Olaoye Ogundele Victoria Ayomide is the personality behind an aesthetic clinic, Shay Beauty World where skin concerns are addressed. In this interview with AKINLOLU ABAYOMI, the amiable businesswoman, Olaoye Ayomide emphasized the importance of ensuring good skincare routine in order to have clearer skin and a better appearance. She also talked about how to beautify skin and other issues. Read on…
Is skincare actually important and why do we need to take care of our skin?
Well, skincare is very important because embracing a dedicated skincare regimen will help you combat the effects of time and external factors, and support your skin’s vitality and resilience as you age.
Skin is the largest organ of the body, so, you can’t but take care of it. Cosmetics products are actually needed and the beauty industry is one that is here to stay because as I said, the skin being the largest organ of the body has the largest surface area and that is what protects us from external factors such as bacteria, chemicals and temperature from the environment, our lifestyle choices and the rest of those things. Also, when your skin is so beautiful, we all know that there is this level of confidence that comes with it; from you going out and people admiring you or staring or complimenting you, so, that is why it is very important for us to always take care of our skin.
People talk about natural and organic skin care ingredients, would you say Nigerians have embraced these?
Well, that’s somewhat a controversial topic especially in Nigeria. Now, there’s something called organic, right, which means that these products are made from organic products which are products that are freshly produced. But do we really have such things in Nigeria? That’s why I said it’s a little bit controversial because I don’t think there’s anybody who makes products directly from what is freshly cultivated but there’s another thing called natural products, which is as safe as organic products and it doesn’t have any side effect or let’s just say that the side effects associated with using natural products are a bit minimal compared to chemical- based products, they don’t pose any threat to the user and to the environment. Natural products are very good and they are better than their chemical- based counterparts.
We would like you to educate us. Is there any difference between organic and natural materials?
Yes, like I said, organic materials or organic products – skincare products are skincare products made from freshly cut or harvested products. Like you go to your farm now and you cut aloe vera gel and you use it to make a product, you can call it organic. Because it is freshly made, that means that it is not going to last as long as it should because it is fresh; it’s just like you cooking a fresh meal with fresh tomatoes, natural products are products that are made from natural ingredients like beeswax, these ingredients have been processed, right, but they don’t pose any threat to the client, they’re not chemical- based, they don’t contain steroids, they don’t contain harmful ingredients. They are natural. That’s why I said it’s actually a controversial topic because it’s a topic that can even take us a whole day, that’s why in Nigeria, you will see that most people call their products organic because they feel, oh it’s safe but the issue is…did you formulate that product from freshly cultivated ingredients? If the answer is ‘no’, then what you have is natural product, not organic.
You have actually done well by educating Nigerians in respect of this and you have advised that it’s better to settle for natural products rather than the organic products?
No, I did not say that o . What I am saying is that if you can get organic products, they’re just as good as natural products but they would not last as long as natural products would do and it is not common, it is stressful because nowadays, you will not see people go to the farm for such things. We don’t get to see many people cultivate farm produce or anything like that, not to talk of ‘oh , I just want to go because I want to make a product for somebody’, I will not go to cultivate a new product, an ingredient and start making it because of a client, I don’t know if you got my explanation.
Why the interest in skincare, did you learn this or you studied a course that has to do with it in the university? How did you venture into it?
I studied chemistry at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, I had a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and in my 300level, I did cosmetics chemistry. I can say that I am a cosmetic chemist by career. I can say that I studied what is related to what I have ventured into, this is my career and this is what I have been doing for years now.
Why did you choose to become an entrepreneur rather than seeking for a white-collar job?
The first thing is, I was born into a family of serial entrepreneurs; my dad is a business owner, my mother is a civil servant but she is also a business owner.
My great grandparents, my grandparents – they were all entrepreneurs. I grew up with that business spirit and while I was in school, I was already doing menial businesses like buying and selling and all. So, by the time I finished, I just looked at it like ‘oh, okay, I studied cosmetic chemistry or let us say I studied chemistry, how can I incorporate that into business?’ and that was how I came about the idea of ‘oh, okay let’s do skincare’, I can produce and I can do buying and selling.
Well, you have said it all, that your great grandfather was a businessman; your grandfather was also a businessman. Will you say this has to do with the fact that you are an Ijesha woman cognizant that Ijesha people are known for their business acumen?
Yes, a vast majority of Ijesha people are business owners, they are known for their business acumen, it may have to do with the Ijesha blood in me.
Can you tell us about your outfit and what you are into?
Well, we have a brand – Shay Beauty World, it’s a natural skincare brand, we formulate and sell natural skincare products with no side or harmful effects. We also run an aesthetic clinic and a spa where we deal with facials, beauty treatments like Body Polish, Teeth Whitening, Pedicure, Advanced Aesthetic Treatments like Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) facials i.e PRP Therapy, Fillers, Lipo Shots and all beauty treatments in general. We have offices in Ilorin, Ibadan, Kaduna and we’re currently working on having an outlet in Lagos.
What has been the level of patronage, do you think Nigerians have actually welcomed the organic and natural beauty products?
Yes, I think Nigerians have welcomed the natural skincare products. Like I said, everybody is now exposed to new things, I think everybody now understands that those chemical- based products that were being used are harmful and they cause long term damages to the skin and people are now embracing natural skincare products more so when they get the real deal, not the ones posing as natural skincare formulators and doing other things behind the scenes.
Tell us about yourself and where you hope to take Shay Beauty World to in 5, 10 years?
I am Olaoye Ogundele Victoria Ayomide and I am the CEO and the Managing Director of Shay Beauty World. Well, in 5, 10 years, I see Shay Beauty World in the global market, I see our products in every household and I see us redefine the face of natural skincare products in Nigeria. We will continue to make people realize that we still have people that are promoting real and authentic things; we will continue to make people realize that we still have honest skincare formulators and skincare vendors in the country.
