Ore Runsewe’s skincare journey did not begin with luxury—it started with necessity. Having battled severe eczema since childhood, she understood that skincare was not just about appearance but also about comfort, relief, and confidence.
She encountered an unexpected challenge when she moved to Nigeria from the UK in 2014. The skincare products she had relied on were either unavailable or prohibitively expensive. Experimenting with unfamiliar alternatives felt risky due to her sensitive skin. Rather than settling, she took matters into her own hands. What began as a personal experiment in DIY skincare soon evolved into Arami Essentials, a brand founded on the belief that “your body is a temple.”
The Birth of Arami
“Arami” means “my body” in Yoruba—a name that perfectly embodies Runsewe’s vision: skincare should be simple, mindful, and deeply personal.
As she explored natural skincare, she uncovered Africa’s beauty secrets—shea butter from Ghana, black soap from Nigeria, and cold-pressed oils from local farms. These time-honoured ingredients had been used for generations but were increasingly overlooked for imported, chemical-laden products.
From bedroom startup to a beauty empire
With minimal capital to purchase ingredients and packaging, Ore Runsewe started small. She juggled Arami alongside her full-time corporate job, reinvesting every naira the business earned.
Her “office” was a small corner of her bedroom, transformed into a makeshift lab filled with butters, oils, and labels. There was no warehouse, no production team—just one woman determined to create something meaningful.
“I didn’t start off with a huge amount of capital. I started with what I thought was enough to buy a small quantity of ingredients and packaging material,” Ore Runsewe told Punch Newspaper.
Slowly but steadily, Arami grew. The workspace expanded from her bedroom to a spare room and later to a small structure at the back of her house. By October 2021, Arami had outgrown its side hustle status, launching its first factory in Lagos. Today, Arami Essentials is one of Nigeria’s leading homegrown beauty brands.
Runsewe creates the Arami Experience
From the outset, Arami was never just about selling skincare—it was about fostering a more profound sense of self-care. Inspired by the Bible verse “Your body is a temple,” Runsewe envisioned a brand that encouraged mindfulness, self-love, and personal connection.
Every Arami package includes a ‘promise card’—a simple note filled with words of encouragement—to enhance this experience.
“I believe customers do not just want to receive products from a brand; they want to feel connected and to have a meaningful experience,” Runsewe explains.
These thoughtful details helped Arami build a deep emotional connection with its customers, making it more than just another beauty brand.
A Legacy of African Beauty and Entrepreneurship
In 2022, Ore Runsewe was recognised at The Future Awards Africa for her contributions to entrepreneurship. Today, Arami Essentials stands as a symbol of African beauty, heritage, and the power of self-care.
