Everyone loves a little self-care, but what if the products you reach for every day were made with ingredients from your backyard, crafted by people who truly understand your skin and hair?
Jani Beauty, a home-grown Kenyan brand, is redefining expectations around what African beauty companies can offer and achieve. With luxurious, naturally derived products, it is building a loyal following while proving that premium does not have to mean imported.
At the helm of the brand is co-founder Petra Somen, a seasoned entrepreneur in the wellness space. With more than a decade of experience in the spa industry, she combines global insight with a deep understanding of local consumer needs.
After studying tourism in Germany, Petra returned to Kenya and in 2013 launched Serenity Spa, a tranquil wellness sanctuary celebrated for its elegant design and holistic treatments.
Over time, as she engaged with clients seeking high-quality skincare and haircare products that suited African skin and hair, she noticed a gap in the market.
“Products from Europe or the US are not necessarily superior. Many use African ingredients, process them abroad, and sell them back to us. So why not create our own and be proud of where it comes from?” She poses.
These imported spa products were costly and not formulated for African skin and hair. She began questioning the need for imports when Kenya itself offered abundant, high-quality natural ingredients.
This realisation, combined with the country’s biodiversity and the global shift toward clean beauty, catalysed the launch of a brand that celebrates Kenyan ingredients, meets international standards, and makes luxury self-care accessible.
Jani Beauty was launched with a multimillion-shilling investment, drawn from the family’s other ventures, including Serenity Spa and AccessKenya. A significant portion went into establishing a state-of-the-art production facility, outfitted with fully and semi-automated systems.
While the upfront focus was on building a strong manufacturing foundation, the rest of the brand’s growth has been organic.
Starting quietly, Jani focused on sourcing ingredients locally and ethically while adhering to Kenya Bureau of Standards specifications and international skincare standards.
It debuted with a small line of body butters, facial cleansers, and oils that quickly gained a loyal following through word of mouth, pop-ups, and online sales.
From rose water and moringa oil to sea salt in its scrubs and raw honey in shampoos—all sourced locally where possible—every component is carefully selected to ensure purity, potency, and sustainability.
The company continues to explore new local partnerships and test additional botanicals to expand its offering.
Jani Cosmetics Kenya Limited Founder and Director Petra Somen at Jani Cosmetics Kenya Limited Production plant in Limuru, Kiambu County on July 29, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation Media Group
The products are free of toxins, parabens (chemical preservatives used to extend shelf life), sulphates, and artificial fragrances. The company works with local suppliers, practices ethical sourcing, and prioritises biodegradable and recyclable packaging, including aluminium bottles.
One of the early challenges was navigating regulatory compliance, a time-consuming but essential process. To manage this, the team brought in experts to ensure everything met the required standards.
As with any new brand, building recognition was another hurdle. However, having Serenity Spa as a sister company gave Jani Beauty visibility.
“Our product line features potent botanicals sourced from across the country. Probably our most prized local ingredients are Kenyan rose water and rose oil,” notes Ms Somen.
The products are developed in their Tigoni-based lab, where a team of formulators and chemists work to balance tradition with innovation.
“We also collaborate with an independent lab that tests every batch we produce. We have also invested in equipment that allows us to conduct in-house testing, ranging from basic pH analysis to more advanced quality control procedures,” she explains.
When needed, they also consult with international formulators for specialised product development.
The company is continuously exploring ways to enhance its sustainability practices. It introduced aluminium bottles as a more eco-friendly packaging option and complies with all relevant environmental regulations, including those governing production processes.
It actively seeks recyclable and reusable packaging materials and has a formal policy in place to support recycling and reuse efforts.
“This year, we sent about 30 of our products to Europe for eco-testing, and all of them passed. We now have official European eco-label certification for those products,” she shares, adding that they source responsibly, support local communities, and ensure their partners also follow ethical practices when growing and harvesting raw materials.
The team is deliberate about ingredient selection, often turning down options that do not align with their values, even when it means choosing pricier alternatives. According to Ms Somen, these substitutes are typically more natural and offer greater benefits for both the skin and the environment.
One of the entrepreneur’s core principles in building the brand has been accessibility, and its pricing strategy is deliberately modest, positioning its products as affordable alternatives to the high-end foreign labels that dominate beauty shelves across East Africa.
“We did not want our products to be exclusive to the elite. We want everyone to find something that works for them, feels indulgent, and remains within reach,” she says.
The approach appears to be paying off. Jani Beauty is striking a chord with younger, values-driven consumers who care about the ingredients in their skincare and how their spending reflects their priorities.
Operating with a lean team of less than 20, it boasts a portfolio of over 100 products and four signature scent ranges, two more are set to launch soon.
Recent additions include a lip balm and several new skincare products, all of which are part of a line independently tested in Europe and available for over two years.
Prices range from Sh100 for hand sanitiser to Sh4,750 for a luxury diffuser. The products are available via the company’s website and an expanding network of retail partners, including Serenity Spa, Greenspoon, Goodlife, Healthy U, Spinners Web, Langata Link, Rosslyn River Café, and Fig & Olive.
The brand also recently entered new markets in Naivasha and Vipingo, with further expansions underway. With the products now used in over 150 lodges and hotels, Ms Somen expresses growing pride in seeing them embraced.
Jani is riding a growing wave of African consumers seeking beauty brands that reflect their own identities and values, rather than imported ideals.
For Petra and her team, that is where the real magic lies.
“It is not just about what is in the jar, but about who makes it, where it comes from, and the love that goes into it. We want people to feel seen, celebrated, and cared for when they use our products,” she says.
With a growing client base across East Africa, the brand is eyeing regional expansion, with plans to enter the Middle East and European markets.
The brand is positioning itself to lead Kenya’s beauty industry and grow into a global brand on local empowerment through job creation, mentorship, and ethical sourcing.
Jani, meaning leaf in Swahili, symbolises rebirth, authenticity, and growth, values that define the spirit of this home-grown brand.
“Our beauty is ours to define. We are just getting started, and we will be opening our own retail shop at Village Market by October,” she concludes.
