Written by: Funmike | Edited by: Ez
A brand born out of a passion for high-performance skincare, Hankali Group creates products targeted at sensitive, dry, dehydrated, and mature skin conditions. Chidinma A., is the brand’s Founder, and she says everything is obsessively researched, vigorously tested, and experimented formulas before release into the market. If it’s not good enough, it doesn’t make the cut.
Q: As a beauty (skincare) brand, what challenges have you faced running a business in Nigeria?
Chidinma: “Little to no access locally to ingredients, desired and compatible packaging.”
Q: Why is Packaging important to your brand?
Chidinma: “We don’t use quality packaging just for ‘packaging’s sake’. We make sure whatever packaging we use is suitable for the products it contains and improves the shelf life and overall stability of said products”.
Q: In cosmetic formulation, do you think a beauty brand owner needs to be an “expert” before starting a brand?
C: “If the brand owner formulates themselves, yes. However, there are contract manufacturers or white-label companies. This still requires some level of expertise and technical know-how of cosmetic formulation to know which company offers quality services and not one disguising.“
Q: There has been this trend to produce different products based on different skin tones. Is that necessary?
C: “If by ‘skin tones’ you mean the Fitzpatrick Scale then it makes sense. Brightening products for Caucasian skin will do little to nothing for people of Hispanic, African, and sometimes Asian descent. However, if you’re referring to the faux skin tones invented by some Nigerian brands (caramel, hot chocolate, and co) I would say that it is ridiculous and unnecessary and has no scientific backing.
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To Shop: www.hankaligroup.com
Instagram: @HankaliGroup
Catch-up on our ‘A.Beauty Founders’ series:
CHANGING THE A.BEAUTY NARRATIVE: BEAUTY FOUNDER SERIES
A.BEAUTY FOUNDER SERIES: JUNEDERM
A.BEAUTY FOUNDER SERIES: SANCT SKIN
