JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville Army veteran is channeling his service overseas into a new product designed to help with skin care and physical fitness.
Capt. Sherman Williams, who served during Operation Iraqi Freedom in the early 2000s, said he first came up with the idea for Body Aqua beverage after noticing the physical toll living in the desert was taking on his body.
“My skin was ashing up with no regard to hydration, to lotion or creams we were provided. I said, ‘Something is wrong with this,’” said Capt. Williams, adding that he also realized his time spent in Iraq left him more fatigued than usual.
Besides combat, Williams and his fellow soldiers were also battling Mother Nature, which took the form of sandstorms and extreme temperatures, from blistering heat during the peak hours of the day to the frigid cold that awaited them at night.
“I actually suffered frostbite on my hands, feet and ears,” Williams recalled. “I am very sensitive to the cold.”
It was during that time that Williams had an idea. What if he created a beverage that would help consumers care for their skin while also promoting physical fitness? The first step was figuring out what his body, and skin, lacked and then addressing those needs.
The beverage had to be a source of hydration without overlooking dietary needs and restrictions for people living with diabetes or blood sugar issues. He also wanted to avoid the sports drink formula, which typically includes potassium, sodium and artificial food coloring.
The result? Body Aqua.
“It’s the first cosmetic beverage — fitness friendly, diabetic friendly, kid friendly, vegan friendly,” Williams said.
But after coming up with the idea, Williams struggled to find support for it. From the time he developed it until his product hit the shelves in December, he said he received little to no help at all. So he forged ahead on his own, learning some difficult lessons along the way.
“It was a lot of trial-and-error and a lot of expensive hurdles I wish I could turn back,” he said. “It takes a lot of funding and support, which I didn’t have. For me, the truth hurts. I met a multitude of racism from my own race, as well as other races. Institutional racism, Jim Crow is still alive and well. I am still afraid of the backlash because there’s that white line that you can say that will stop me from going where I want to be.”
“Unfortunately, people judge you based on how you look and not what’s in your heart, even though I served my country.”
Even though Williams had to struggle to get where he is, he started seeing results in December. Body Aqua, which is bottled and packaged in Florida, is now sold online on the company’s website and in 45 Walmart locations throughout the state, including several in Jacksonville. He’s also developed drinks for children as part of the endeavor.
The operation has grown enough that Williams now have five people on his payroll, but he’s not done just yet. His goal is to place Body Aqua in 500 stores by the end of the year.