The skincare and beauty industry is one of the sectors where women, both as entrepreneurs and consumers, dominate. With a “by us, for us” approach, South African skincare and beauty business founders such as Lelive’s Amand du Pont, swiitchbeauty’s Rabia Ghoor, and SKIN Functional’s Shannon Dougall are competing with well-established brands and outperforming them.
SKIN Functional founder Shannon Dougall. Image supplied.
Kicking off Women’s Month on Bizcommunity Healthcare, SKIN Functional founder Shannon Dougall took a break from building her skincare empire to talk to Maroefah Smith about women’s empowerment, the need for local expertise in skincare, and how South Africa can “build resilient economies for all”.
What inspired you to pursue a career in skincare science?
I saw a gap in the skincare market where brands were not transparent, products were not formulated at optimal concentrations for results, and the skincare industry was full of jargon that customers didn’t truly understand.
I wanted to build a legacy brand that would empower customers with honourable skintelligence, make high-performance skincare accessible, and provide superior skin solutions that would generate reproducible results.
SKIN functional was born out of my passion to make a meaningful impact on the lives of others.
Like Amanda du-Pont and Rabia Ghoor, you’re one of many South African beauty brand founders. Why do South African beauty and wellness brands need local expertise?
South African beauty and wellness brands need local expertise because the market is uniquely complex, culturally nuanced, and opportunity-rich in ways that generic or purely international approaches often miss.
The sector is growing strongly (beauty and personal care around $3.97–4.2bn in 2025–2026, with health and wellness much larger). Yet, it remains highly competitive, import-heavy, and shaped by distinct consumer realities.
South Africa has intense UV exposure, fluctuating humidity (coastal vs inland), and one of the world’s most diverse populations in terms of skin tones and hair textures.
Common concerns include hyperpigmentation, dryness, barrier damage from sun and pollution, and textured/coily hair needs that global “one-size-fits-all” formulas often fail to address properly.
Local experts understand these from lived experience and clinical insight.
The skincare and beauty industry is predominantly women-led. How have you overcome gender stereotypes to be taken seriously?
Being confident in who I am and what I am trying to achieve carries a silent power that subtly communicates a level of seriousness that demands respect.
I stand in my power, humbly execute my goals, and don’t allow stereotypes to stifle the goals I have set out to achieve.
What does women’s empowerment look like? How do you work to empower women in your industry?
So often women compete with one another, which I feel is a destructive outlook to have.
I believe in collaboration, supporting one another, cheering one another on, celebrating wins, and building a community that makes women formidable.
I believe in upskilling women and empowering them with knowledge to boost their confidence to be and do what they dream to be.
What advice would you give to other women aspiring to start a beauty business?
Find your passion and believe in that passion so much that you live and breathe it daily.
Cultivate resilience as one of your greatest skills.
Take on your passion with both hands and keep driving forward every single day; consistency is your biggest ally.
How can South Africa “build resilient economies for all”?
South Africa can build resilient economies for all by delivering higher, more inclusive growth that creates mass employment, reduces poverty and inequality, and withstands shocks (energy, climate, global trade, fiscal).
“Resilient economies for all” means growth that is not just higher on average but broad-based, job-rich, and protective of the vulnerable — especially youth, women, township/rural communities, and the historically disadvantaged — while rebuilding buffers against future crises.
South African consumers increasingly want natural/organic, clean, inclusive, and value-driven products.
They respond strongly to brands that feel representative, culturally rooted, and emotionally intelligent.
Finally, if you could meet yourself as a little girl, what would you tell her?
See the world as a sea of opportunities and search relentlessly for where you make a difference.
Don’t allow the unknown to become a debilitating fear.
Everything you need to succeed is within you; all you need is an unwavering belief in yourself that you have got this.
