Indigenous cosmetics industry gains recognition
Natural cosmetics and beauty products consultant, Mr Joseph Hunwick, has urged players in the cosmetics and beauty industry in Ghana and West Africa to come together and utilise the region’s natural resources across a value chain for the benefit of the people.
He contended that the industry/market was saturated in developed countries, and as such big companies were now turning their attention to Africa’s resources. However, it was important that Africans took the lead to add value to their own resources.
Some of the raw materials Ghana is blessed with are cocoa, baobab, moringa, coconut, palm oil, shea butter and mango, which Mr Hunwick said had crossovers in the skin care and food industries. He added that in addition to other precious minerals, “you have it all so we need to manage them properly and use them for the African.”
Mr Hunwick was speaking to the Daily Graphic in Accra after facilitating a two-week training of trainer workshop for production staff of Solution Oasis, manufacturers of Beauty Secrets range of products.
“The big corporations know this already, and we want to create awareness for the smaller African companies to know that the treasure hunt is on and the treasure is here,” Mr Hunwick said.
He added: “All the companies are running for Africa’s raw materials and Africans should be aware of this and must use them for the benefit of Africa.”
Solution Oasis is an indigenous cosmetics company which is producing internationally recognised quality products using local natural materials such as cocoa butter, shea butter, black soap, popularly called ‘alata samina’.
Its proprietress, Mrs Francesca Brenda Opoku, a marketer by profession who worked with Sc Johnson, set up the small business to buy shea nuts from women pickers, which her company processes to make the well packaged products which are now making waves in Europe, United States, Asia and parts of West Africa. It occupies a niche in the local market.
Her explorations attracted development partners such as the World Bank and the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), which commissioned Organic Monitor to train the company’s staff in product development.
Mr Hunwick, a director at Sapphire Natural Beauty, was in turn contracted by Organic Monitor to facilitate the Skills Upgrading in Natural Cosmetic Chemistry workshop which was held under the auspices of the Government of Ghana’s Council for Technical and Vocational Education Training (COTVET) and the Skills Development Fund (SDF).
The training helped them to develop prototype beauty and cosmetic products that are currently undergoing testing and fine-tuning for their introduction to the Ghanaian, West African and the international markets later this year.
The new line of products comprise natural and luxury range with properties that nourish and refresh the skin, as well as enhance the outlook of users.
The product range
The products include cocoa rejuvenating mask, facial serum made with luxury African oils, skin-brightening products which because of their natural ingredients are not harsh on the body, shower gels, shampoos and a mint body wash which can be used on the body and face.
There is also the orange facial scrub which uses African raw materials and natural pearl powder, as well as lip balms, all made with ingredients sourced locally or from other parts of Africa.
“We are focusing on Africa and looking to the local, regional and international markets. We will be looking at the spa market as well. A lot will be used in spas in Ghana, other parts ofWest Africa, East and Southern Africa,” Mr Hunwick said.
For her part, Ms Opoku said there was the need to support small manufacturers to match competition, otherwise the big companies would exploit them.
She lamented that Ghanaian businesses had not been able to formally take control of the cosmetics value chain but relied a lot on external support, with the manufacturing itself done externally.
“It is time for small ones like us, even in our own small way, to invest some time, knowledge and money in developing the value chain.