When Valerie Obaze created R&R Skincare in 2010, it wasn’t just another beauty brand—it was a deliberate act of love. Driven by the birth of her daughter, Rebecca‑Rose, Obaze sought a skincare line that was pure, simple, and gentle enough for her baby’s skin. What began with shea butter in a kitchen evolved into a refined, purpose-driven business that has reshaped ethical beauty across Africa—and beyond.

Obaze’s early career in PR in the UK and Nigeria equipped her with the skills to articulate R&R’s authentic narrative. She combined brand storytelling with integrity, placing ethical sourcing and women’s empowerment at the heart of her vision. By founding the Women of the Savannah Development Project (WSDP), she transformed the lives of rural Ghanaian women, helping them build co‑operatives, processing tools, and year‑round income through initiatives that value dignity and fair pay.

Over the last 15 years, R&R has grown into a luxury skincare powerhouse—now available across West Africa, with flagship spaces in Accra and Lagos and a production footprint deeply anchored in Ghana. As the brand enters its sustainable era, Obaze is pioneering refill packaging, zero‑waste processing, and refined formulas rooted in botanical purity.

In this exclusive interview with THEWILL DOWNTOWN’s Johnson Chukwueke, Valerie Obaze shares how her journey as a mother and entrepreneur shaped R&R’s ethos, why she believes in simplicity over hype, and how one woman’s vision can shift not just skin but systems.

R&R began as a passion project inspired by your daughter. How has that story evolved over the last decade?

When I started R&R in 2010, I was living in Lagos and searching for 100% natural products that I could use on my newborn, and I struggled to find anything that met my requirements— being locally made with plant-based ingredients. It was then that I decided to make a product myself using not only my experience in consumer branding but, most importantly, the amazing botanical ingredients that were available to me locally, which led to R&R’s first product being born – Shea Body Oil, aka liquid gold.

What challenges did you face building a clean beauty brand from Africa before the global ‘clean beauty’ boom?

In 2010, “clean beauty” wasn’t a trend yet—and coming from this part of the world, there was a lot of education required, not just about natural ingredients like shea butter or baobab oil, but about the quality and value of African-made products. Navigating compliance, especially with varying global standards, was (and still is) a learning curve. But that challenge also became one of our strengths as it led me to make sure quality was one of the biggest focuses for the brand across product formulation, packaging and everything we do.

You’ve emphasised sustainability and ethical sourcing. What does ‘sustainable luxury’ mean to you today?

Luxury, to me, is not about the price tag of an item but about the quality and how that item makes you feel. Sustainable luxury at R&R looks like pure, high-quality ingredients sourced responsibly from women in northern Ghana, minimal and recyclable packaging, and a commitment to transparency throughout the supply chain.

How do you ensure quality control and ethical practices across your female-led shea supply chain in Ghana?

Ethical sourcing is at the heart of what we do at R&R Skincare. For me, it’s not just about producing great products—it’s about empowering the women who produce the shea butter and other indigenous African ingredients that we use in our formulations.

We own our entire supply chain with a fully equipped processing centre in the rural North of Ghana, where we work directly with the women in the local communities through our NGO, WSDP (Women of the Savannah Development Project), to produce our raw materials ensuring transparency and quality along the entire process.

The women have formed co-operatives and run their own businesses using tools and machinery at our processing centre, free of charge. We purchase the raw shea butter from them at above-market rates, ensuring fair compensation. Our quality assurance team regularly audits quality, and we maintain an open, continuous dialogue with the women to improve processes while preserving traditional methods and supporting them.

R&R recently entered the U.S. market. What lessons have you learned expanding into such a competitive space?

One of my goals with R&R was to have the brand sitting, as one of the first African beauty brands, on the shelves of large department stores around the world next to the big beauty brands that are household names. The U.S. beauty market is fast-paced, but consumers in the market are looking for products that they can connect with that are natural and from the African continent. There’s a growing appetite for brands with real purpose, and being African-founded, female-led, and values-driven has helped us carve out a meaningful space—even in a very crowded industry.

Your background is in PR. How has that shaped the way you tell the R&R brand story?

My PR background taught me the power of storytelling and authenticity and gave me a major head start when developing the marketing strategy for R&R. Having worked with consumer brands in the beauty space during my eight years in PR, I understood that it’s never just about selling products—it’s about sharing our journey, our values, and the women behind our ingredients. I also understand how to tailor messaging to different markets without losing the heart of who we are, which has been crucial in building an African luxury brand with global appeal.

What do you consider your proudest moment as a beauty entrepreneur so far?

Being featured in Forbes as an ‘African skincare trailblazer’ was a surreal moment—it was recognition not just of me but of the entire R&R journey and the incredible women who are part of it. But beyond the headlines, it’s seeing the real-life impact—every time I meet someone in a new city who knows about the brand or uses R&R products, it reminds me of why I started this journey.

You’re often described as a “mumpreneur.” How do you manage the juggle between family and business?

I honestly just try my best. I’ve learned to embrace the ebb and flow—some days, I’m winning at work; other days, I’m winning at home and find myself way behind on my emails. I try to be present wherever I am, and I’ve also learned the power of delegation and asking for help — having a solid team at the office and support at home helps me a lot.

When you’re not working, what brings you the most peace and joy?

Spending time with my family. I make it a point to sit down and have lunch with my family every Sunday and try to be as present as possible without my phone during that time. I also try to fit in solo spa days at least once per month so that I can unwind and just enjoy moments of restoration and peace.

Tell us something about you that might surprise people—not the entrepreneur, but Valerie.

I’m actually quite introverted. People often assume I’m naturally outgoing because I speak publicly and lead a brand—but I really value my quiet time. Also, if I weren’t running R&R, I’d probably be working in interior design. I have a deep love for creating beautiful, calming spaces and really enjoyed being super involved with the design process of our flagship store in Accra, Ghana.

 

 

Johnson Chukwueke
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