When Xoey Khumalo was growing up, she had a skin condition that caused discolouration and uneven skin tone. Tired of ointments that never worked, she started treating her skin with a mixture of turmeric, plain Greek yoghurt and aloe vera gel. It worked, leading her to start blogging about natural skin care remedies.

From blog to business

Increasing interest in her blog inspired her to launch her skin care range, Melenial Skin, in October last year using her allowance from her parents as capital and her flat in Joburg as her factory. The range includes cleansers, exfoliators, toners and moisturisers made from ingredients such as oatmeal, cocoa butter, tea tree oil, raw honey, lavender oil and aloe vera gel. To make the products, Xoey takes inspiration from recipes that are available online. For the lotions, she melts and mixes the oils, and adds ingredients which would best address the various skin concerns, such as acne, dry skin and uneven skin tone. Products are priced between R30 and R180.  She has clients in Gauteng, Western Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Facing challenges head-on

One of her biggest challenges is finding transport for delivery runs. “I have to hop on the bus with boxes. If I can’t carry them then I have to Uber, which costs a lot of money,” she says. Another challenge is balancing business with studies. “I taught myself to be awake by 5am so I can have more hours in my day. In the morning, I research products and ingredients and update my social media. This leaves the rest of the day free for school work.” To add to the pressure, she also works as a brand activator four nights a week. “I have spent sleepless nights trying to get things done, but that was the package that I signed up for.”

#Goals

Her next step is becoming a medical aesthetician and holistic therapist, which she plans on studying at Camelot International School of Health and Skincare. Xoey believes obtaining a diploma will give her authority when speaking about natural skincare. “I will be able to talk about herbs and oils for medicinal use once I am qualified.”

Republished from Digifyafrica.com

Picture by Nkhensani Manabe