GBEMISOLA ONABOLU

Gbemisola Onabolu is the Ceo of Afrovirtues Natural, a Hair & Skin care line that caters to Africans and people of African descent hair and skin care needs. Gbemisola grew up caring for her hair with her Grandma’s homemade natural hair and skin care recipes, which exposed her to the power of nature and its healing properties. With this knowledge and extensive research, she went ahead to formulate and standardize Afrovirtues Natural, that has now become a household brand approved by NAFDAC and is one of the top selling hair and skincare brand for Nigerians and Africans globally. She speaks to Funke Babs-Kufeji about her products and how she turned her passion into a full scale profitable business.

For someone with a diploma in Law, a degree in history and diplomatic studies, politics and international relations, one will have thought you would have followed one of these career paths but you chose to go into hair and skin care instead. Why and how did you get into this line of business and what has the journey been thus far?

I have always been a research minded person, loving every minute of learning, soaking up knowledge, and passing this knowledge in form of teaching. I guess I am a chip off the old block as the daughter of a lecturer (my dad). My mum also was a fashion designer and is very creative with her hands and mind. However, Beauty has been my lifelong passion from childhood. Growing up, I learnt and improvised with homemade remedies for my hair and skin, with a lot of help from my grandmother who was very conversant with nature and its healing powers which she passed to me.

In high school, I wore a low cut with sporting waves, which requires me to visit the barber weekly to have it well nurtured, wavy and shiny. Later on, in the University, I experimented a lot with my hair, cutting, dyeing, relaxing etc. In fact, I was the first girl to wear a MoHawk cut, dyed in gold and red. All these required a great deal of attention to my hair and I spent almost all my free time with my hair or with friends hair. At that point, I was formulating some DIY products for my friends and I. So, it is a natural calling for me.

Have any of your of your degrees been relevant to you since you decided to follow this career path?

Having a good understanding of the law and other areas of study has helped shaped my perspective in running a business and doing the right thing. Also, it has been easier for me to juggle a lot at the same time especially with work, home, time lines and targets. My husband, with whom we both co-founded the business, is well experienced in asset management, finance, and strategy and he has been the driving force in scaling up the business.

Why did you decide on the name “Afrovirtues” and what sets it apart from all other hair and Skincare lines in the market today?

My close friends and family members know l am very particular about my hair and what goes into it. These days, we have a lot of hairdressers doing more damage to our hair than good with the products and ways they choose to style our hair. We are also seriously discouraged from carrying and styling our natural hair by stylists. The reason for this is simply their lack of knowledge. With what I learnt from my grandma in the use of roots, herbs and spices combined with my Mum’s love for plants and flowers, I turned to their gardens to experiment with plants and herbs to get products for my hair and skin which all turned out to work very well for me and those who came to me for help about hair issues.

This then gave me the confidence I needed to teach others what I knew about treating, styling and maintaining the Nigerian and African hair.

Over the years, this knowledge metamorphosed into me formulating my own natural hair treatment collection for every hair issue people around me were dealing with, so when the time came to start it as a business, It was clearly evident it will be a product for Black people of African descent which is how the ‘Afro’ came into being and the use of nature’s healing power to reverse these hair conditions to their original form birthed the ‘Virtues’. My husband came up with the name and it rang very loud and everyone we presented it to loved it and we felt it was unique enough to represent what we embodied.

How many products do you have in the market and which is your best seller and why?

Currently we have 19 products in the market which are all National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) registered and it has helped so many people reverse hair conditions such as bad edges, bald patches and spots, tough hair, dandruff, alopecia, psoriasis, thinning hair, receding hairlines etc. All Afrovirtues products work very well for Natural, Transitioning and Relaxed hair. We have 11 products for adults, six products for kids’ hair and two body products all with curative properties. One thing to note is, to turn around distressed or damaged hair, no one product is enough. It takes a combination of products which when combined, gives the best results. However, Afrovirtues Guava hair tonic is one of our best selling products because of its various benefits in treating the hair and scalp ailments.

What is your personal favourite?

My personal favourite is the Afrovirtues Green Tea and Moringa deep conditioner. This is because growing up, we were only accustomed to rinse out conditioner, which basically just softens the hair.

The deep conditioner does a whole lot more, like imparting moisture, softening the hair and smoothening the hair shaft, and also helps treat damaged hair and scalp.

The natural hair and skincare industry is fast gaining traction. How lucrative is the business?

The natural hair care industry was brought to the fore by Actresses and artists of colour especially when they wear out their beautiful hair. This has helped inspire people, giving them the hope that they too can achieve the same.

However, getting into it for me has always been about serving humanity in my little way and helping Nigerians and Africans to wear their natural hair with pride. Every time I see tons of testimonials attesting to the efficacy of Afrovirtues products, that gives me satisfaction beyond any monetary consideration.

What are five things you have learnt since starting this business?

Faith in God, hard work, focus, integrity and lifting others always pays.

How can Afrovirtues be purchased?

Afrovirtues products are available on our website www.afrovirtues.com, our app can be downloaded from the App store or Playstore. An email can also be sent to sales@afrovirtues.com and at our flagship store at Ogudu Mall on Ogudu Ojota road. We are also on Amazon UK, Game Stores, Medplus and many other stores. They are also available at natural hair salons like, KLS Natural hair salon, Hair advocate Natural hair salon around Lagos.

The industry seems to be getting saturated, owing to the number of people shifting towards it. What future do you see for this space in the next ten years

It is good to see a lot of brands in the market just like the paint industry. This is helping to educate people a lot more about the benefits of using hair products made with natural ingredients.

I think that in 10 years, we would witness a true shift in lifestyle choices, which have positive impacts on society as a whole, leading to healthier lifestyle choices and health. People are already beginning to see the real benefit in eating organic foods, even medicines are now coming in organic forms.

There is a lot of talk about healing the earth, reducing pollution etc. These were things that weren’t really taken seriously but look at what’s happening today.

As the creative force behind the brand you must have a set of hair and skin care routines you follow yourself. Care to name a few?

For my hair care routine, I ensure I deep condition my hair twice a month. Moisturize every other day. Put my hair in protective styles and also massage my scalp thrice a week.

For my skin care routine, I use a gentle cleanser for my face, I use a face mask and a face scrub thrice weekly. I use my face moisturizers and serum daily.

Most importantly, I drink lots of water, eat lots of fruits and vegetables.

What is your advice for younger women who want to start their own business with limited capital?

Do not allow lack of capital or limited capital hold you back from achieving your dream. Ensure you gain knowledge and do your feasibility study in any business