5 MINUTES WITH TEMITOPE MAYEGUN

Temitope Mayegun is the Founder and executive director of avila natural, a skin and hair care brand. This brand is the largest manufacturer of natural and organic products in africa with over 400 distributors worldwide with partnership and raw material sourcing from about 500 farms worldwide. having bagged a B.sc degree in accounting from the University of lagos as well as an advanced diploma in skincare in the United states of america, Temitope started the beauty brand and carved a niche in natural, organic skin and hair products with over 30,000 coconuts! also her experience in the financial institution, not to mention several investment banking for individuals and corporations, has played a major role in her success. Temitope is passionate about women development, an interest which she expresses through several corporate social responsibility (CsR), driving business and women empowerment through funds and products.

What is your entrepreneurship story. your startup and the journey thus far.

My entrepreneurship journey began divinely in 2015, when I got certified in Natural Skincare in America, after which, we set up the manufacturing company, secured certifications from regulatory bodies before commencement of operation, put together an efficient team to work within the various departments, then sold our first batch of products which has now expanded to over 200 products currently under our brand. In summary, it has been a blend of sweet, delightful, challenging yet rewarding journey. What inspired you to set up this skincare business?

The alarming rate at which chemical and synthetic products are flooding the market and over-thecounter was the propelling force, it became a necessity to provide alternative natural skin and hair care products for consumers without them breaking the bank. The natural skincare beauty industry is fast gaining traction. How lucrative is the business?

I just absolutely agree with you on how large the industry has grown. It is a welcome development, and competition is a good ground for business to thrive. Being the largest natural skin and hair care brand in Africa, it would be fallacy to say that we are not enjoying the profit dividends, so allow me say that it is indeed lucrative. 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?

I believe with proper standardization, effective control from the regulatory bodies, support from the government and commercial institutions, there will be great room for improvement giving Nigeria at least 30% market share of the world beauty and cosmetics manufacturers’ annual earnings. What challenges do you face regarding this line of business?

Inaccessibility to adequate funding for more sophisticated up to date machineries, efficient and trustworthy manpower, raw materials sourcing from farms locally and internationally. For every business the list can be endless but you must find ways to rise above all. 8 What keeps you passionate about skin/hair care?

Over the years having seen the aftermath of damaged skin and hair from various effects, such as over-the-counter chemical products, surgery scars, acne, stretch marks, hair loss just to mention a few cases our products addresses, there’s no greater joy than to restore a smile to these people when the quality of their skin or hair has improved after using our product. Above all, it is the divine inspiration to continue to innovatively create new products that will continue to address general beauty issues. you are currently rebranding one of your products, can you tell us why and how?

This is borne out of the desire to serve the buyers better, not forgetting that we are penetrating various countries worldwide. It is therefore, essential that we meet the global standard of packaging. It is also a general standard that international beauty brands over the years continue to embrace new concepts, so we are not far from home by rebranding the general Avila Natural Outlook. Do you believe in women empowerment? in what way(s) have you helped to empower younger women in your line of business?

It would erode all I stand for if I don’t believe in first, the education of girls and the empowerment of women. We recently just started five women to become distributors of Avila Natural with no funds paid. The bulk of our distributors are women and I’ve watched them grow from the little funds they had to become millionaires in the space of one year! We’re interested in the pledges our CSR meets in the education of girl children either by proxy or choice from us.

It would erode all I stand for if I don’t believe in first, the education of girls and the empowerment of women. We recently just started five women to become distributors of Avila Natural with no funds paid. The bulk of our distributors are women and I’ve watched them grow from the little funds they had to become millionaires in the space of one year!

Where do you see your brand in five years?

We see a more accepted brand globally expanding beyond our four continents’ current reach; we see a brand that would bring in foreign investors and researchers alike, recognizable by International bodies and placing Nigeria on the world top beauty brands lists. What areas of concern do you see in this industry?

Well a lot of damaging fake skin care products, a lot of makers hiding under the umbrella of organic and natural skincare to produce harmful products, this is hugely saddening I must say. What’s your beauty routine like? How do you maintain your smooth skin?

Unbeknown to people because I’m in the beauty industry, daily routines are hard to keep up so I keep it simple, black soap, Avila Natural moisturizer, and about five essential oils already mixed into my cream, l drink lots of water and eat vegetables. Weekends are a superb time to extend the routine to Avila Natural pineapple scrub! It’s perfect for a body glow and complexion enhancement and maintenance from our harsh weather. What’s your definition of beauty?

I know this is cliche but it must first be innate However we live in a superficial world, and as such, appearance is key, good skin, hair, carriage. Brains as beauty is not complete without it. This pretty much sums it up for me. What is your take on the expression, “Beauty is skin deep”?

Depends on the angle you see it from, taking us back to my initial definition of beauty as first innate, it would interest you to know that how beautiful one perceives his or herself is a reflection of everything they portray on the outside. By just seeing women get rid of the pimples with our products, I’m introduced to a whole new being, a personality I didn’t perceive they had before. Beauty translates to different sides of us.