LIHA BEAUTY
AFRICAN ROOTS & A QUINTESSENTIALLY BRITISH ATTITUDE

LIHA Beauty
Based on the idea of combining the rich botanical treasures of West Africa with English aromatherapy, Abi Oyepitan and Liha Okunniwa have lovingly and enthusiastically incorporated traditional beauty rituals into a small, modern, luxurious skin care line. All products are handmade in small batches in London and Cheltenham and use traditional African beauty secrets, shea butter and coconut oil. LIHA create luxury natural and organic products that encourage less consumption and waste.
LIHA seek to shift beauty culture by bringing the Buy Less, Buy Well ethos to the beauty industry which is why all their products are multipurpose and unisex and all the packaging is reusable and recyclable. You need to take time to work with the products, and it is their hope that this is the initial step on a deeper self -care journey for many people.
Meet Abi + Liha

We are LIHA. We create beauty products that are, like us, a mixture of natural African roots and a quintessentially British attitude.
I am a Gloucestershire girl born and bred. Abi is a Londoner through and through. We met at University in 1998 and have been close ever since. Whilst Abi was travelling the world as a professional athlete, competing in two Olympic games, I was setting up an art publishing business and living the quiet(ish) life raising my daughter. We would often meet in London, or sometimes if she happened to be warm weather training and I had a trade show to go to, somewhere a bit sunnier.
In the Yoruba (Nigerian) tradition making beautifying oils, soaps and lotions from the nuts, tree bark and plants that grew in abundance was a skill that was traditionally learned by all young women. My mother is an English aromatherapist, so I naturally started to blend the two disciplines together. Whenever Abi would travel I would ask her to bring back different ingredients- especially that good Nigerian Shea from her father’s town!
We tried to do a soft launch to introduce the natural beauty community to our concept, and things have been a whirlwind ever since. We are grateful for the journey and to you for joining us.
Pictures and text (adapted) from LIHA Beauty.