ALTRINCHAM resident Akosua Akobeng has opened a beauty bar in her home town.

Her Kokoa Eco Beauty Bar, on The Downs in Altrincham offers a variety of beauty services including, nails, feet, threading, waxing and facials.

Akosua, aged 23 also produces her own Kokoa range of beauty products which are available in the salon.

She said: “Having had sensitive skin from a young age, I struggled to find suitable products to take care of my skin. Existing products were either overloaded with chemicals - flaring up my skin sensitivity - or they were completely ineffective in aiding the health of my skin.”

So, she went back to her Ghanaian roots and opted to use only traditional and completely natural products, such as African Black Soap, Shea Butter & Coconut Oil.

“The results were unbelievable,” she said. “My eczema & psoriasis were calmed, the eczema scarring almost all vanished within 3 weeks, and my skin problems were a thing of the past.”

A student of Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, Akosua studied Biomedical Science at King’s College London. It was while studying for her degree that she started to mix and bottle natural ingredients for her own use before forming her own company.

The charity PETA certifies Kokoa products as cruelty-free and vegan, meaning that no animal by-products are used and no animal testing occurs.

Kokoa avoids products like formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate and toluene and the salon is kept well ventilated and odour free.

Akosua said: “Our treatments are cruelty-free, eco-friendly, and natural where possible. Recent evidence has proven chemicals found in beauty products are damaging to respiration, fertility and are in fact carcinogenic.

“The Kokoa Eco Beauty Bar is a haven for eco-friendly and cruelty-free beauty. Without compromising on quality or effectiveness, we provide a range of beauty treatments with a natural touch”

Seven per cent of the salon’s profits go to Mama Hope, a charity operating in countries such as Ghana, Guatemala and India.