If you know me, or at least if you’ve been following the blog for sometime now, you should know one of two things: I love natural skincare, and I love the idea of local makeup/skincare brands who are doing it RIGHT. That’s why when I stumbled across Skin Gourmet on Instagram, (and what a cute name!) I could not wait to get my hands on these bad boys. Organic✔️, Made locally✔️, Woman-owned✔️, great packaging✔️, environment-friendly✔️
If this hasn’t sold you on why you need to check them out just stop reading here.
Just kidding. Keep on reading, there’s more!
Violet A. Amoabeng is a 30 year old Ghanaian woman who, as a certified #GirlBoss, works as the head of procurement of a bank, while running Skin Gourmet simultaneously. Goals, anyone? She created Skin Gourmet 3 years ago when she realized there was a need for, as she puts it, unadulterated high quality body care that was safe for human consumption. In other words, the rawest, purest and wildest skin care sourced from the heart of the West African bush.
The idea was to create a unique line that was sustainable, would push Ghana forward, and teach Africans that their culture should be preserved. Sounds good to me!
When I was asked to choose products to try out, I honestly struggled making a choice because, quite simply, I wanted to try everything. I asked what their bestsellers were and was given an extensive list of almost their whole line. It included their Wild Northern Honey, Detoxifying Clay Mask, Baobab and Shea Body Butter, Cold Pressed Coconut Oil, Hibiscus & Baobab Sugar Scrubs, and the list went on. I decided on The Hibiscus and Tea tree sugar scrub, and the Black Soap. Particularly because I’ve been looking to try a new exfoliator for my face, and Black Soap is usually too drying for my skin so I wanted to see if they’d found a way round this.
The Lowdown
Hibiscus & Tea Tree Sugar scrub with Wild Honey;
It contains cold pressed coconut oil, dried hibiscus, wild Northern honey, tea tree essential oil, and white sugar. If you’re unfamiliar, you should be exfoliating once or twice a week to remove dead skin, dirt and oils that could lead to breakouts and blackheads. I have been using St. Ives Apricot scrub for years because I love the sound of natural ingredients, however, the tea is that St. Ives is currently being sued for several reasons including the fact that it may actually accelerate the ageing process because the remnants of the walnut shells used in the formula could cause inflammation and many dermatologists don’t approve of the product, even though it says it’s “Dermatologist Approved.” Of course many people swear by it and if it works for you with no issues, go ahead.
This Hibiscus scrub could work as an alternative if you’re not necessarily looking to get rid of your acne and just want a scrub to make your skin smoother and brighter looking (which happens when you get rid of the dead skin cells, no skin-bleaching advocacy here!). It doesn’t have acne treatments like salicyic acid, which scrubs like St. Ives have.
Let me say, I already love each individual ingredient in this scrub for their skin benefits and otherwise. Hibiscus cocktails, anybody? I figured if it’s safe enough to eat, then it’s safe enough to put on my skin! I was given a preserving spoon which you’re to use to scoop the product instead of using your hands and contaminating the raw, emollient free, preservative-free product, thus decreasing the longevity.
I used a spoonful and applied it to my wet face, moving round in gentle, circular motions and then rinsed it off with water and voilà! It works like a charm! I can’t stop touching my face as I write this post. Definitely feels softer for several hours after (It’s currently the day after) and I noticed that it increased the blood circulation in my face, leaving a subtle glow after I moisturized. Now I would only use this once or twice a week because you should only be exfoliating about that many times anyway, more than that and you will be doing more harm to your skin than good. It does feel particularly scrubby for lack of a better word. Meaning that if you have sensitive skin, be extra gentle with the product or perhaps opt for a micro-exfoliant for your face and use this as a body scrub instead.
Handmade African Black Soap;
I’ve previously written about the benefits of black soap. It’s one of nature’s secrets that your mother/grandmother always kept in her bathroom. “It’s made from the ashy of locally harvested plants and barks such as plantain, cocoa pods, palm tree leaves, and Shea tree bark.”
I love this stuff but as aforementioned it can leave my skin feeling really dry, which I don’t like because my skin has the tendency to be dry anyway. I unwrapped the bar soap with skepticism because it can also be really messy so I appreciate ones that are either liquidated or that come in a jar. The downside to jars is that dirt can accumulate in them. Anyway, the first thing I noticed was how this bar didn’t have the distinct STRONG smell that is characteristic of black soap. I liked that. I used it and surprisingly, it wasn’t really messy and melting all over the place, but more importantly, it really didn’t feel as drying as it usually does. I was tempted to assume that this wasn’t pure black soap. I was right, but in a good way. While it has the exact same content as regular black soap, Skin Gourmet’s formula includes Coconut Oil and Raw Unrefined Shea Butter. So other moisturizing ingredients your skin will love.
They also have liquid black soap infused with essential oils like peppermint and tea tree so you might want to check their full range out for yourself. They range from 10-50 Ghana cedis which is the equivalent of about $3-$15. You can find them at Elle Lokko in Osu, directly from their website, or you can call them to organize a delivery. You’ll be in good company since they boast a diverse clientele which includes the First Family. So go ahead, and tell them I sent ya! 😉
In conclusion, I am very happy to have discovered this brand because I can replace some of my regular skincare products with these natural ones. Like I said, international products are always 🗣overpriced here, anyway! Retailers, fix up. Sephora, if you’re reading this, hit your girl up and let’s work. I can’t wait to see Skin Gourmet hitting the shelves all over the world.
I’m always pro women chasing their dreams while working their 9-5’s. I think they are the real superheroins so I asked Violet for some parting advice on how to balance the two:
“Don’t quit your day job. It’s all about balance and putting the right systems in place. Work hard, sometimes it feels like you can’t keep going but push through it will not get easier but you will be proud of yourself!”
And that brings us to the end of today’s post. If you have any more questions, you can direct them at me or check out their Instagram: Skin Gourmet GH
Till next time.
-Rekia
Rekia Weekly. 
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