From Statistics to Skincare Innovation: The Journey Behind Natural By Design

My journey into skincare innovation has been unconventional. As a trained statistician, nothing in my academic background suggested that I would one day become a skincare formulator and entrepreneur. Yet a personal experience in 2017 changed the course of my career.
My then wife, an avid road runner, developed persistent knee pain. Conventional treatments brought little relief until a friend introduced her to a cream made from natural ingredients. The results were remarkable. Curious to understand why it worked so well, we met the formulator, who generously shared the key ingredient behind its effectiveness. We also discovered that this same ingredient could help address certain skin conditions.
Inspired by this discovery, we began incorporating the ingredient into a ready-made cream base, packaging it in jars, and selling it in shopping malls. More importantly, engaging with customers exposed me to the skin health challenges affecting many South Africans, including sensitive skin, acne, atopic dermatitis, and post-traumatic hyperpigmentation. Those interactions made me realize that skincare could go beyond beauty and make a meaningful contribution to health and well-being.
I knew that if I wanted to make a lasting impact, I needed to move beyond simply blending ingredients into an existing cream. I wanted to learn how to formulate skincare products professionally—from scratch—so they would meet safety, quality, and efficacy standards and be suitable for the retail market. My vision became clear: to develop health-focused skincare products powered by Africa’s indigenous botanicals.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, I took the opportunity to complete professional online training in natural skincare formulation and product development. That training equipped me with the scientific and technical foundation to pursue my vision.
More recently, I co-founded Natural By Design, a skincare startup with the mission:
“Harnessing Africa’s indigenous botanicals to create safe, eco-friendly skincare products that improve health, empower communities, and position the continent as a leader in sustainable beauty innovation.”
Although logistical challenges have delayed our commercial launch, they have not diminished my determination.
When I learned about the Health Innovation Product (HIP) Development Challenge, I immediately recognized it as the ideal platform to validate my product concepts and transform my formulations into market-ready health innovations. The opportunity to work alongside experienced professionals in a world-class laboratory, receive expert mentorship, and join an innovation network with international reach makes this program invaluable.
I am honored and excited to be part of this journey. I look forward to refining my innovations, learning from experts, and contributing to the development of African skincare solutions that improve health while showcasing the extraordinary potential of our continent’s indigenous botanical resources.
My ambition is not simply to build a skincare brand, but to develop evidence-based African health innovations that improve lives, create economic opportunities, and demonstrate that Africa’s rich biodiversity can drive globally competitive healthcare solutions. I believe the HIP Development Challenge is the ideal environment to help turn that ambition into reality.