Startup Story
Anotida Nyowani is an entrepreneur and the co-founder of Luxury Junkies, a natural skincare company in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. She is also a physiotherapist by profession, with a talent and a passion for formulating natural, cruelty free skin and haircare products. Her sister Chido Mhindurwa has a psychology degree with years of human resources management and business development experience under her belt. Together they teamed up to create a luxury non-toxic skincare company that runs in Mozambique and in Zimbabwe. Their drive is to offer sustainable, healthy and clean skincare at an affordable price.
LoA spoke to co-founder Anotida Nyowani to learn more about her vision for the business and what prompted her to start up in the skincare industry.
What does your company do?
We offer organic vegan handmade skincare products including cold process soaps, body butters and body scrubs.
What inspired you to start your company?
A couple of years ago I was struggling with acne and overall bad skin and I started doing some research on how I can improve it. I didn't have a lot of money to afford the expensive skincare brands, so I was leaning towards home remedies. While I was doing my research I learnt the importance of nutrition and skin health which led me to a clean vegan diet. Then the search for non-toxic vegan products began, because what good is it to eat clean, only to then load your skin with toxic ingredients. It was almost impossible to find them, especially in Africa, so I began to make my own skincare and hair care products. I got my skin to clear up and glow and I started getting requests from friends and family until I decided to share my gift with all those who are searching for this particular product.
“Our products are handcrafted, and made with African ingredients, for African skin made by an African woman.”
“Our greatest joy comes from the reviews we get from our clients, just knowing that we have made a difference in someone's life, giving them the confidence to be whatever they want to be without shame or fear.”
Why should anyone use your service or product?
Our products are handcrafted, and made with African ingredients, for African skin made by an African woman. Unlike anhydrous body butters, our body butters are packed with moisturizing ingredients and oils to seal in the moisture in the skin. Our body scrubs turn into a lotion on contact with water which means they don't leave your skin dry as you exfoliate and they don't leave the bathrooms oily, slippery and with grain of the exfoliant as they dissolve completely in water. Our handmade cold process soaps are made from gentle cleansing ingredients that have been used by Africans since ancient times including clays and oils. We use locally sourced ingredients.
Tell us a little about your team
Our team is all family. It started with my sister and myself. Me being the creative one and my sister being the brains behind the project. My sister, Chido Mhindurwa is a whiz with business development, human resources, and public relations and without her it would be impossible to run a solid business. She runs our business in Mozambique where she lives, while I run things here in Zimbabwe. We do have members of the family help with logistics and deliveries here and there, but all are essential to the day-to-day running of our business.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
Growing up in a single parent household, our mother was constantly involved in various business activities to try and make ends meet. This entrepreneurial spirit was passed on to my sister who passed on to me. They sell anything and everything and have been teaching me that as a woman I too should be inspired to gain financial independence through entrepreneurship.
“We also hope to form partnerships and alliances with other businesses run by woman and offer support to initiatives for girls and women.”
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
We plan to grow our company bigger so that we can offer our products to more people in different countries. It is our hope that a larger population of Africans learn to take care for their skin and get rid of toxic products which are cancer causing. We also hope to form partnerships and alliances with other businesses run by woman and offer support to initiatives for girls and women. One that comes to mind is providing sanitary products to underprivileged girls. It has been a passion of mine for so long and I want our company to take part in making a difference in young women's lives.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
Our greatest joy comes from the reviews we get from our clients, just knowing that we have made a difference in someone's life, giving them the confidence to be whatever they want to be without shame or fear. We also love that by offering alternatives to the toxic ingredients we are part of being the solution people were looking for.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Start where you are with what you have. You don't really need to have a million dollars in capital. Start small you will be surprised how fast you will grow. Remember someone needs the solution your business will bring them.
Contact or follow Luxury Junkies
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | EMAIL ano.trish@gmail.com
Why LoA loves it…
Many women entrepreneurs start their business journeys because they want to find solutions to key problems. For Anotida Nyowani and her sister Chido, their challenge was to create natural skincare that was both non-toxic, to both people and planet. Today, their aspirations are to grow a business that can positively contribute to people’s healthy lives and to a healthy environment, making a difference in many ways. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa