Malée Natural Science Bath & Body Products

A Nigerian born woman, Zeze Oriaikhi, came up with a brilliant idea when she moved to South Africa after spending over a decade in England. She noticed the skincare products that seemed perfectly fine in England just didn't cut it in the African climate. She also noticed the lack of natural and safe products she could use that could do the job.

Malée was born of this need for quality beauty products that appealed especially to a local market. To Oriaikhi's surprise, it became an international company raking in money from lots of different countries each month. However, she remains true to her cause and keeps a low profit margin, making sure that her products remain affordable to the people that desire them most.

Malée beauty products have active ingredients derived right from the South African ecosystem. Products using all natural ingredients like avocado, coconut, almond, mint, and grapefruit, are more effective and deal more closely with the skin and hair care needs of local people. The products even have "scents that evoke the African landscape" (Oriaikhi and Visi.co.za Dec 2010), leaving consumers pretty pleased with their purchase - especially according to customer reviews.

Many of the products, such as the hydrating body scrub, have gained their international recognition because of their simple natural ingredients, aromatherapeutic value, and their affordability. According to Zeze Oriaikhi's interview with CNN, the market for affordable beauty products that were natural as well as effective was rather bleak until Malée hit the scene, selling their 100% natural goodness to local and international beauties alike.

All of the packaging Malée uses is recyclable and biodegradable, and the company even promotes general recycling habits on their website and blog. (More about the site below.) The cotton bags they package their gift sets in are reusable, and made by a company that creates jobs local to Johannesburg, helping to stimulate and maintain the African economy.

The brand is rightfully focused on pleasing the customer and maintaining their ethical and genuine image, and even uses transparent packaging to symbolize that the consumer should always know what they are paying for. Even the Malée Natural Science website is very straightforward and offers up-front marketing, telling the public what they should be able to hear from every beauty product company - the ingredients are natural, no animal derived or animal tested ingredients, there's nothing in it that your skin does not need, and you're buying from a company that cares for and supports their community, both natural and social.

Their honest business tactics and popularity with consumers made it no surprise that Malée Natural Science has gained international fame, finding it's way to grateful customers throughout Europe and the Americas. In France and Belgium, Malée is one of the most sought after imported beauty brands. It's also gained noted popularity in Switzerland, Mexico, Canada, the United States, Germany, and Spain. Though the products are mostly suited for the African climate, it seems people the world over, even in colder climates, can't resist the urge to finally buy a beauty product they can really feel good about.

(CNN interview with Zeze Oriaikhi)
(Visi.co.za interview with Zeze Oriaikhi)
(United Republic Malée Review)
(The Malée Natural Science Official Site)
(The Malée Twitter Page)