A 23-year entrepreneur who has sensitive skin manufactured a product for people with similar and other skin conditions. The product dubbed Ilotu aims to restore and rehabilitate the human body through natural and organic means.
Mareka Masule was addressing the media at the Olafika SME Development & Mentorship Programme Expo organised by businesswoman Twapewa Kadhikwa recently. Masule told Youth Corner her skin is so sensitive and get breakouts or rashes even when using Vaseline, hence she has been mixing her products for personal use.
She decided to go commercial with her idea in 2017 after she tried and tested the cosmetic products through her friends and family which they were impressed with. “Shockingly a lot of people have problematic skin, maybe it has to do with arid climate but that was the niche I established and decided to go for it,” said Masule.
“The reason why I decided to come up with a cosmetic product is because of my sensitive skin and after that I decided to turn it into a business when my uncle passed away from skin cancer to help those who might have issues with their skin,” said Masule who is studying to understand dermatology, anatomy and Body Spas at the Madge Wallace College of Skincare and Body Therapy in Johannesburg on distance learning.
Masule said the Olafika programme has reshuffled her deck of cards to be able to embrace herself to take up the position, come up with solutions to problems and to lead. “Leadership is not about being so hard/uptight and stern but it is a position where one can use vulnerability and turn it into something positive,” she said.
Through providing our clients with safe ingredient based product use and also providing fitness and wellness classes weekly, we want to restore their skin as well,” she said.
Ilotu which means It’s Beautiful in Subia has products ranging from palm tree products to lavender, baobab, peppermint, sweet almond, rosemary and their latest introduction of lemongrass and moringa and kelp from the coast.
“Under all of these ranges, we offer shampoo, conditioner, full-body detox musk, exfoliating body scrubs, face and body scrubs, hair spritzed and masks, beard and skull oil, foot scrubs and creams and many more,” revealed Masule.
She wants to address persons with various health ailments such as eczema, dermatitis, alopecia, arthritis for the elderly, and persons living with albinism.
She has had a breakthrough during and after her time at the Olafika programme, including attending the world’s leading organic trade fair in Germany. “I’ve learnt so much to bring back home from initiating leadership programmes to manufacturing and quality assurance mentorship to our dear SMEs who are stuck and being a mentee of BFS and GreenTec. One has to realise that it only gets harder and also that your reward from your last challenge will be your next challenge so don’t stop at the breakthrough,” she motivated.