There are many areas of beauty care. What got you interested in skin care?

I chose skincare because it is a lifetime process. I mean, everyone feels the need to pamper their skin as long as they exist. Having a good skin makes one very confident. I see the happiness when people are able to rock their skin without makeup; I love to see women happy. With a great skin, any woman can face the world.

What number one thing should every woman know about her skin?

Every woman should know what products suit their skin. They should endeavour to know whether they have dry skin, oily skin or acne-prone skin. Identifying skin type helps in choosing better skin products. So, every woman should try to find out what kind of skin they have before choosing what to apply on their skin.

Between what we eat and what we apply on the skin which should a woman pay more attention to?

We ideally should pay attention to both what we eat and what we apply on our skin. However, I think we should pay more attention to what we apply on our skin. Truth is, we are more familiar with healthy and unhealthy foods than with healthy and unhealthy skincare products. By mere looking at a product, we cannot tell whether it is good for our skin unless we try it on. So, I think we should be more conscious of what we apply on our skin. In most cases, one is hardly able to know what composition or formula was used for the skincare products bought.

Do you believe any woman can have great skin, or do you think genetics play a big part in determining one’s skin quality?

Genetics play a huge role but that doesn’t mean every woman cannot have a great skin. Due to their gene, some people have very flawless skin. Personally, I have never had a pimple in my entire life. My mum too has always had a great skin—same with my dad. I have never had a rash on my face too as a child growing up. So, I think this is because of my genes. My parents have flawless skins and my siblings have the same too. With good skincare products, you can have whatever skin you desire but if you have a flawless skin type running through your genes, a good product will just be an added advantage.

What is the most important part of a skincare routine?

The most important part of skincare routine is exfoliation. If you don’t exfoliate your skin, there is no way you can shed off dead skin cells; and if you do not shed off dead skin cells regularly, your skin can become tanned and dull. But if you exfoliate your skin regularly without even applying any product, your skin will thank you. That’s what exfoliation does. Even if you can’t exfoliate regularly, try doing so at least once a month. Maximum should be once in two weeks.

What do you suggest for busy people who don’t have a lot of time in their schedules but want to have good skin?

My suggestion for those who are very busy and do not have the time but actually desire to have a great skin is to simply exfoliate. You can exfoliate twice a month; that’s fair enough for your tight schedule. Also you can go for quality body soaps that can always keep your skin refreshed and glowing even without you applying any lotion on your skin. That way, your skin will always look healthy. There are soaps that exfoliate, firm up and keep the skin glowing. A good soap is a must for busy people since they must take their bath daily. That way, in the process, they are also pampering their skin without stress.

Do you have a unique approach to anti-aging treatment?

I have a unique method to it, certainly. My approach involves a lot of antioxidants and something to clear off cellulite. This is because when you are treating anti-ageing, most clients already have cellulites. So, you must consider clearing off those cellulites.

How does wearing makeup everyday impact the skin?

Wearing makeup daily doesn’t allow the skin breath. This is because the skin has pores and these pores are supposed to breathe for you to have a healthy skin. But when you apply makeup daily, you are blocking the pores of your skin. That is why most times, I tell people to avoid wearing makeup to bed since we sleep for a longer time at night. You need to wash your face properly to ensure no residues are left. When skin pores are blocked for too long, skin glow disappears and skin looks tanned (darker) too.

Do you really believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder?

I don’t believe beauty is in the eyes of the beholder because not everyone knows what true beauty is. To some people, beauty might be fair skin or caramel skin. Beauty also exists in various forms. So, I really don’t believe beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

There are some who believe that beauty is being fair in complexion. Do you agree?

As a skin therapist, I have worked with so many skin types and therefore, I will say being fair in complexion is not beauty but simply a kind of complexion. This is because if you see some caramel hot chocolate skin, my goodness, you will forget about being fair. I don’t rate fairness above any complexion because we all have our different complexions.

Do you think the obsession to be fair-skinned can get to a dangerous level?

Yes, the obsession to be fair-skinned can get to a really dangerous level. A lot of people can go to any length just to be fair-skinned. If some find a machine that can whiten them within seconds, they will risk it; that’s how bad the obsession is. There’s too much belief that being fair in complexion makes one beautiful but that’s not true. It simply makes you appear brighter and more noticeable; not particularly more beautiful.

COVID-19 is still much with us; how do you ensure safety in the course of your work as a skincare therapist since body contact is inevitable?

Due to COVID, our spa is temporarily closed. This enables us to distance ourselves and limit the number of people we meet daily. So, basically, what we do now is supply products. People still walk into our stores to buy products but we ensure protocols are in place to curb the spread of COVID-19. One, we make sure everyone is masked before coming in and that they sanitize their hands before and after leaving the store.

Also, in our factory, even before COVID-19, we always bore in mind safety precautions. We place a premium on environmental and personal hygiene of our workers.

When and how did the Glee brand come about?

This brand came into existence about seven years ago while I was in the university. I used to sell goods to my school mates. I would either travel down to Lagos or have my sister deliver them to me in Oyo State. I was selling offline at that time. When Instagram came, I joined and my schoolmates started following me; that brought me customers from all over the country. It’s been an amazing journey.

How did you manage to grow it into a household name under seven years?

It has been a lot of hard work and prayers put together. I will just say it is God because sometimes, you can take up a venture and fail. I give glory to God for good, supportive team members, a good husband that lets me work from home and then for wisdom and understanding. It’s one thing to have money to run a business and it’s another thing to know how to run a business. It’s been loads of hard work and sleepless nights but God has been faithful.

You recently signed Nollywood star Mercy Aigbe as one of your Brand Ambassadors; what do you consider before picking an Ambassador?

Before signing anyone as a Brand Ambassador, she must have the zeal required for the job I do, must be able to pull a crowd, and must be very hard working. I also pick based on how I see you advertise your own products. This is because if you cannot advertise for yourself successfully, you cannot advertise for anybody else.

Describe Happiness Adebayo in three words?

Blessed, Loving. Funny.

Briefly describe your personal style?

I like to stand out, be innovative and to do things that nobody had seen before; things that marvel people. I like to do things that are unique and almost unimaginable. I am an opportunist, so, whenever I see an opportunity, I try to maximise it. I don’t let opportunities slide away.

What is a typical day like for you?

My typical day is me multitasking; switching around my two phones trying to reply messages, talking to suppliers, calling the stores if everything is in order, trying to post my goods on instagram, moving from the shower to the kitchen, attending to my three children at the same time, and then hurrying off to work. Most times, I use my makeup at the office if I have to apply any on my face. Also, I must also create time to make videos for my skin and hair. I practically have to also move from Lekki to Ikeja to visit my stores.

Who inspires you internationally and locally?

I really don’t have a lot of people who inspire me locally. I draw strength from international entrepreneurs; the likes of Fashion Nova, PrettyLittleThing of the UK, Kilie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, and more. I like people who do business innovatively; who always launch collections month after month. We rarely do so in Nigeria. People abroad do so often and that endears me to them.