He created a revolutionary skincare range which is sold in 40 countries around the world, but Trevor Steyn remains deeply grounded in his KZN roots
When I used to drive into the office on my Richmond Farm there would just be me,” says Trevor. “Now there are around 60 people all in laboratory coats looking super professional. It surprises me every time.”
So how did a surfer boy from the KZN South Coast end up creating Esse, a probiotic organic skincare range that is now the third largest salon brand in Sweden?
First, he completed a master’s degree in organic chemistry under his mentor Professor Siegfried Drewes, who inspired his passion for the medicinal properties of African plants. Then he started researching various plants – initially the African Sausage tree – and his thoughts turned to the cosmetics industry.
“I realised much of the business was not very clean, with many products full of petrochemicals and nasty preservatives,” he explains. “For me, the opportunity was to create a brand that was organic and far more ethical.”
In 2002 he started out with three moisturisers. “I was so pedantic about preservatives that initially these had to be refrigerated,” but over the next few years improved and increased his product offering, selling to health stores before tailoring Esse specifically for the spa and salon market.
“Everything is made on the farm in Richmond with plant products coming from all over Africa,” says Trevor. “We support a lot of rural women’s co-operatives that harvest wild plants for us.”
Esse is also certified organic, vegan, fair trade and cruelty-free, and in 2015 became the first company in the world to launch a live probiotic skincare product, a serum which has “one billion live microbes per ml”.
“Live microbes are commonly used for gut health, but they are just as beneficial for your skin,” says Trevor. “In 28-day tests, the Esse probiotics serum has proven to improve skin firmness by at least 16%.”
Another first for Esse was opening its concept store in Ballito in November last year.
“With design by SA’s most awarded green architect Richard Stretton, we hope to roll the concept stores out around the world, probably going for Stockholm next,” says Trevor.
“I say you don’t really know someone until you’ve seen their house, well this is Esse’s first house and the face of our brand, so we’re very excited. “We also have some exciting new products launching, including foundation and sunscreen, and we’ve got some more world firsts on the cards – if someone doesn’t beat us to it!”
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