Why I Started Kanda Natural—And What It’s Taught Me

It’s Women’s Month. And this year, I wanted to do something different.

Instead of just launching a campaign, I wanted to sit down with you—really sit down—and answer the questions I’m asked most often about Kanda Natural.

Questions about why I started this. What drives our choices. What building this brand has taught me as a woman.

So I asked our community what they wanted to know. And I’m answering honestly.

Here are 7 questions—and 7 real answers:

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Question 1: Why did you start Kanda Natural?

My son had sensitive skin, and I struggled to find products that were gentle, effective, and formulated with ingredients I could trust. I started researching and formulating products myself for my family and close friends.

As I researched more deeply, I realized there were few brands intentionally formulating for Nigerian skin using Nigerian ingredients. I saw a gap — and I felt called to bridge it.

I founded Kanda Natural to create handcrafted skincare designed for our climate and our skin needs, using our indigenous raw materials.

Question 2: Why cold process? Why naturally sourced ingredients?

I choose the cold-process method because it allows our ingredients to keep their natural benefits. By using minimal heat, the oils and butters remain nourishing and gentle—something that matters deeply to me, especially for sensitive skin like my son’s, and like many of ours.

It does take longer. Our soaps cure slowly for 4 to 6 weeks, and that means we can’t rush production. But that has always been intentional. I would rather create fewer products and ensure each one is carefully formulated and truly effective.

Our choice of naturally sourced ingredients is just as deliberate. Nigeria and West Africa are rich with botanicals that have cared for skin for generations—shea butter, coconut oil, and many beautiful plant extracts. These are ingredients our skin already understands.

At Kanda Natural, I believe in honoring that wisdom. Instead of chasing mass production, we focus on thoughtful formulation and ingredients that work in harmony with our skin. Because for me, effectiveness and care will always matter more than volume.

Question 3: What standards do you hold your products to before they’re released?

Before any product reaches our customers, it goes through careful internal and regulatory checks.

At Kanda Natural, our formulations are developed and overseen by trained in-house cosmetic formulators, following clear Standard Operating Procedures. Each batch is reviewed and tested to ensure it meets our standards for safety, quality, and consistency.

Our products are also registered with NAFDAC, meaning they meet the regulatory requirements for cosmetic safety and compliance in Nigeria.

For me, product integrity is non-negotiable. Every product must meet our formulation standards, safety checks, and regulatory benchmarks before it reaches your hands.

Question 4: If someone could only try one product, what would you want them to notice first?

The first thing I would want them to notice is the gentleness.

From the very beginning, Kanda was created with sensitive skin in mind. So when someone tries our products, I hope they feel that immediate sense of comfort—no burning, no irritation, just calm, balanced, nourished skin.

That quiet feeling of relief is everything to me. It means the product is truly caring for your skin.

Question 5: What does transparency look like for you as a founder?

For me, transparency means openness at every level.

It starts with clearly listing our ingredients and never hiding what goes into our products. Our customers deserve to know exactly what they are putting on their skin.

It also means being open about our process—how we source our raw materials, how we produce our products, and how each batch is checked before it reaches you. We don’t just talk about standards; we show them.

And beyond the products, transparency means showing up as human. We understand skin struggles because we’ve experienced them too. We are not a distant brand—we are learning and growing alongside our community.

For me, transparency builds trust. And trust is the foundation of Kanda Natural.

Question 6: What has building this brand taught you as a woman?

Building this brand has taught me that I am stronger than I once thought.

There have been moments of doubt, exhaustion, and uncertainty. But moving through those moments showed me a strength I didn’t fully know I had.

It also reminded me that my voice, my ideas, and my vision matter. That I am capable of building something meaningful.

And that even the smallest efforts can create real change in a community.

Question 7: What advice would you give to women building quietly?

To every woman building quietly, I would simply say: hang in there.

Be consistent. Keep refining your craft and keep showing up for the work you believe in.

Growth often happens slowly and quietly at first. But with time and discipline, your efforts will begin to speak for themselves.

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Thank you for being here. Thank you for letting me share this with you.

This Women’s Month, I’m not just celebrating the women who buy from us. I’m celebrating the women who are us—the mothers solving problems, the founders building quietly, the professionals showing up, the women refusing to settle for products that don’t respect them.

You deserve care that works. You deserve transparency. You deserve gentle.

And if our For Her packages can be a small part of honoring that—whether you’re gifting them to someone else or keeping them for yourself—I’m honored to be part of your journey.

Thank you,

Evelyn Akande,

Founder, Kanda Natural

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Explore Kanda Natural and discover skincare formulated for Nigerian skin and climate.