According to Forbes, 80% of businesses will fail within 18 months. Black owned businesses in that pool brings an even larger number due to a lack of funding, market share and business support. Celebrating five years in business in a remarkable milestone for any Founder, especially a black woman.
Multi-awarded ethical beauty entrepreneur, Dr Clare Anyiam-Osigwe began her trail blazing journey from her kitchen stove in Islington, baking face balms to relieve her Acne and Eczema whilst teaching English GCSE at secondary schools. Her pioneering Afro-asian plant-based formulations lead to immediate award nomination, just 40 days after Premae Skincare launched in Dec 2011. 5 years later, the brand is an established and pioneering force in the skin allergy sector.
Abandoning a career in acting to focus on beauty, Clare’s 14 year international beauty experience and wellbeing passion provides clear insight into the growing need for innovative ‘Freefrom’ beauty in the mass market. 16 awards later, Clare brand Premae Skincare has sampled Glossy Box and Birchbox reaching over 200,000 women in the UK alone, has 10 stockists in the USA and recently signed a deal with Amazon Europe to supply UK, France, Netherlands, Germany, Balearics and the Mediterranean with EU distribution and fulfilment of Premae expanding the brands global reach of fans and consumers who desperately want alkaline vegan skincare commencing from July 2016.
The need for allergen-friendly cosmetics was first established by Clare due to her own personal struggle with Candida Albican – a wheat, dairy, sugar and gluten intolerance which she acquired in 2003 whilst studying a BA at Brunel University. This condition ravished Clare’s internal immune system and outer immune system, her skin.
Clare qualified as an Allergy Testing & Treatment practitioner, specialising in food and topical (skin) intolerances, before gaining an honorary doctorate in Bio-chemistry.
To date, Clare has been awarded:
British Empie Medal, HRH The Queen for services to Dermatology, 2017
Rising Star Entrepreneur, We Are The City Awards, 2016
Rising Star Entrepreneur, BBB Awards 2015
Inspirational Woman of the year, inspirational Awards 2014
Educator of the year by Women 4Africa Awards, Winner – May 2012
Personal Achievement of the year, Sunday Essiet Company, Winner, June 2012
Best Makeup Artist of the year, NEL Awards, Winner, Sept 2012
35 Women Under 35, Management Today Awards, ‘One to watch’, July 2012
Entrepreneur of the year, Precious Magazine Awards, Winner, Nov 2012
Premae Skincare products have won 7 awards since launching too, a remarkable achievement for a new start up business and a testimony to the premium quality of her unique formulations:
Winner: Best Eczema Range, Pharma100 – Natural Health Awards 2014
Winner: Best Natural Mens Product, Platinum Awards 2012
Double Award Winning: Balance Rescue Face Tonique, FFS Awards 2013, and Oh! Natural Awards, NZ 2013
Winner: Triumph Multi-Vit Smoothie Serum, Highly Commended by Junior Design Awards 2013
Winner: Tender Tots, Silver Award, Bizzbaby UK Awards 2013
Winner: Best Anti-ageing product, Triumph Face Balm, Platinum Awards 2012
Commended: Best Eczema Face Moisturizer, Clemensy Face Balm, Skins Matter Awards 2012
Premae Milestones
Clare was featured by Forbes Africa as 1 of the 5 most influential women in business in August 2013, the youngest female entrepreneur to be featured in this category.
Clare was officially voted No. 20 out of top 25 Natural Beauty Experts in the UK in 2013.
Clare ran half a marathon to raise funds for Allergy UK in 2013.
Clare fly to New York in 2013 with a suitcase of products and sold Premae into 9 retailers within 3 days.
Clare created the world’s first mango butter based foundation, launching July 2014 at the Allergy and Freefrom Show.
Clare partnered by Children In Need and Peabody Trust to teach natural beauty courses to disadvantaged teenage girls in Hackney from 2011 – 2014.
August 2014, Premae moves into their flagship store at Whiteley’s, Bayswater.
August 2015, Premae moves to No.1 Harley Street.
July 2016, Premae is stocked on Amazon Luxury with 5 star reviews.
Clare is a children’s Champion for AFRUCA, an NGO which works for the prevention of child abuse. As a former care leaver, Clare is a role model and mentor for disadvantaged youth.
Book Dr Clare:
⇒ Guest Lecture at your university, college for Marketing, Business, Science, English.
⇒ Expert writer/ contributor for topics: Science, Food and skin allergies/ symptoms and treatments, Women in Business, Natural Beauty, Startup advise.
⇒ Speaker online, on air, at events for topics: Science, STEM, Women in Business, Beauty, Startups.
⇒ Business branding and start up courses: Designing tailor-made courses for 1-2-1 business start up from conception to launch.
