This beauty interview gives me great pleasure because it is about a wonderful line of products. Founded by Ronke Oke founder of Bread and Butter. The PR Consultant shares about her beauty range.
1. I’ve long been intrigued by your beauty line. Tell me the story behind the name.
In 2007 I became pregnant and it was a few months into my pregnancy my grandmother (who lived in Nigeria), was told I was to bless her with a great grandchild. She was delighted and immediately informed me (via my Mum as she only spoke Yoruba) she wanted to prepare some gifts for me to use at home in the UK during my pregnancy and to use on the baby. Amongst these gifts was a block of something which visually resembled wax and my mother confirmed the Yoruba name for it was ‘ori’; which when translated into English meant shea butter.
My mum reminded me she used ‘ori’ in its raw state as a skin moisturiser when she was growing up in Nigeria. She also used it on my brother, sister and me throughout our childhood; however it became difficult to continue using it as it wasn’t readily available in the UK.
Having used Shea butter throughout my pregnancy as a result of receiving lots of it from my Grandma, it was really a ‘no brainer’ for me to take my love for shea butter further and develop a skin care range with unrefined shea butter as the ‘star ingredient’. Making shea butter accessible to those who live outside of West Africa.
I was soooo pro shea butter. I loved how it felt on my skin, how moisturising it was. The fact it was natural and it was a product of my country of origin, Nigeria. I wanted to tell everyone who would listen, that they needed to have this moisturising liquid gold as part of their daily skin care regime.
At the time in which I birthed the idea my sister was also pregnant, so deciding on the business name was easy. I named the business after the two new loves of our lives, our children ‘Emi & Ben’, after my daughter and nephew.
2. What inspired you to launch it…
Family life growing up included my father, mother, brother and sister. On and off over the years we had all used shea butter as our daily moisturiser, however the reason our use of it wasn’t consistent was mainly down to shea butter not being readily available in the UK.
The large blocks of raw unrefined shea butter which came wrapped in cling film and then wrapped again in plastic black bags couldn’t be bought in it’s raw form here. We only used it when we visited Nigeria and bought it directly from the market sellers there, or when relatives were due to visit London from Nigeria and our parents requested they bring as much as they could carry in their luggage with them to London for us.
It was my love for this natural, nutty, buttery, cream and the way it made my skin feel soft, smooth and how my skin looked, that I started thinking how brilliant this natural product could be turned into a viable business idea.
3. What are the exact products and what do they do.
All of the products right now are body butters/moisturisers. We have five lines which come in two sizes (50ml/200ml jars), which are differentiated by the natural base oils and essentials used, however ultimately they all do the same thing which is to moisturise your skin and keep it soft, supple and smooth. The lines include; Little People (with Sweet Almond Oil , Vitamin E and Mandarin Essential Oil), Mama’s Bump, (with Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Sweet Almond Oil and Lavender Essential Oil), Grown Ups (with Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Orange & Grapefruit Essential Oils), Raw Shea (with Grapeseed Oil) and Extra Raw Shea, which is just unrefined shea butter and nothing else. Emi & Ben body butters are free from all chemical nasties including SLSs, parabens, phthalates, synthetic colours and detergents.
4. How would you like to see your products used?
As a ‘must have ‘daily moisturiser for the body which the entire family loves.
5. If you could have your product on the beauty counter of any celebrity who would it be and why.
I’m greedy, I need three people! Lupita Nyongo’o because her dark chocolate skin is just divine and screams it’s been buttered with love. J-Lo, because she is just the epitome of fiiiiierce… I mean she looks amazing ALL-THE-TIME. Also Angela Bassett, cos’ Auntie is looking all kinds of fabulous at 60.
6. What are some of your favourite beauty brands.
I was introduced to the Glossier. brand after attending a beauty event at Vogue House.
I’m totally sold on their Milky Jelly Cleanser – it cleans and leaves my face feeling soft. I’m slightly having product envy as my idea for an Emi & Ben cleanser, was not too dissimilar from this.
7. What can we expect from Emi and Ben for 2019.
Increased brand awareness… potentially a new product. It’s just me working on the brand, alongside running my PR business and running a family of three, so developing ideas which are initially in my mind into reality, take a little bit longer! But it’s cool, I’m not going anywhere.
8. What are the main ingredients
Shea butter, shea butter and shea butter!
9. What is in your makeup bag?
Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation
Anastasia Beverley Hills Pro Brow Pencil (love this)
Anastasia Beverley Hills DipBrow
Mac Ruby Woo Lipstick
NYX Makeup Concealer Wand
Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray
Emi & Ben Extra Raw Shea body butter (for my lips)
10. If you had to describe Emi and Ben in one word what would it be?
Moisturising : )
For more on this range please visit www.emiandben.com and follow them on instagram at @emiandben.Thank you Ronke for a wonderful interview
Interview by Marian Kwei