Dr Shani Mortley’s SOMA GLOW

DR SHANI Mortley has always been passionate about skin care, and her childhood dream was to someday own a skin care company. This passion led her to pursuing a career in medicine, specialising in aesthetic and anti-aging medicine. Now at 26 years old, the medical doctor and mother — affectionately called Dr Glow — is the proud proprietor of the SOMA GLOW line of skincare products.

“I can’t say where exactly that passion came from, but it’s almost as though I was born with it,” Dr Mortley said to All Woman.

With her business plan in place from over two years ago, Dr Mortley took her time to ensure that all her products were perfected to her satisfaction before launching. The serial entrepreneur took the leap earlier this year while on maternity leave.

“In my field of practice I see so many clients that suffer from the side effects of skin bleaching,” she shared. “When I interview them, many of them will say that they started bleaching because of acne, dark spots and uneven skin tone — not necessarily because they want to have a lighter complexion. They just want to have clear, even-toned skin.”

And she is giving her clients just that with her comprehensive line of organic products, which includes a cleanser, face masks, serums, moisturisers, a body scrub and body oil. She is constantly working with her team to expand this line, because she understands that there is no one-size-fits-all in skincare.

“Currently we have ten products, and the aim of SOMA GLOW is to offer a wide range of products with different combinations of ingredients, because having a wider variety of products guarantees that clients will be able to find something that works,” she explained.

She noted, too, that she strategically started out with products that contain key ingredients like glycolic acid, salicylic acid, lactic acid, vitamin C, kojic acid, alpha-arbutin and enzymes, because these ingredients have been proven by research to be effective for treating conditions like hyperpigmentation, acne and aging skin.

“These ingredients have also worked for me, and are safe for black skin,” she added.

Safety and efficacy are the pillars on which she builds not only her brand, but her practice as a medical doctor.

“Clients want to make healthier skin care choices that will not harm their skin in the long run and of course they want products that work. I also think that having access to a medical doctor during the process makes them more confident in their choices,” she said.

She debunked the misconception that most skincare products are for women, with a limited number of (clearly labelled) items being ‘for men’.

“I’ve realised that more and more men are getting into skin care and self care on a whole, and the skin care arena is not as inclusive for men as it is for women,” she said. “The truth is, men and women can use the same skin care products. Skin care choices should be based on your skin’s individual needs.”

Since she launched the line in February, she has been receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback on its effectiveness.

“For one, they are very impressed with the ingredients. They are seeing the results without having to deal with issues like skin irritation, chemical burns or even bleaching the surrounding skin,” she said happily. “They also love the fact that they can trust the brand, since I am a medical doctor. I also try to make myself accessible. Virtual consultations are done for clients who request them, and if prescription skin care treatments are needed they are also offered. It’s a very thorough approach to skin care.”

With a new product being launched this week, and many more to come in the near future, Dr Mortley encouraged women and men who want to keep their skin glowing naturally and healthily to visit her website www.somaglowltd.com to view the full catalogue, and keep up with their social media pages (@somaglow_ltd on all platforms).