MyAbby: From pioneer to Product of the Year

Source © Super Zero SuperZero Abyssinian oil, the active ingredient throughout the MyAbby range, is sourced from the Crambe Abyssinica plant, native to the African highlands

MyAbby Abyssinian Face Oil Rose has been selected Product of the Year in the Care and Beauty sector at the 34th SANA International Exhibition for Organic and Natural Products in Bologna, Italy.

This is a first for South Africa at SANA. The product was selected from hundreds of products by the 40 global buyers in the category.

The MyAbby range is the brainchild of Robyn Kramer of Johannesburg, who started the range in her kitchen where she developed and mixed product formulas manually, to produce 100% all-natural (over the 75% European requirement) skin, body and hair care products that are natural, gentle and authentic.

Since then the product has evolved from being the pioneer to becoming the front runner in the Abyssinian oil category.

Next trend in skincare oils

“Abyssinian oil is the next trend in skincare oils because in studies it substantially outperformed other oils. I believe that the world is searching for a natural, non-greasy oil that actively works with their skin and Abyssinian oil is just that,” says Kramer.

Abyssinian oil, the active ingredient throughout the MyAbbyrange, is sourced from the Crambe Abyssinica plant (native to the African highlands) which is renowned for high amounts of naturally-occurring essential fatty acids.

It’s the natural oil with the highest concentrations of omega oils. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and provides skin with phytosterols and naturally occurring tocopherols.

She says that, in essence, her clients get the benefits of ultra-light, non-greasy products that naturally nurture their skin and do it no harm.

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Stringent testing

The range has Ecocert-approved ingredients, all products are of vegetable origin (Vegan), all products are GMO/silicone/artificial colourant-free, products contain natural vitamin E and are cold pressed without solvents. No animal testing whatsoever is done on the range and all essential oil fragrances in the range are also all-natural.

The Abby Face Oil has undergone stringent Patch Test Protocol dermatological testing at an internationally-recognised South African university that concluded that it’s safe to use on sensitive skin.

Rapid expansion

The rapid expansion of MyAbby has led Kramer to take on a business partner, Nieshell Watson.

Nieshell has spent 17 years as a corporate executive servicing the blue chip South African brand. During this time, she was actively involved in mentoring and establishing funding mechanisms for small businesses, particularly Black women-owned ones.

Her entrepreneurial spirit led to a partnership with a backup energy supply company servicing the corporate sector which then expanded into the retail sector.