OurStory

Umuhle means ‘beautiful’ in Zulu and is the motive behind the luxurious Umuhle Apothecary brand.

The Umuhle brand was developed to make you feel like a goddess on the outside while promoting beautifying skincare routines that will elevate mood and enhance wellbeing on the inside.

The Brand

Inspired by the secrets of ancient African skincare rituals, Umuhle Apothecary eliminates the non-essential ingredients from traditional skincare to deliver clean organic nutrition to your skin. Through innovative formulas, we have crafted a simple multipurpose range by using nature’s most potent and healing botanicals to help restore skin back to its natural balanced and glowing state.

“Restore your beautiful soul and become the best possible version of yourself.”

“I want to put Africa on the map by doing it ethically. I would love Umuhle Apothecary to become one of the pioneers of high-end African skincare today”

– Thulie Sonjica Ellis, Founder

The Founder

One woman’s quest to discover a natural alternative solution that caters to the skin concerns of today led to a bespoke skincare brand created specially to hydrate, nourish and heal skin.

Developed by beauty industry guru Thulie Sonjica Ellis, Thulie has worked with some of the largest cosmetic and skincare brands in the world. Her love affair with skincare encouraged her to branch out from the ‘norm’ and embraced the opportunity to work with natural active ingredients from the rich soils of Africa – One of her lifelong dreams.

Each signature oil blend in the range is curated by Thulie herself. Hand crafted to her precise standards, Thulie has supercharged her plant-based oils by tweaking formulas for proven results, and through rigorous testing, has developed a clean and honest brand that offers high-quality skincare products that work and are of value for every Umuhle customer.

Ethically Sourced

Umuhle Apothecary’s African oils are ethically sourced from a village in rural KwaZulu-Natal. The harvesting process is managed in cooperation with a community enterprise that aims to empower local women through reliable employment.

By using ethical, sustainable sourcing and production methods, we 100% support fair trade and maintain the highest respect for our planet’s ecosystem.

Our brand speaks to nature by harnessing its powers and always respecting the land”

– Thulie Sonjica Ellis, Founder

“We aim to give back to the mainland that gave birth to its founder”

– Thulie Sonjica Ellis, Founder

Sustainability

Umuhle Apothecary endeavors to deliver skincare formulations through smart sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging. Our focus is to ensure the majority of our products are packed using glass bottles & jars that are 100% reusable. We vow to only use recyclable plastic if it is deemed necessary for the functionality of the product and ensure it is eco-friendly as possible to minimise the impact on landfill. All our bags are made from corn starch and are biodegradable to blend back in with Mother earth. We encourage our customers to re-use our packaging through product re-fills or other resourceful ways around the home.