Sandi Sieger chats to Marie Jenkins, founder of Kosmea. Kosmea is now sold in numerous countries around the world, and operates a micro-business charity in Lethoso, South Africa where they provide an income for locals who collect rose hips.
You were the first to bring Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil to the Australian market. Tell us how Kosmea came to be.
I was a stay-at-home mum with three young children when I first got the idea, back in 1993, to launch my own skin care business. I’ve always had a passion for natural skin care and mixing up my own concoctions using ingredients like avocado, yoghurt and herbs – being of Greek origin, my mother had always taught us the natural way whether it was with food, medicine or skin care. One day, I was mixing up a mask recipe that called for rose hips, so I headed to a local rose farm in Willunga, SA, and asked them if I could pick some of their rose hips. They gladly obliged and handed me an article about the healing and nourishing qualities of rose hips and rose hip oil – how it was being used in hospitals for healing burns and scar tissue.
I drove right home and started to research how I could get hold of some rose hip oil to bottle and sell. I found a supplier in Chile and sold the family car to buy my first drum of rose hip oil. And that’s how Kosmea was born. My family and I spent long days and nights around the kitchen table, filling and labelling 4,000 bottles with the oil and over the next few weeks I visited every health food store in South Australia – about 80 stores in all. Rose hip oil wasn’t even heard of in Australia at this time. I gave each store owner a bottle to try, knowing that once they used it they’d be hooked. Sure enough, within six month’s I’d sold all 4,000 bottles.
After that I secured a bank loan to buy more drums of rose hip oil and began to develop more skin care products for the range and, within a few years, we began exporting to Hong Kong, the UK, Canada and New Zealand.
You went from selling your car to buy your first drum of rose hip oil, to having a brand stocked in numerous countries all around the world. Is it surreal to think of how far you’ve come?
It’s very surreal as I was not experienced in running or starting a business, only used to running a household. What is exciting is how many people’s lives I have touched in a positive way. A skin condition is so very stressful and frustrating when you cannot find a cure or relief, on a daily basis I receive calls and emails on how Kosmea has healed and repaired skins from all over the world. I was just in Perth doing a training for one of my Singapore Distributors and they proceeded to show my so many photos of testimonials, from severed cracked heals, to healing acne and dog bites. It’s amazing… so yes I do pinch myself.
What are your personal favourite products from the Kosmea range?
My personal favourites in the Kosmea range are the Purifying Cream Cleanser and of course our 100% Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil – there is nothing like taking off your make-up at night with a Luxurious Creamy Cleanser that feels like velvet on your skin dissolves make-up, dirt and pollution from the day, and then to apply our rich healing pure Rose Hip Oil over the top is just the icing on the cake.
Can you share any of your personal beauty tips and tricks with us?
Ooh, what I find exhilarating is to use a pure 100% muslin cloth with our purifying cream cleanser to take of make-up but also really give your skin a deep cleansing, exfoliating clean. Preparation for the Rose Hip Oil to just melt into your skin.
Also I love putting a drop of Rose Hip Oil in a tinted moisturiser to give your skin a dewy and glowing look.
What advice can you offer someone wanting to launch their own business or brand?
Number one, have passion and drive for what you believe in.
Follow your gut feeling as this is usually the best guide and now has been scientifically proven.
Keep it simple, life, relationships business etc.
Always stay positive, even when negativity tries to take over.
Take time for yourself and follow your dreams.
