The Spanish explorer and conqueror Juan Ponce de Leon, who was governor of Puerto Rico, and conqueror of Florida (he lived in our country before going to Puerto Rico) thought that when he sighted the things of Florida, it was the mysterious island of Bimini, they thought it was an island, which was what this advance guard of the crown was looking for. Specifically, the mysterious island of Bimini, a place where, according to natives of Puerto Rico and Quisqueya, there was a fountain that “turned old men into young men”. While others sought gold, the colonizer sought something even more valuable, eternal youth. He never made it to the island, and of course, he never found the fountain of youth either.

But myth and history have kept alive the idea of trying to avoid aging and its consequences. And we have come a long way. The market is overflowing with offers and promises to counteract the passage of time. Wonderful creams, cosmetic surgeries, pills and potions with extraordinary properties.

But in our country, Leonardo de León Miranda, who according to his father, belongs to the descendants of the Spanish conquistador, has dedicated part of his life to study and obtain from nature products that, although they do not promise eternal youth, are a natural alternative to maintain health and general wellbeing.

A natural sportsman, De León always felt the need to consume products and supplements free of industrial processes, and in that personal search he started what today has become a successful project that in a short time has positioned itself as a natural alternative for food supplements and cosmetic products based on what nature has to offer.

“More than 20 years ago I was looking for protein supplements, because I have always exercised and I needed and need that supplementation. But I couldn’t find what I was looking for, neither in the country nor in the United States. I was looking for something that had no sweeteners, no flavorings or preservatives, that was as natural as possible. What I found had at least six chemical or artificial ingredients and my body did not like that. When I consumed that, my body reacted against it, it rejected it. I started to prepare my own supplements from natural products such as cocoa, products without chemical processes. That was the beginning, because when I saw the results in me, I thought that this could benefit many people. That was the beginning of The Fountain of Youth,” Leonardo de Leon tells us.

The products offered by La Fuente de la Juventud are obtained from fruits and plants carefully cultivated and selected to guarantee the consumer products free of artificial elements, guaranteeing verifiable results in their health.

The quality of Fountain of Youth ‘s natural products has been welcomed by customers. “The people who have tried our products have shown absolute satisfaction with the results. This is part of our success,” says De León, who never misses an opportunity to express his pride and gratitude for what has been achieved so far.

La Fuente de la Juventud has its organic farm in Rancho Arriba, San José de Ocoa province, but it has also built up a portfolio of suppliers that guarantee products whose cultivation process it oversees. “We wanted to involve small producers, especially women, whom we teach to grow and handle the products we buy from them, giving them the opportunity to obtain a source of resources, to develop themselves,” explains the president of La Fuente de la Juventud.

Caribbean Export, an invaluable help

De León does not miss an opportunity to highlight the support received by Caribbean Export, without which he believes he could not have taken his project to the level it is currently at. “Caribbean Export is present in every success we have achieved, in every product we exhibit. That is why their brand is on the label of our products, as a sign of pride, recognition and guarantee”, he expresses visibly excited.

“Our relationship with Caribbean Export began when we participated in a contest organized by them, and we won with a project to create essential oils. Thanks to that first support from Caribbean Export, we have become the first factory that produces from the bush, we are an absolutely ecological and organic factory,” says De León.

It is currently part of the project led by Caribbean Export to strengthen the binational value chain of essential oils/cosmetics, which is part of the trade and private sector support component of the Haiti-Dominican Republic binational program with funds from the 11th European Development Fund.

“As part of this program, one of the major achievements was the installation of a water purification system that updates our irrigation and production processes. This ensures optimum water quality for our processes,” added De León.