My story · Shaista Sophia, pharmacist
As a pharmacist, women used to quietly ask me about the dark marks on their body and bikini line. So I made a skincare brand for them.
I was a full-time pharmacist in Durban. Women would come to me at the pharmacy and ask me quietly, off to the side, what they could do about dark marks and ingrown hairs on their body and bikini line. There was absolutely nothing on the market for them. So I made my own skincare brand for it: Skinstem.
- Made by me, a pharmacist
- Glamour and woman&home magazine beauty awards every year since 2023
- In Beauty Box, Bash, Takealot and selected Foschini stores
If you hide your dark marks, you're not the only one
I hear the same things from so many of you:
- Dark marks on your bikini line, underarms or inner thighs.
- Ingrown hairs and bumps after every shave or wax.
- Creams you tried for years that did nothing.
- And nobody you felt you could ask.
If you've ever felt awkward asking about any of this, you're exactly why Skinstem exists.
I looked for skincare I could give women for their bikini line. I couldn't find any in South Africa.
"When they came to me, it was done discreetly. So it wasn't like screaming, oh, I have this. It was like always in the corner on the side."Shaista Sophia, on The Creator Concept podcast
I used to make creams all the time for patients at the pharmacy.
But for this, there was nothing. Women's self-confidence was affected, and there was just nothing out there where they could actually just go online and buy something.
So I made a skincare brand you can buy online, without having to ask anyone.
Then I looked at my own skin, and found dark marks of my own
At 14, I began struggling with dark pigmentation on my face and body. When women started asking me, I tested the products on myself.
"I didn't realise I had that problem until women were speaking to me about it."Shaista Sophia, on The Creator Concept podcast
No one spoke to me about looking after the skin down there. I grew up in a strict Indian home. We did not have those conversations.
Why your marks keep coming back
- 1. You shave or wax.
- 2. The skin gets irritated.
- 3. Irritated skin makes more colour (pigment), and that shows up as dark marks.
If your marks come back after every shave, this is why: it's your skin reacting to the razor or the wax. And there was nothing made for women of colour who get these marks.
I spent two years and my savings getting Skinstem made in a proper factory
- Made in a proper factory, not a kitchen. "Skinstem was not made in the kitchen. It was made in a proper facility."
- All my products were tested for skin reactions, and to make sure they don't separate or go off in the bottle.
- I tested the products on my own skin.
- It took a lot out of me, while I was still working full time at the pharmacy.
I use the Body Brightening Roll-On and then the serum myself. I'm a pharmacist, so I know which ingredients to use when I make it.
I had 3,000 tubes and bottles in my house. I made 3 or 4 sales in my first month.
I was so excited to finally launch. Then, in the first month, I had three or four sales. December was also dismally low.
I spent all this money. I couldn't just leave my money lying on the dining room table.
Then it dawned on me: skincare goes off, and I had a year until one of my products expired. What was I going to do?
So around my pharmacy job, I packed orders, messaged salons, gave out samples and dropped off boxes of Skinstem for store buyers. My parents still help me pack when it gets really busy.
No one knew they needed it until they saw it. So if this is the first time you're seeing skincare for your bikini line, you're not the only one. I feel like there's still a long way to go before it becomes a normal conversation.
I kept knocking on doors, until stores said yes
I didn't know anyone in the industry. It was my first time.
So I went to the head office of TFG, the group that owns Beauty Box and Foschini, without a meeting. I just left my product there. That's all I did. I said, "Please give this to your beauty buyers."
I sent cold emails, and I messaged other founders on Instagram to ask them for help. I kept asking questions and I think that is the secret to success.
In stores
Beauty Box and selected Foschini stores stock Skinstem, and so do Bash and Takealot.
Awards
Skinstem's skincare has won Glamour and woman&home beauty awards every year since 2023.
What women say
★★★★★"I struggle with stubborn dark marks and bumps in my bikini area from waxing and ingrown hairs, and Skinstem has really helped improve my skin and, honestly, brought back some of my confidence ... It's so refreshing to see a local brand creating products that address concerns so many South African ladies experience and making us feel seen and catered for."
✓ Verified buyer · 7 Oct 2026
You told me about the dark marks on your underarms and inner thighs too
So many of you kept asking me about your underarms and inner thighs too. The questions, the DMs, the quiet conversations.
That's when I realised I wasn't alone and neither were you.
So I made the Body Brightening Roll-On, for those stubborn dark marks that pop up everywhere: underarms, inner thighs, bikini line, knees, elbows, and marks left behind by pimples and ingrown hairs. You literally just roll it on, let it absorb and go.
It's also safe on the outer skin of your vulva area. Do a small patch test first.
After you buy, I check in with you myself
"I also send them personal messages after they purchase the product from me ... to make sure that they're using it correctly."Shaista Sophia, on The Creator Concept podcast
If a product isn't working for you, tell me how you used it. Sometimes it's just the way it's being used. Let me help you.
When a bad review comes in, I message that person. In the beginning, I did take it very personally, but now I'm okay with it. I call them and we talk it through.
And when I see you come back for a second bottle, I'm like, okay, okay. Now we're talking.
You don't have to ask me quietly at a counter anymore. Ask me here:
I say out loud what women think about their bikini line but don't say
"Everyone else started skincare brands for glowing skin. I started one because women deserve to talk about intimate care without whispering."Shaista Sophia, on Instagram
I always told my team I want Skinstem to be light-hearted and funny. I think humour is the key to breaking a taboo.
Some people talk stocks. Some people talk politics. I talk about vulvas, feminine wellness, and why your intimate skin deserves the same care as the rest of your body.
#LoveYourVulva
A note from me
Hello, and welcome to Skinstem.
My story is that I took a chance on myself. I would love for you to feel confident in your skin too.
I believe that what you do for your skin every day is what you'll see on it years from now. I hope Skinstem helps you look after every part of your skin, without feeling shy about it.
Stay beautiful, my friends. xoxo
Shaista Sophia
Pharmacist and founder
You don't have to be shy about your dark marks anymore
Start with the roll-on. It's the product I wished I had at 14.
Get the roll-on (R199)