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S ince 2017, founder Tutuwa Ahwoi has been rewriting cosmetic narratives in her native Ghana. As founder and CEO of Nokware Skincare, Ahwoi leans on the wisdom of previous generations to bring back the best of natural beauty. Through her great- grandmother’s insights on natural African ingredients, Tutuwa Ahwoi is taking age-old skin replenishing Nokware Skincare to the forefront of the clean beauty movement. Between eco-friendly packaging and local women's cooperatives, Nokware goes against the grain of the cosmetic industry to keep their home continent thriving in more ways than one. Influenced by Ubuntu, a philosophy born in South Africa that means “I am because we are,” Tutuwa Ahwoi won’t rest until success permeates all African women across the diaspora. “One of the things that I’ve liked very techniques to the present day. Naturally sourced ingredients aren’t the only things pushing
E very woman on Earth conscious dedicated to routine skin and hair care, we women have evolved the cosmetics industry into a multi-billion dollar empire. In my book, that is a testament to women's social and economic power. But an issue arises when that same cosmetic industry is only tailored to a select few, omitting millions of women who don’t conform to one standard of beauty. Historically, despite the origins of cosmetics in ancient Egypt, global corporations have focused on the light and the white with the creation and their promotion of cosmetic products. Skin-lightening creams and primarily white makeup models against the backdrop of black and brown labor sit in the underbelly of the cosmetic lives alongside the world of beauty and cosmetics. Whether as huge fans adorned in full faces of makeup or as the health- industry. This regular exclusion of black and brown beauty is why Africa has spent years showcasing how naturally necessary they are to
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much about working with Nokware is that it’s working with so many women of all walks of life,” gushes Vice President Akyaa Ahwoi. “If you think about our supply chain… that is all women. We source our shea butter from a women’s cooperative in the north… Even something like the calabashes that we buy, which is our unique way of packaging our black soap, we go to the market to source those from black women,” VP Akyaa proudly explains. She also shouts out the new generation of women learning skills and making economic changes in Nokware's factory. Nokware’s collaboration with local women's cooperatives is a testament to their ultimate goal of economic inclusion. Tutuwa Ahwoi is aware of women’s exclusion in African labor, which led her to focus on bringing change to Africa’s economy and workforce. For Tutuwa Ahwoi, success for Nokware is a success for everyone, aiding the company in creating products by African women for African women.
the world of cosmetics. Africa has both begun the trend and pushed forth the clean beauty market, proving that the cosmetic industry truly starts with them. The continent is more than just a prime player in cosmetics. Africa is arguably the leader of clean beauty, brimming with historically rich cultures that have spent decades using ingredients like ochre, shea, and castor oils to embody their unique communities. Now, a local Ghanaian business is reclaiming the beauty game and taking its generational wisdom to the forefront with the burgeoning brand Nokware Skincare. With TrooRa’s innate gift of finding the truly rare and bringing it to wide audiences, it's no surprise that Nokware (pronounced Knock-Wah- Ri) translates to “truth” in the Twi language. For Nokware Skincare, the definition of true cosmetics is beauty products designed to cleanse the mind, nourish the body, and expand evolving communities.
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