WHILE studying Political Science at the University of Ghana, Legon, in 1998, young Ms Gladys Amorkor Commey, now the Chief Executive (CE) of All Pure Nature Limited in Osu, Accra, decided to nurture her passion for natural cosmetics into a door to door business.
She thus combined her studies with the trade of moving from one hall to the other, selling and marketing her handmade sheabutter packaged in a customised African Pot.
Her brand name then was Sheabutter in an African Pot.
But even before sellilng at the campus, Ms Commey said she had used her natural tallent and hobby in cosmetic makings to process some skin and body care products for her family.
That passion and hobby for naturally handmade cosmetics has lived on 14 years down the line. That flame has consequently flourished into cosmetics manufacturing enterprise that has its history deeply rooted in sheabutter.
The company currently suppliess bathing soaps to 15 hotels in the country, including the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra, exports some of her products to the European, American and African markets while selling some in the local market.
Ms Commey told the GRAPHIC BUSINESS in an interview that her All Pure Nature, which she founded and currently manages also does labelling of gifts for companies and in addtion to making candles from soybeans and bees wax.
In all these, Ms Commey said her All Pure Nature pays a resounding tribute and respect to all sheabutter women in the Northern, Upper West and East regions of the country “for their due deligence and hardwork in handpicking the sheanuts and processing them into butter for us as raw materials.”
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| Ms Gladys Commey, CEO, All Pure Nature limited |
She mentioned bathing soaps, massage oils made from all natural ingredients like sheabutter, cocoa and coconut butter, facial and body care scrubs and washes, hair care soaps and beeswax candles as some of the products manufactured and distributed by the company. Those products, she said are marketed under the brand name, Pure Essence.
HOW ALL PURE NATURE SURVIVES
No business venture in Ghana survives without having to summount various challenges ranging from access to and cost of finance to lack of raw materials and motivation from the relevant financial and regulatory institutions.
But with real commitments from the businessmen and women powered by a passion to move on, most of the nation’s micro, small and medium enterprises are beginning to blossom into big time businesses that will forever stand the test of time. All Pure Nature is one of those.
Its CEO told the GRAPHIC BUSINESS that the company has been riding on her enomous love for nature and zeal to market Ghana abroad through products made and raw materials that are only sourced from natural resources.
“I started making cosmetics from sheabutter when I was 19 years old and the challenges have always been there. But if you love something and do it with all your heart, then you can always expect God to help you succeed no matter how difficult that success may come with,
” Ms Commey said.
She also mentioned the niche market nature of her clientele base in the country and abroad as a key challenge that inhibits the progress of the All Pure Nature cosmetics enterprise. She said few Ghanaians are coming to terms with the fact that cosmetics made from artificial sythetics can, at times, be harmful to their health despite their luxurious looks and scents.
“We have a particular niche market and that is a challenge to us,” she said but added that her outfit was hopeful that “all Ghanaians will begin to aprreciate the distinct essence of natural cosmetics, particular, the Pure Essence brand to their skin and body care needs.
She also dared other hotels and recreational resorts in the country to take up the challenge of suppling their clients with natural cosmetics instead of the artificial ones which she said come with inherent challenges to their users.
With the dull patronage of indegenes to her Pure Essence cosmetics, Ms Commey said the company would focus on increasing supply to the foreign markes, particularly the USA, while consolidating its customer base in the country.
“We will be opening a new sales outlet at the Mariama Mall in the Airport City in June to make our products readily available to locals and tourists around that area,” she hinted. That outlet will add to the Osu sales outlet, making two the number of wholesale and retail shops that sells her company’s Pure Essence brand of cosmetics.
THE FUTURE DREAM OF MS COMMEY
Ms Commey’s All Pure Nature Limited has worn the hearts of many customers and business-minded institutions, both in and outside Ghana, with its distincted services and products sourced only from natural ingredients. That feat has consequently worn the company numerous international and local awards at the various stages of its operations.
Building on those laurels, Ms Commey says she sees “All Pure Nature in the near future growing from stregthen to strength,” an objective she rightly said will not be realised on a silver plate.
But with a wider dream of using her cosmetic brand name, Pure Essence, “to market Ghana to the outside world,” Ms Commey said such an ambition is acheivable, however gradual it may take.
That, she said will be acheived through concerted efforts by the company to gain more roots into the foreign markets by improving on the quality and style of its numerous sheabutter sourced products.
In addition, Ms Commey says she intends to create more employeable opportunities for the youth through adjoining businesses in her cosmetics manufacturing enterprise.
Currently, All Pure Nature Limited employs 12 people in its maufacturing plant aside the four groups of artisans it has engaged in sheabutter making, bamboo designs among others.
ADVISE TO THE YOUTH
Ms Commey is an Executive Board member of the Association of Ghana Industries’ cosmetics sector. And her advsie to the youth is simple: “Do what you love and turn your hobbies into businesses.
“For if you are happy with your business or whatever that you do for a living, then you will always be able to please your customers with it and the returns will benefit you and the business more,” she added.
But in doing all these, Ms Commey said “rely on God for guidance in whatever situation you find yourself in.”
Ms Commey is on info@allpurenature.com
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