My name is Adelaide, I am a native of Hamburg with Ghanaian roots.
On September 1, 2018, I finally took the step into the cosmetics industry as an entrepreneur – for a very specific reason.
Even as a child, I suffered from extremely dry skin, a sun allergy, and melasma – an inherited form of hyperpigmentation. In my teens, I developed severe acne and more age spots. My dermatologists were baffled. After trying numerous creams and ointments, they finally said, "That's just how it is with dark skin; it'll go away eventually."
My attempt to conceal my skin problems with makeup led to another disappointment: the drugstore had neither suitable skincare products for my skin type nor foundation for my skin tone. My self-confidence? Zero.
I quickly realized how big a gap there was in the cosmetics industry – not only in skincare for dark skin, but also for different hair textures. That's why, at 17, I began to intensively study cosmetics, effective ingredients, and effective routines. After many trials, I developed a skincare routine that finally helped my skin, which was plagued by blemishes and age spots – and this didn't go unnoticed by those around me.
Friends, family and acquaintances tried my enriched shea cream, also noticed improvements – and I knew: something could come from my personal suffering that would also help others.
The decision had been made: I wanted to start a cosmetics company. Of course, I was aware that it wouldn't be an easy path – especially not alone. But I had two options: continue complaining or change things myself. I chose the latter.
And of course, I could have focused on developing only products for dark skin tones. But I knew what it felt like to be excluded – and I didn't want to follow in the footsteps of those who had been doing so for far too long. I wanted to show that it's possible to address the needs of all skin tones, skin types, and hair textures.
Since the launch of our first two products in February 2019, I have received numerous before-and-after pictures and valuable feedback – including from people with skin types that I cannot identify with, but whose desire to feel comfortable in their own skin I can relate to.
Today at Unrefined Riches, we are continuously developing new skincare and haircare products that work – regardless of color, texture, or type. I'm excited to see what else is in store.
