Jan 14, 2021
Eunice Cofie-Obeng wasn't thinking about a career in beauty until she had a chemistry class in college in which the professor taught her and her classmates to formulate a chemical relaxer and other beauty products. With her interests piqued, she wanted to know and do more. And skincare became her focus. In fact, Eunice had the idea for the Nuekie product line more than a decade ago.
While she honed her skills as a cosmetic chemist and entrepreneur, Eunice took on jobs that helped her further her mission as well as returned to school to get a master's degree in cosmetic chemistry. As she continued to build the Nuekie brand, Eunice also discovered the knowledge gap that existing among dermatologists and aestheticians in treating skin of color effectively and began creating educational programs that filled the gap. She also saw the value of mixing ingredients used in traditional African medicine with modern technology to create efficacious products. And she explains why African medicine should be just as valued as Chinese medicine.
After launching the first two products for Nuekie, Eunice recently released eight new products, in two collections targeting acne and hyperpigmentation which sold out quickly.
Eunice also talks about the challenges of being a Black entrepreneur, why she isn't interested in attending another accelerator, and what those running these programs need to understand. She also explains what the pandemic impacted her ability to do business and how connecting with other Black female beauty entrepreneurs gave her a community at a critical time, telling us how they banded together to source ingredients and share information that would help them sustain their businesses.
And we congratulate Eunice on being a recipient of a BeyGood Grant!
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