I did not plan to start a skincare brand.

In early 2025, I ran out of my moisturiser, a South African brand I had been importing because nothing locally worked for my sensitive skin. Getting it to Kenya was always an operation. And when my supply finally ran out, I was back to square one.

At the same time, the world around me felt uncertain. I watched colleagues lose their jobs. I supported juniors who did not know what was next. And in that moment of uncertainty, something became very clear to me: I needed to build something of my own.

So I did.

I spent months researching. I visited dermatologists to understand the most common skin concerns among Kenyan and East African women. I studied ingredients, not just what they claim to do, but what the science actually says about how they interact with melanin-rich skin. I tested everything on myself.

And one truth kept coming back to me throughout it all.

The best skin does not come from doing more. It comes from consistently doing the right things.

That is why I built Ckay around three steps: Cleanse, Repair, Glow. Not ten. Not five. Three. Each piece of the Ckay collection is formulated to work as hard as possible, so nothing is redundant. Each ingredient chosen specifically for skin like yours: melanin-rich, exposed to our equatorial sun, living our busy Nairobi lives.

Simple skincare works. Not because it is easy, but because it is consistent, intentional, and made for skin like yours.

This is just the beginning. And I am glad you are here for it.

Ciru, Founder of Ckay Skincare.