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Women@Mandela - “We inspire women to start their own businesses, starting small in the kitchen, with one or two products, sampling them among their friends and then we support them to further grow their businesses,” Nicole says.
Cosmetic workshops
The workshops, which include formulating creams, lotions, personal care products and fragrances, are presented several times a year and are available to the public at affordable rates.
Furthermore, Formulation Science graduate interns assist with these courses learning more skills on the job.
A manufacturing facility at Innoventon for up to 50 litre batches is being planned for small businesses in the region to bridge the gap from at-home manufacturing to larger scale contract manufacturing.
This facility will employ BSc Honours Formulation Science interns providing real life manufacturing experience.
“We encourage entrepreneurship passion and ignite the light bulbs for women to manufacture products, building their confidence in formulating simple products they can sell”, says Nicole.
BSc Honours in Formulation Science
The BSc Honours in Formulation Science started in 2008, with the late Professor Ben Zeelie, in response to the demand for applied science education in industry. Dr Vorster then designed the curriculum, which covers various industries, including cosmetics, based on her personal interest in cosmetic sciences.
The course, started with two students and has now grown to an average of 10 to 12 students a year. It is offered both full- and part-time, as many people already working in industry want to improve their formulation knowledge and skills. Offered by the Chemistry Department, the course is presented at InnoVenton opposite the Ocean Sciences campus, in line with the technological/applied nature of the institute.
This honours degree not only teaches the science and technology of formulation but also covers entrepreneurship. In addition, students learn how to write a business plan for a unique product, which they must develop during their course.
At the end of their year, the students host a market-style exhibition showcasing their products, depicting their research and pitching their business ideas to their lecturers in a real-world “dragon’s den” style presentation. Read more.
“After graduating these students are equipped to enter various industries and apply their knowledge. Many of the graduates have ended up in the beauty industry, working for international beauty brands like L’Oreal and cosmetic raw material suppliers”, Dr Vorster says.
Several students continue with Master’s and PhD degrees and their research is presented at academic conferences.
InnoVenton
InnoVenton, where Dr Vorster is based, is the University’s Institute for Chemical Technology and Downstream Chemicals and Technology station. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, InnoVenton focuses on product and process development aimed at commercialisation, and strong engagement with industry and SMEs. The institute also offers testing services and problem-solving support for local companies. In addition, they assist SMEs with product development.
More about Nicole
Nicole completed a Diploma in Cosmetic Science at the De Montford University in Leicester, UK, in 2010, to add cosmetic science to her skillset, preparing herself for leading the formulation science course.
In 2016, she was a finalist in the Swiss-TIA Venture Leaders programme after attending a business workshop, with her pitch on skincare products using olive extracts. This award took her to a week-long business and pitching training course in Switzerland.
In the same year, she also won the Eastern Cape regional award for her business pitch in the GAP entrepreneurship competition. In 2019, she was awarded the Mandela University Emerging Innovator award.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic InnoVenton was approached to produce hand sanitiser for the University and later for the Department of Health. Nicole worked on scaling up the formulation to produce 50L batches, also driving around with a permit to obtain the ingredients from industry. InnoVenton produced thousands of litres during that time.
In 2022, Nicole started a small skincare product business called Agri-Extracts, together with her former PhD student, Dr Martie Postma-Botha. Their products under the brand name, O-lyf, are based on olive extracts from the pressed pulp (pomace), a by-product from making olive oil.
They obtain the pomace from a farm near Oudtshoorn, thereby contributing to the reduction and beneficiation of agricultural waste, and sustainability. Agri-Extracts was granted a South African patent, with the help of the University’s Innovation Office, and now also has a European patent for France, Spain, Italy and Greece.
All the ingredients are natural with no synthetic ingredients, such as silicones.
Nicole says of her brand: “Our philosophy is gentle slow beauty, with regular use of our natural, scientifically-based products, yielding desired results. The products are suitable for sensitive skin, and can help with itching and eczema. Currently the products can be bought online and at a health shop in St Francis Bay.”