Photo by Laetitia Dumez

As an industry, and as a practice, skincare has a complicated history. Most people spend their lives navigating the mass of products and remedies sold to consumers attempting to find balance in the array of changes that meet their skin. In 2021, Ify Onyenokwe-Orhiunu decided it was time to find a solution for herself and the world around her. Onyenokwe-Orhiunu understands that the varying sensitivity of our skin can leave many people feeling hopeless in finding a manageable skincare routine. Her own journey involved years of mixing and matching moisturizers and oils to make her own home blends. With that, frustration was always around the corner as formulas and fragrances constantly changed. With the desire for natural, unscented, and effective skincare, Oyoma Beauty was born.

“Keeping things simple is very important to me and while multi-step routines can be effective they’re not always practical," she explains. "I want our audience to know that we choose effective ingredients that mean that they don’t have to go through so many steps to achieve the results that come through in the ingredients we use.”

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Oyoma Beauty is a holistic body care brand that prioritizes the relationship between self, ethnocentric, and “world-centric” wellness. Her own Nigerian roots inspired her study and use of shea butter, and her desire to create a formula that would allow the ingredient to thrive in the cold northern hemisphere. Along with other natural components, Onyenokwe-Orhiunu has cultivated a range of products built to nourish one’s skin needs no matter the climate.

Below, Onyenokwe-Orhiunu shares her skincare routine that focuses on zero waste.

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1. Steam
“If possible get some steam into your routine – whether that’s through a steam room or sauna, or just a humidifier. This should be a regular occurrence throughout the year, but is especially important where we’re subject to a lot of drying heat, cold air and materials that rub our skin differently in winter. Steam helps to relax us and is a great way just to get into the mode for taking your time with yourself.”

2. Cleanse
“Once you’ve spent about 10 minutes there, make sure to cleanse with warm water and our Shea soap, work up a lather either in your hands or using the Sisal soap bag and massage into the skin with a circular motion – as with a regular massage, work towards the heart for the additional lymphatic movement. Sticking with the warm water, rinse thoroughly.”

3. Polish
“You can follow this up with our Salt and Baobab body polish to give you a smoothing effect all over, especially areas prone to drier skin like knees and elbows. Rinsing this away will give you a light, coconut oil, silky finish and after you pat your skin dry so it’s only slightly damp.”

4. Moisturize
“Using our whipped shea butter massage liberally all over, including your neck. Taking time to focus on nourishing our bodies this way also creates space to check in with ourselves and our
needs.”

5. Lock It In
“The final step for me would be a bonus – our newest product the Shea Balm will help to further lock in moisture in certain areas like the hands.”