Innovating in the beauty industry
Alumnae duo Orianna Acheampong and Anthonia Ademuyiwa are Co-Founders of Iséda’s Studio. The pair offer a range of beauty treatments to people in North West London and have leveraged their scientific and research backgrounds in their approach to beauty products and treatments.
Orianna and Anthonia met at Loughborough and graduated with Chemistry MChem (Hons) degrees in 2018. Alongside their day jobs in technology and cosmetics respectively, they are passionate about providing an experience in skincare and beauty that uplifts people. They want to provide an improved quality of life, and a service, advice and range of products with a particular interest in supporting women with melanin-rich skin.
Launching their business with the help of the Loughborough Enterprise Network, together the alumnae have developed a home laboratory, working evenings and weekends to bring products to life using their chemistry knowledge.
As avid young consumers with chemical knowledge, the pair feel well-placed to develop and offer products and treatments that are appealing to the younger generation. They are passionate about using resources wisely and keeping sustainability at front of mind, carefully considering areas such as manufacturer practices and packaging.
The alumnae are bringing an innovative approach to business. Anthonia has trained as an aesthetician, so not only are they using the skills and knowledge from their Chemistry degrees, but they are also actively offering treatments, talking to consumers, and getting to know more about the market.
Journey to Loughborough
I chose to study at Loughborough due to the great reputation that it has and the investments they were planning to make in STEM facilities during my time there. I also liked that it was a campus-based university as it has a strong community feel.
During my time at Loughborough, I most enjoyed the sense of community within my course and within my cohort in general. People were always looking to help and support others where possible, whether that be with coursework or social activities.
I remember visiting Loughborough on the Open Day and loving the campus; it was massive and felt like a mini-town full of students. Every person I met that day was really welcoming and that’s what made me choose Loughborough.
My favourite thing about studying at Loughborough was the people. Our course really had a comradery where you could ask anyone for help, even people you hadn’t really spoken to before, and they’d be willing to lend you a helping hand - whether that be talking you through something you didn’t understand, or finding what building we were supposed to be in.
During our time at Loughborough and beyond, the community has been very friendly and helpful. Over my career, I’ve met people who have studied at Loughborough who have always been willing to lend a helping hand.
Good foundations
My chemistry degree gave me the confidence and skills to work confidently in a lab setting which is key for my role as a skincare formulator. This developed a lot during my third and fourth year which were heavily research focused. My business partner and I were lucky enough to receive a £1.8K grant from the Loughborough Enterprise Network which we used to furnish our own skincare formulation lab.
The foundation of Iseda’s Skincare is both mine and Anthonia’s chemistry knowledge which was built and nurtured at Loughborough. Even the simple fact that had it not been for Loughborough, we would never have met to go on this journey together.
The enterprise grant from Loughborough allowed us to have the funds in place to help set up our lab, with key equipment that made formulating our first two products possible. We have also been able to build relationships with other business owners who have advised us on fundraising and other key parts of starting a business.
Future ambitions
In a few years’ time, we aim to have 2-4 branches of our skin treatment studio where we specialise in treating hyperpigmentation and acne. We also see ourselves having a wide range of skincare products available to purchase at various retailers.
I hope to see us stocked in big national retailers such as Selfridges, Boots and Space NK. I see us building a brand that is well known throughout the skincare industry and having products that are staples in skincare lovers’ routines.
