Why a Nigerian set out to sell Korean beauty products to Africans, and darker skinned women everywhere

Nigerian Grace Okafor launched Dr. Gio Cosmetics, a K-beauty line for darker skinned women, when she saw how few products were designed for people like her

Its first product is a cushion foundation in six shades with ingredients including Shea butter – ‘I wanted to incorporate something from Africa,’ Okafor says

Reading Time:4 minutes

Models from a Dr. Gio Cosmetics advertising campaign.

Published: 5:15am, 13 Jul 2021Updated: 2:06pm, 19 Jul 2021

Not many people would have the guts to set up a company designed to alter the cultural norms of a country not their own – but that’s exactly what Nigerian beauty brand founder Grace Okafor did.

Okafor moved to South Korea in 2015 to complete her master’s degree in international business. While there, she decided to try bridging what she saw as a beauty industry gap between Africa and South Korea.

In Nigeria, Okafor received a sheet mask from a teacher at a Korean cultural centre. It was a gift that helped establish her love for K-beauty, but she soon discovered how hard it was to get South Korean beauty products in Africa and how few were designed for skin tones like hers.

The popularity of K-beauty has grown exponentially in the past few years and it is a market expected to be worth US$13.9 billion by 2027, according to a report by Allied Market Research. One of the few elements holding this beauty segment back from global dominance is its limited offerings for darker skin tones, which Okafor is hoping to fix.

Ultra 7 Brightening Foundation Cushion compacts from Dr. Gio Cosmetics.

January 2021 marked the launch of Dr. Gio Cosmetics, a K-beauty line targeted at black women and women of colour. It has made history as the first (and only) K-beauty brand produced by a black woman.

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