When it comes to skincare brands, our report shows that Nigeria has a lot of indigenous brands that are outperforming international names for one simple reason:

Nigerian women love natural African skincare ingredients.

Awareness of natural skincare ingredients is on the rise

This group is influenced by skin care education and natural product awareness, since many eschew cosmetics with harmful components.

Many natural substances are already recognizable to Nigerian women from childhood folk cures passed down through generations. Having them used in more standardised products is a win-win. 

Customers’ trust in homegrown brands has grown

The reasons behind this preference are not far-fetched. Consumer confidence in Nigerian and African brands has helped sales, as Nigerians are generally interested in local trends. Local enterprises can also react quickly to micro trends and alter their product ranges due to their production flexibility.

These are the star ingredients:

The responses we gathered from 1000 Nigerian women confirm that the top 5 natural skincare ingredients that Nigerian consumers look out for are shea butter, coconut oil, cocoa, moringa oil and argan oil.

These ingredients have been scientifically proven to be rich in stearic acid, lauric acid, flavonoids, omega fatty acids, vitamins C, E, & A, as well as saponins, among others that promote great skin health and appearance.

Not surprisingly, 59% of our respondents choose Nigerian skincare brands over foreign brands. As Nigerian consumers demand better skincare formulas, natural ingredients elevate the value of beauty products. 

Nigerian beauty/skincare brands like House of Tara, Beverly Naya, Jennys Glow Nigeria, Arami Essentials among others, have built a large following among Nigerian beauty consumers and influenced market trends by tapping into these insights.

Download the full report here.