Today we’d like to introduce you to Elena Minnow.
Hi Elena, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story and our journey is that I struggled with eczema and had really dry skin for a lot of my life. I was prescribed topical creams and tried various lotions to help with the breakouts, but nothing worked. After spending years trying to find a product that would work on my dry and eczema-prone skin, I visited my grandmother’s hometown in Ghana. It was there that she introduced me to Shea Butter and how my family has been using it for years for their skin, hair and so many other things. As a result, when I returned back home to Canada, I started making my own shea butter products in my kitchen, in 2013. I started using those products for myself and eventually, shared them with some friends, some family, and now I have a company where I sell a whole line of products made with fair-trade Shea Butter.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My biggest challenge has been the learning curve of owning a business and knowing there is still so much I have to learn. It has been a journey mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally learning how to wear the many hats of being a founder and I’m still figuring it out. During the pandemic, I had to learn how to run my business solely online and tap into networking and resources virtually. This was challenging but I think was made easier knowing so many other people were facing the same challenges so I wasn’t alone.
As you know, we’re big fans of Twenty20 Skincare. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At Twenty20 Skincare, we value finding sustainable ways to access and share secrets of the motherland to the entire world through their products. All our products are made with fair trade Shea Butter. Through the purchase of fair trade Shea Butter from Ghana, Twenty20 Skincare enables women in the Shea supply chain to improve their living and working conditions. Our vision is clear and simple products that are safe for our health, community and the earth.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
It’s because of my grandmother and all the generations before her that I was introduced to Shea Butter which has become the staple ingredient of Twenty20 Skincare. Growing up, my dad insisted we use Shea Butter on our skin and hair because that was what he used as a child in Ghana. Our family called it nku sheen (nkuto being the akan name for Shea Butter), they mixed Shea Butter with coconut oil to create an all-purpose moisturizer. My family has used Shea Butter in their skincare for years and years, but I never really embraced it until I went to Ghana myself in 2013. Although my grandmother is no longer with us, her legacy lives on through our products.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@twenty20skincare.com
- Website: www.twenty20skincare.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twenty20skincare/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twenty20skincare/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@twenty20skincare?
Image Credits:
Alabaster Jar Photography Sonia V Photography
