Shedol Fragrances & Cosmetics are manufacturers of natural care ranges for healthy skin. Including body butter, body oils, shea butter, body scrubs, etc, as well as fragrances. The business started in 2015 as a fragrance line and expanded when the team noticed a gap in the Botswana market for natural skincare products. They then developed a skincare range using baobab, morula, Kgalagadi (Kalahari) melon, and mongongo oils – all indigenous to Botswana.
We had an insightful chat with Sedie Kemoabe, General Manager of Shedol, about common skin challenges prone to drastic Botswana temperatures, and how to develop a winter skincare routine.
What Skin Challenges Did You Noticed When Coming Up With Your Skincare Products?
Initially, we weren’t focused on the different types of skin, our attention was more on developing flavours. Our first formulation was not the best, going back to the drawing board we used the feedback from our customers which highlighted different skin problems:
“My skin is extra dry and rough.”
“Nothing works for me.”
“The lotions I’m using don’t work for me, what can I use?”
“My skin is very greasy in summer.”
These were the most common complaints and questions we would hear. While most people complained about dry skin, others complained about oily skin. Furthermore, we looked at the seasons and how these affected the skin. At the end of the day, it was undeniable that the biggest challenge in Botswana was the change in the skin during different seasons.
We took this as a prompt to do extensive research. The research also showed that our indigenous natural oils had tonnes of benefits for the skin and we started using what we learned about the different oils to meet the differing skin needs and develop our current formulations.
- Baobab and Mongongo oils – dry skin
- Morula – normal or combination skin, sensitive skin
- Kgalagadi (Kalahari) melon – oily skin especially during summer
Winter Skin: What Causes Breakouts And Dryness?
Winters in Botswana generally have less humidity in the air, so your skin’s not retaining any moisture leading to eczema-like problems, flakey skin, as well as a dry back and shoulders. UV exposure remains high risk though temps are lower than in summer and protection is needed. Not forgetting the nights spent around a cosy bonfire and create precious moments… there are so many harsh elements our skin’s exposed to.
It’s common for people to use shea butter to keep their skin healthy in winter as it is thick. What most people don’t know is shea butter is a fat that’s extracted from shea nuts in its most raw state and doesn’t have any moisture. This is different from using shea oil which seals and locks moisture in. This is why people may still experience dry skin in winter, even when using shea butter.
Lotions on the other hand have both oils and water, mixed by an emulsifier. Applying shea butter alone on their skin isn’t helpful, therefore a water-based lotion would be best to moisturize the skin. A simple routine to follow is to pat your skin dry, apply body butter to the skin and follow with shea butter to add oil and lock in the moisture.
Oils alone for some people, especially people with dry skin do not moisturise the skin. Their duty is to lock in and seal in moisture. Just like your hair where you apply hair food and hair serum after – the same works with body oils. The perfect winter combination with oils is to use shea butter/body butter mix them together and seal with an oil. Your skin will look amazing and glow non-greasy natural glow.
How Can I Develop A Routine To Keep My Skin Healthy?
Taking care of your skin is part of your daily skincare routine. We’re exposed to different elements throughout the day and need to retain moisture in the skin. Now more than ever, we’re a people that are investing in skincare routines. This is what motivated us to teach our clients about skincare routines that would work for them, looking at the kind of skin that they’d have. We also pride ourselves on great winter combinations. We’re constantly looking for innovative ways to deal with skin issues.
Other medical skin challenges such as extreme eczema or acne can’t just be solved by body care alone and need a dermatologist to help attack the root problem.
Generally speaking though, not everyone has the same skin so body skincare routines will differ. A good place to start is to know what you’re targeting with your skin to find the best products to use. Understand that what may do well on your skin may not work on someone else\s skin. This starts with the kind of soap you use as generally, soaps have harsh chemicals. Lastly, a skin routine needs consistency before one can see their desired results. It’s just like watering a dead plant, it takes time.
Thank you so much Sedie for helping answer the questions many of us have been having on winter skin issues and keeping our skin healthy. Remember to find their amazing winter skincare products on a store shelf near you. Keep up to date by following the Shedol Facebook page.
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