Rose Appiah is a Budapest and London based skincare entrepreneur and the mastermind behind Ashanti Cosmetics.
Ashanti Cosmetics is 100% sustainable, ethically sourced and shaped by Rose's Ghanaian heritage. Rose's grandmother was a beauty queen in the 1950s, who made her own skincare products and was renowned for her flawless complextion; she used a recipe which was passed on from her mother, who was a herbalist, and this
legacy receipe has continued to be
passed on from generation to generation.
At The Legacy Globe, we are collectively working alongside each other to leave lasting legacies which will empower future generations. How do you feel that your upbringing has shaped you?
I grew up in Ghana, where I actually spent a lot of time with my grandmother experimenting with new skincare recipes. I then moved to London when I was ten and I met my partner in my twenties, who is Hungarian. My childhood was a difficult one but it strengthened me in so many ways. It has definitely made me a go-getter and I believe that you can achieve anything that you want to, if you put your mind and smart work into it; a trait that I am instilling in to my children.
Tell us about your entrepreneurial journey and the inspiration behind your business.
The inspiration behind Ashanti Cosmetics originates from my son and his health issues with eczema as a child. I looked for many solutions but the real answer was in my family. My grandmother gave me the balm to use on him and on the second day I had already seen how much his skin had improved. After a week, his skin was almost clear, I did not want the benefits of this magic balm to disappear, so I started experimenting, Four years later I launched and I am now celebrating my fifth year as a brand with fourteen products, merchandise and I will be releasing my makeup line shortly. The entrepreneurial journey is not easy, but my partner, family and friends have been an invaluable support to me.
In 2021 you launched your Flagship store in Budapest. Tell us about the store and any challenges that you had to overcome.
The flagship store showcases our products and we have a wide range of treatments available to our clients. We are here to prove to people that the natural look can be beautiful, even without the uses of harsh, synthetic ingredients, or complex routines. We want to liberate people from the outside pressure to look artificially perfect. The process of launching the store was stressful as I had just started the renovations when the pandemic hit. I had to pivot and act quickly to re-strategise my business and I am grateful that we have succeeded.
MAAME BALM is your best selling multi purpose healing balm. Tell us about the product and the benefits for both men and women.
Maame balm will benefit both men and women with very dry skin, eczema, psoriasis, insect bites, frost bites, shaving bumps and scar reduction. I modernised my grandmother's balm recipe and this was the first product that I started with and cured my sons eczema. The medicinal hemp seed oil in the balm is obtained from the seeds of Canabis Sativa, which is rich in nutrients, fatty acids and bioactive components. The content of gamma-linolenic acid is a powerful anti-inflammatory tool, excellent against eczema and it promotes cell regeneration. The marigold oil has antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and soothing effects which are extremely good for insect bits, inflamed acne and also can be used as a diaper cream. Castor oil helps to fight irritation, be it dry, peeling or reddened skin, boils or itchy eczema and the geranium oil, is an excellent wound healer. Maame balm can be used at any time, at any age.
What does the word Legacy mean to you and what legacy do you want to leave?
A legacy is creating something which makes you happy and simultaneously benefits other people. I hope to leave my business and life wisdom to my children and for them to continually propel Ashanti Cosmetics.
