The skincare range has been launched in Kenya and founder Ozohu Adoh says that Epara will stock in three reputable retailers. Epara, which means ‘to cocoon’ in the Nigerian dialect of Ebira, will be available in Linton’s and Madora as well as Designing Africa Collective.
Although the Kenyan industry has a few new players seeking to entice buyers of organic skin products, Adoh says hers are tailored for specific needs of women of colour.
“Women of colour suffer disproportionately from hyper-pigmentation and dryness or dehydration which can be caused by hormonal changes, damage from the sun and pollution from free radicals in the air and external trauma to the skin,” she says.
Adoh who’s skincare line was born out of her inability to find a products that best suited her sensitive skin says that she thought it would be a great idea to begin to understand how skin with melanin reacts and responds to these stimuli. “I tried different products and never quite found one that worked for me until I started to experiment with clean, African-sourced ingredients and formulations. It was only at this point I saw some improvement in my skin,” she says.
Since she sources for some of the raw ingredients here in Kenya, she says her products will marry with their upwardly mobile, image-conscious and sophisticated consumer emerging in the African continent and diaspora.
Her skincare range includes face creams, night balms, hydrating masks, serums, cleansing oils and hydrating mists.
“Key ingredients include a local favourite moringa, we also have marula, argan, shea butter. Our key actives include microalgae sourced from the sea, liquorice root extract among several plant and flower extracts,” she said.
Adoh says that although the market is saturated with luxury counterfeits, it will be difficult to find a fake Epara product in the market.
“Our product is particularly difficult to reproduce due to the care and consideration that has gone into making it. In short, it will prove extremely expensive to copy as most of it is handcrafted,” she says.
Her beauty regime
The beauty industry has become a battle for older women searching for anti-ageing products but Adoh says investing in your skin when you are young gives it a lasting elasticity and quality as you get older.
‘‘A very good cleansing regime is the most important in your regimen. And a high potency moisturiser particularly at night when your skin recovers during sleep,” she adds.
Her skincare regimen is also simple and at night, she double cleanses followed with a hydrating mist, a hydrating serum and a night balm balancing face oil depending on the weather.
“In the morning, I do not cleanse again after the thorough cleanse the previous night. I rinse with cold water, follow with my hydrating mist and then some hydrating serum or moisturiser. It is important to note that you always start from the thinnest to the thickest consistency when applying products,” she says.