, living together, and working hard. I love their work ethic; everyone was selling something. Everyone was hustling. Everyone was doing something to better themselves, and as an entrepreneur, as a Jamaican, that felt like home to me! We share that similar hustle, we share that same heart, so I felt right at home there, and I absolutely loved that. It is truly a beautiful island. I can’t wait to go back!
From your humble beginnings of creating remedies in your kitchen to launching a thriving brand, what advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs, especially women of color, looking to turn their passion into a successful business?
As cliché as this sounds, I would say start! Starting is the hardest step; believing in yourself enough to take that first step is the hardest part. So many women have gifts, so many of us have things that we are passionate about, but we’re just afraid of failure. We’re afraid of the embarrassment that comes with putting ourselves out there and not having customers, not having a social media following, not having support from family and friends. I have found that once you start, your tribe will find you, the people who want to support you will find you, and the people who share your values and believe in your brand will rally around you. That has been my experience starting a business. I never saw myself as a business owner, so starting a business at over 40 for me was like getting a second lease on life. I am so happy I started. I am so happy I didn’t quit when it got hard. It’s been hard days, but you have to remember why you started and be passionate about what you’re doing. I think for me, just knowing that I’m making an impact and knowing that our products are needed and appreciated by so many is enough to keep me going through the hard days. Just start where you are! God will meet you at your point of need.
Sunny Nelson is creating community and opportunity through Sunny in Denbigh for all curly hair types. Having luscious natural curls can be an easy and manageable process, but it’s finding the right products that make it thrive. To buy haircare products, visit https://sunnyindenbigh.com/. For the latest updates on clearance sales and new hair products, follow Sunny in Denbigh on Instagram.
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