Africa-Press – Mauritius. When Francisca Ochieng decided to move back to Kenya in 2014 after living in the US for more than 25 years, she soon realised she still had to buy all her skincare products abroad because she could not get the quality she wanted locally.
Her need for quality beauty products led her to decide to manufacture her own, in particular, make-up. However, the business was not financially viable because it meant flying to Turkey, India or Indonesia and having the products manufactured there and then bringing them back with the tag “made in Kenya.
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She quit her job in the financial market sector and used all her savings to start her line of hair and body products.
That is how Lheritier came to be and was officially launched in Kenya in 2019. The company produces perfume, aftershave, moisturising cream, body lotion and butter for both men and women.
She sources her ingredients from the continent in countries like Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius and Morocco. While Ochieng knew it was not going to be a walk in the park, she was shocked by all that was wrong with the local beauty sector.
Most products in the market had toxins like hydroquinone and other banned or harmful chemicals. So she decided she would still manufacture “clean beauty” products.
The products are “green” meaning natural and without chemicals, and made from locally-produced raw materials. The products are 100 percent produced in Kenya in Nairobi and Kiambu Counties.
