How Violet Amoabeng started an edible skincare line with just $45 and now rakes in $250K annually

According to Founder and CEO of Skin Gourmet, Violet Amoabeng, “What we put in our body will end up on our skin, and what we put on our skin will end up in our body,” it is ideal to go organic.

Seeking to have healthier, attractive skin, many often turn to skin products with a ton of chemicals or toxic ingredients, forgetting that the secret to glowing skin may lie in the kitchen. All, including the least natural food ingredients on the kitchen shelf, offer the solution to skincare needs – this is the philosophy behind the Skin Gourmet brand.

Founded in 2014 by Violet Amoabeng, Skin Gourmet is a Ghanaian-owned skincare company that manufactures handmade skincare products made from raw traditional African food crops and wild plants in Ghana.

The uniqueness of the company’s products lies in the careful combination of safe and unadulterated food items that are perfectly blended to serve a dual purpose – skincare and edible food; making it even more challenging to place it on the beauty shelf or on the kitchen cabinet.

The products are “Raw handmade skincare sourced from the Wilds of Ghana – so pure you can eat it,” the company proudly states on its website.

“Our products are made with absolutely no preservatives, stabilizers, preservatives, parabens, artificial colors, fragrances, or stuff you can’t pronounce – we mean NONE!

The company’s packaging is thoughtful, safe, and sustainable, preserving and maintaining the freshness of the products. Additionally, Skin Gourmet offers discounts on new product purchases when a customer returns used empty containers – another way of offering low prices and upholding a cleaner environment initiative.

Violet Amoabeng graduated from Shenandoah University with a BSc. in Accounting/Business Administration and an MBA in Business Administration in 2009 and 2011, respectively. She stumbled upon her business idea while searching for a product to soothe her dry lips.

“I was looking for something to soothe my dry lips, and that was when someone recommended Ghanaian Shea butter,” she recalls. “I started using the butter on my lips and I was amazed at how effectively it worked. That’s when I realized the power of the natural ingredient and what Ghana had.”

Violet’s idea transformed into Skin Gourmet; which she launched in 2014 with just $45, and now generates over US$200,000 annually.

“My dad would not give me the money to do any business because he believed that if you don’t do business the hard way, you will not be able to survive when you hit hard times and no one will help you,” Violet said.

“I created Skin Gourmet with $45 in 2014 with help from my family (Like, My Uncle Kwame – he passed away, but I wish he could see how grateful I am for just knowing him),” Violet recalled about her early challenges.

She began experimenting with other raw food items grown in her native country Ghana, resulting in different brands of organic skincare products that are not only certified good for the skin but healthy for consumption.

“What you put on your skin ends up in your body. In other words, whether you eat it or wear it– it all ends up in the same place = your body,” she said.

Violet’s father is the Founder of the defunct UT Bank and her mother was the Managing Director of the Ghana Tourism Board in Ghana. Despite being the daughter of one of Ghana’s most prominent and successful bankers, she never relied on her Dad’s wealth. She set out early to create her path to success, relying only on lessons from her father, who always admonished her not to expect “any handouts from anyone.”

Through years of working hard, the young entrepreneur has built a successful business that boasts a variety of edible skincare products, including edible kinds of butter, scrubs, cleaners, oils, Humble Feasts, and more, shipped to over 25 countries across the world.

“I started with the love of making body butter without doing any research. The entrepreneurial journey has been crazy hard. It will crash you and it breaks you and stretches you but you enjoy it. When you see an obstacle and it’s hard but every time you find a way over it and that is what makes it incredible. With every stage you overcome, you become a little bit greater,” Amoabeng advised aspiring entrepreneurs.