Esther Roche
Esther Roche is a mum of five and Founder of Deroiste Natural Beauty, an inclusive skincare brand whose mission is to inspire and encourage others to embrace the skin they are in without compromising their skin health due to societal pressure.
She tells us that, “Having struggled to find products that were inclusive for my diverse family, gentle on my own skin and the desire to start my own self-care journey, I decided to study, research and develop my own skincare range, launching with four face-care products in my Radiance Range Collection. My career began in the dental field before branching out into skincare.”
What were your initial years of growing up like? Tell us about your life before starting your corporate journey/venture/initiative.
I grew up in a big family and have four siblings but we were always close and did so much together as a family. Growing up I was into sport and often did competitive athletics and softball to a very high standard. Despite being a female both my parents were very supportive of my interests and I grew up feeling I could follow my passion as I had that support and love that allowed me to prosper. My parents had 5 children (four girls and one boy) but we were always encouraged to work hard for ourselves and not to rely on someone else which is something I have kept with me. Both my parents are late now. I was only 16 when my father passed away but I had to step up being the eldest and have continued to keep the values and foundations we were brought up with.
Every industry that is now a large-scale, top-notch business once started as a small idea in the minds of entrepreneurs. What was that idea or motivation that made you start your business /initiative? What motivated you within to say YES, go for it!”
After the birth of my fifth child, I decided it was time to sort out my skincare having struggled to find products that were suitable for mine and my children’s sensitive skin. I had worked with different natural ingredients for years as my second child had severe eczema and I was frustrated at the lack of effective products to ease her symptoms. I had also witnessed the damages caused by skin whitening creams due to the perception having lighter skin means beauty and offers one social acceptance. And having a diverse family myself, I wanted products that were inclusive for all skin tones. So my brand was really born out of frustration as it was the key driver to me seriously researching and testing various ingredients and to study organic skincare formulation over two and a half years before I launched.
Tell us something about your initiative or current role. What is it about, and what impact are you trying to make?
My mission is to inspire and encourage others to embrace the skin they were born with and not compromise their skin health due to societal pressure. I am committed to providing inclusive, gender neutral products. I am passionate to show my customers how to have the skin naturally intended. Empowering them to embrace who they naturally are and find balance through providing great natural skincare products, the knowledge on how best to use them and supporting information on how they can achieve their best skin from within. No more feeling shy about their skin, instead to shine, be confident and enjoy being their natural self. I am passionate for everyone to have the best skin they can because I know from my own family’s experience how life changing this can truly be.
Your journey and your vision are very inspiring, but are there any achievements or accomplishments you would like to mention?
My brand launched two years ago and I have achieved so much including showcasing under iconic banners such as John Lewis, Santander, NatWest winning awards, speaking at events and appearing in magazines. I am most proud of the relationships I have built with both my customers and other entrepreneurs and am grateful for all the support.
Would you like to share with our young budding women entrepreneurs the change you would like to see in the world if given an opportunity?
The biggest change I would like to see is more women getting involved and actually being given opportunities based on their abilities not their gender.
Women are a growing force in the workplaces worldwide, standing shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts. There are cracks in glass ceilings everywhere, with many women breaking through to carve out a space right at the top of the pyramid. What are your thoughts about women leadership today?
Women have the ability to make great leaders with the right opportunities but we have to put ourselves forward despite the challenges and the gaps. We need more role models to inspire and encourage others including the younger generation.
What would you want to say to our young women leaders/audience reading this?
As a woman who has been able to balance having a family and running businesses I would like to see more women having the confidence to try and to pursue their passion. Remember to do your research and to surround yourself with like minded people that can lift you up on your journey.