Meet The Founder Series : Anna Njoroge-Ngaruiya - Founder Of Ythera Beauty

Q : Give us a little background about Ythera Beauty. When did it start? What was the inspiration behind the product and the brand?

Anna : Ythera Beauty was founded in 2017 and was born out of the frustration of not finding quality Kenyan made beauty products. I wanted to start a brand that crafted quality affordable products focusing on ingredients that work for us. Our beautiful melanin also presents a unique set of challenges that need to be addressed. I love good things, I am obsessed with glowing skin; I was tired of having to combine multiple body care products just to feel moisturized and hydrated. I love scent and everything about scent, I am that woman who has always had multiple perfumes.

I set out on a journey to create products from quality ingredients that address our skin needs, created and manufactured locally for women by women. We are proudly Kenyan!! We take pride in being African we want to share this journey and tell stories of how phenomenal, powerful and beautiful the African Woman is!! …Limitless

Q : As a ‘Made In Kenya’ Brand - What has your biggest challenge been so far?
Anna : One of the biggest challenges has been convincing people that #MadeInKenya is quality.

Q : What’s your biggest highlight so far?
Anna : The biggest highlight so far is seeing the transformation when people try our products and fall in love with them. The pride and belief in ourselves and who we are encourages us to keep going while inspiring others to dare to dream. Also, I've got to meet some amazing and inspiring women who are doing phenomenal things.

Q : What’s your personal favorite Ythera product and why?
Anna : I love them all. I love scents and always have since I was a little girl. I am that woman who cannot just have one scent because they are an expression of how I feel, who I am and my overall personality. Scents have the power to lift your mood, boost your confidence, make you feel sexy, powerful, feminine. People may never remember what you wore but they always remember how you smell.

Beautiful skin and hair are the best accessories you can own and I like to make sure they are both always on point. I tend to wear samples in our product development phase because I like to know everything about the product prior to launch. I work directly with formulators to make changes to ensure a great product. I am currently using two new scents we are launching later this year and facial skin care products from our skin care line.

Q : What does your weekday morning routine look like?
Anna : I wake up at 5:00 am, work out, shower, have coffee and go through my emails as I listen to a podcast about marketing, entrepreneurship or business. I start making calls at around 8:00 am. This is the only time of the day which is consistent and has structure.

After I start on my regular day depending on what I have planned, e.g. go to premises, meetings, business development, relationship management, government regulatory agencies, e.t.c.

Q : Do you have any advice for budding entrepreneurs in the beauty and cosmetics industry?

Anna : Yes!
- Do your research
- Focus on quality ingredients that address needs

- Don’t compromise on quality
- Listen to what the customer needs and wants.