Monday 8 March 2010

Ghana Independence...soap and glory!



Another year has come by and this week is filled with events/ acivities and parties all in aid of Ghana Independence Day! ( 6th of March...)..so over the next few days i'll be bloggin about my favourite "Ghanaian" inspired designers... musicians and friends...im starting of with the MY cosmetics range by friend (actually now ive married into the fam...its a Teiko invasion!! ;-) Yasmeen Helwani Nsiah, ceo of MY cosmetics and songstress with a the most amazing voice... here goes...




whats the name of your brand?

Madame Yasmeen

when was your brand established?

2005

what inspired you to create it?

Ever since I was a child I had a keen interest in formulating. When I as a young adult, I would sometimes create my own body and hair applications. As I grew, I began to learn more and more about our changing world, and how mass-produced chemically loaded products are taking the place of quality hand-made and natural products. Aside from this, Ghana, where I live, is what I call 'beauty heaven' being the home of luxurious natural beauty ingredients like Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Coconut Milk, Palm Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, Papayas, Mangoes, Avocadoes, Neem Oil, to mention a few. While making my own body prescriptions, it ocurred to me that I shouldn't be keeping this all to myself. I needed to share the goodies with the world! That is how Madame Yasmeen was born.



(did somebody say chocolate soap..) ...

What are the benefits of using your products?

All MY products are handmade by me in small, controlled batches to ensure the highest quality. Thanks to my location, MY products contain the best fair trade and organic ingredients enabling our customers to be pampered in an eco-friendly way. There is no need to worry about what toxic chemicals are present in our products. We do not use any harmful preservatives or chemicals. MY handmade and natural soaps are all made by 'cold process' that is, the soap is not cooked over heat, but is allowed to sit for 4 weeks to cure. This allows much of the nutrients to remain present in the soap for amazing skin care and conditioning. Our body butters are anhydrous (meaning water-free) and are made up of either Pure Shea or Pure Cocoa Butter, whipped with a tincture of essential oils. Madame Yasmeen body butters contain no preservatives and possess strong soothing, healing, and moisturizing properties for all skin types.



personal fav mango...



where can your products be purchased?

You can buy MY products at our shop in North Dzorwulu, Accra. You can also buy online at my Etsy shop
http://www.etsy.com/shop/MadameYasmeen


how do you combine your music career and your role as a business woman?

I was raised in the music business so I have now matured into knowing what is real and what is not. This enables me to stay centered and focused. It's a busy schedule doing all the things I do but I try not to get side-tracked. I also make sure I make time for just me, to relax and to get my power back up.



name 3 things you love about Ghana?

lil soap tree...;-)

It's really difficult to narrow it down to three but:
1.The amazing level of patience and hospitality of the Ghanaian people
2.The beautiful landscape from coast to tropical forests, to the mountains and the plains..the Volta..the Savannah.. all pretty amazing!
3.Ghanaian food! I like it spicy! :)

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