Choosing African Beauty, On Purpose: An A-Beauty Influencer, on Advocacy, Trust, and Shifting Perception – BeautyInLagos

For years, the default in skincare has been clear: look outward. International brands, global trends, imported routines, these have shaped not just what people buy, but what they trust. So choosing to consistently spotlight African beauty brands isn’t simply preference. It’s a deliberate shift.

For Wanny, the voice behind @ISpeakSkin, that shift began as a personal necessity, and evolved into something far more intentional.

It Started With Experience, Not Advocacy

Her entry into skincare wasn’t curated. It was reactive. “My journey started with adult acne. I was trying to fix something I didn’t fully understand, and I leaned toward what I thought were ‘safe’ options, but they actually made things worse.”

What followed was a process of trial, error, and education, one that forced her to better understand her skin and the role of informed product choices. But alongside that learning came a more practical frustration. “I wasn’t a fan of vendor hopping for foreign products.”

That friction led her to explore local alternatives. What she discovered wasn’t a compromise, but a gap. “There were so many Nigerian brands that were effective and thoughtfully formulated, people just weren’t talking about them.”

From Discovery to Deliberate Advocacy

What began as personal exploration quickly became something more defined. “It stopped being just about my routine when I realised the gap wasn’t quality, it was visibility.”

The more she tested, the clearer the disconnect became. Brands were investing in formulation, research, and product development, yet remained under-recognised in a market still oriented outward. “I didn’t see anyone else doing it at the time, so I felt like I had to.”

That decision marked a shift, from…