Breakouts made me venture into skincare business

Growing up Nyokabi Kemunto used to experience skin breakouts, especially on her legs. Her pores were always clogged. She decided to try different skincare remedies, but none worked for long. They were all temporary. Every time she stopped using them, her skin problems would come back. Tired of purchasing those remedies, she decided to start making her own. For a start, she zeroed in on body scrubs. With no knowledge of body scrub making, she turned to YouTube for tutorials. After gaining some knowledge she was ready to put her skills to the test. She first started by making apple cider scrubs out of apple cider vinegar, coffee, sugar, and honey in April last year. However, the result was not that encouraging because she started spotting small burns on her skin. This forced her to go back to the drawing board and do more research. The three flavours of body scrubs Kemunto creates. Photo/PD/Clifford Akumu “During the research, I learned that apple cider vinegar is very damaging to the skin, especially when used in large portions. I also realised it is not good for sensitive skin, which my skin is,” she adds. After research, she dropped apple cider vinegar as one of the ingredients and replaced it with lemon. All other ingredients remained for the second trial. However, the product was not the best also since it made her skin lighter in complexion. She kept trying different ingredients and her 14th trial was successful. She managed to come up with a coffee scrub. Having experienced first-hand how well it worked on her skin, Kemunto began dolling it out to her friends and family for free. They were also blown away by the results. After being bombarded with requests for more, Kemunto decided to turn it into a business and to fine-tune the product. In June this year, Munti’s Bodyworks was born. She also came up with other flavours. Currently, she has three different flavours in the market, vanilla latte, autumn, and cinami wave. Each scrub is formulated according to different skin problems. Though the basic use of body scrubs is to exfoliate the skin, she also decided to incorporate more ingredients to benefit one’s skin to glow naturally. “The best thing about my scrubs is that I hand make them from scratch. It took me approximately a year to perfect each as I tried different remedies on myself as well as my family members. My products give one that radiant, glowing complexion naturally,” she explains Kemunto reveals there were so many considerations she had to adhere to before introducing the scrubs into the market. One of them was finding ingredients that do not react to one’s skin in the long run. She managed this by choosing plant-based ingredients and using no preservatives. In a situation whereby a client is allergic to a certain component in the scrub, she custom-makes scrubs according to the customer’s need. Long shelf life Another consideration was the shelf life of the body scrubs. She had to balance the lack of preservatives with the amount of time one can use the scrub. Her scrubs last for two years unopened. “I truly believe in natural remedies to cure skin problems. Not only are they safe to use, but also efficient as they do not cause harmful effects in the long run. I realised many people have insecurities about their skin, that is why they temporarily cover them with make-up. To eliminate all these insecurities, I decided to come up with natural body scrubs. I want to help people feel comfortable in their skin by doing away with the most insecurities possible naturally,” she adds. Kemunto’s entrepreneurial journey dates back to when she was 12 years old. Then she used to bake cookies for sale. Besides that, she used to sell hand-sewn bags and phone cases she made from old clothes. She also streamed a bit of income when she was around 15 or 16 years by doing cleaning jobs for her extended family members and close family friends. “At no point did I ever think I would start a business specifically in the beauty line. My interest was more in art. However, the beauty industry, in general, is not very foreign to me as I am familiar with make-up artistry, hairdressing, and nail care,” she states. She uses coffee, turmeric, cinnamon, and honey as her raw materials. Some ingredients such as coffee, she sources and processes herself. For other ingredients, she sources from different vendors. Her target market includes salons and spas simply because they mostly use body scrubs for their services. However, she also sells to individuals, and her products retail at Sh380 for a 250ml jar. Cleanliness first Currently, she is operating the business from home and terms this move as the best because she is always able to test each scrub to ensure it is perfect. She is also able to ensure all materials used such as mixers and packaging containers are clean. So far, she has had no challenge because of operating from home. “Soon, I will be introducing more products to my brand such as foaming scrubs and body butters, which I am currently researching on. This will assist my business to grow countrywide and offer a variety of products to prospective customers,” she says. Her advice to young women who would like to become entrepreneurs is, “It is never too late or too early to achieve your goals even from the humblest beginnings. It only takes a simple choice to see your glass as half full not half empty. My mum used to tell me that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I started my first step then, why can’t you?”

Breakouts made me venture into skincare business

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