IFEOMA ONONYE 
Susan Esisi is the Founder and CEO of Susan Chanel Beauty Spa; a skincare and cosmetology brand that has the heart of many female celebrities in Nigeria. Esisi, who is of the Efik tribe in South-South Nigeria, loves to refer to herself as a Beauty Activist; one, who works hard to help African women achieve desired results, when it comes to their skincare and body shapes. In this interview with IFEOMA ONONYE, the entrepreneur speaks about the hazards of bleaching in a hot weather that Nigeria and Africa are naturally blessed with, among other issues
You are the beauty plug for many female celebrities. Tell us what most of them love about your brand that they can’t get enough of?
Most celebrities use our brands because we are the best when it comes to skincare products and services. We are not a regular skincare brand. Our brand cuts across all kinds of skincare therapy, skincare wants and skincare needs. We are the best when it comes to skincare because we have various skincare products for various skins types. We have oils, body oils, face oils, body creams, soaps, body scrubs, and many others.
For women that cannot afford your products, what beauty routines do you recommend at home to help their skin?
For women that cannot afford our brands, we still have pocket-friendly ones, and we would advise them to get small-budget products for people that cannot afford high-earned types of our brands. We also have products for the middle class, which are also good.
What are your thoughts on the increase in demand for bleaching creams?
A lot of people say that their products are organic. Meanwhile, it is not anywhere close to organic. They don’t know the components; they do not know the right formula they are using and yet, they call the product organic. It is a not mix-one, mix -two that makes a product organic. Most people use terror-based products, like Hydroquinone, Mercury and other dangerous components that make people bleach overnight. Why my product stands out is because we use real organic products like rice water, Chamomile, and mulberry oil, and we make use of more extractions when it comes to our skincare products.
Have you ever advised any client against bleaching?
Yes, I always tell clients that if they are dark skinned, maintain that dark skin. Dark brown skin is beautiful. Being light skin is not so easy. All of a sudden, you are getting tanned. All of a sudden, you can start getting the wrong kind of tan. All of a sudden, the skin could be looking stressed with breakouts, and people will be asking you ‘what is going on? Your skin is not popping. Maintaining light skin is not easy. Let alone getting it from bleaching. There are a lot of reactions and numerous problems that are associated with bleaching. Bleaching leads to different skin problems. If we start talking about it, we will take the whole day because everybody wants to be light skinned these days, especially in a very sudden way. So, I tell people that our products are products that work over time. It is not a-get-it overnight process. But no, they want to be light skinned overnight. Nobody wants to go through the route of why they need to exfoliate their skin, using a good Vitamin C based oil for the skin, getting to do some special treatments and some spar treatment. People don’t want to go t h rough t h a t ro u t e a n y – more. T h e y w a n t a quick p h a s e , and they end up dama g i n g their skin. Our brand is not for bleaching. Our brand is all about helping to nurture African women skin with the disorder that comes with it. Because of our diet, food, our environment and especially our weather, which is not good for bleaching. I dont advice anybody to bleach their skin. If you bleach your skin and go outside in the Sun, you are playing with cancer. That is one of the hazards of bleaching. Every African is prone to skin issues. This is because of the diet and environment we are exposed to. For example, when it comes t o the weather, which is not actually the best for our skin because of the exposure to the Sun. That is why it is not advisable to bleach the skin because it could expose one to skin cancer, which is one of the issues with sudden skin bleaching but people don’t even want to go the normal route. Everyone wants a quick fix. Sadly, the quick fix won’t fix your skin optimally. It would only fix your skin for a while, and when you stop using the product, the skin would get really messy. So we tell people about the effects of the quick fix but they would not listen. They want the products that would lighten them in two days. I won’t tell you that my product will lighten you in two days. Our brand is known for even toned skin. If you have to light skin, you have to be light skinned from your head to your toes. It is not, on one side, you are looking yellow and on the other side you are dark. Your skin has to be even-out.
How did you discover the non-surgical butt enlargement procedure?
Yeah, the non-surgical butt lift has been there for long. This year, November, would make it my two years in the business. I think I was the first person that brought about body sculpting in Nigeria. Yes, I brought about it before it became everybody’s procedure. I introduced the body sculpting, vacuum therapy, butt enhancement and the rest. Our non-surgical butt lift helps in promoting a woman’s curves. If you are the type that doesn’t want to go under the knife, this is the best procedure for you. It is the best procedure because there are no downtimes, no side effects and all. You can actually do the butt treatment now and go to work and get your life back, in no time, we are the best when it comes to all these.
The non-surgical procedure also looks painful. Does the pain last longer after a session?
The procedure is not painful. It is not inductive, so once you do it, you will see the results immediately. They are nonsurgical. They are not painful. We are not going to tear you. There are no cuts. So, the butt lift is for people that can’t go under the knife. We also have body sculpting, which is for people that cannot go under the knife. It is a way to sharpen you to lose weight. It is for you to lose the waistline.
How many sessions does a slim lady need to get the desired butt size?
Is it the same number of sessions for plussize women? Yes, the procedure lasts but you can’t compare butt therapy to liposuction. Liposuction is an entirely different procedure. The non-surgical procedures last long, but it depends on the maintenance. We always tell our clients to come three times a week. For you to have a visible good result, you need about 15 sessions. The non-surgical butt lifts cut across both the slim and the plus size women.
Is the result of the surgical procedure permanent or does one need to be renewing the procedure?
It depends. Some people suffer from hip-dip, and some people want to correct the hip-dip. It depends on what the client wants. When a customer walks in, we get a consultation. We would tell the customer how long it would take, how many procedures, and how many times the customer would need to come.
Many women have died trying to get the perfect figure. What do you advise when they insist on the surgical procedure?
Many women die in an attempt to get their desired perfect figures, especially when they go to the wrong doctors for liposuction. That is why I would always recommend our non-surgical butt lift which is innovative with no surgeries, no side effects, no damage, and no downtime. It is a safe procedure that I could recommend for anyone that wants to get in shape without having issues in the nearest future.
Does this imply that nothing goes wrong with the non-surgical methods?
If anything goes wrong, you will start feeling the same time you are having the procedure done. So, I would advise women who can’t actually go under the knife to do more of exercise and eat a good proper diet. A lot of women are having challenges when it comes to dieting because it is not easy. That is why we also advise women to try work out. Even if you do not have enough time, try and put in like 30 minutes daily. It is very important to help build your metabolism and also help the woman to sleep well.
Women keep talking about Egyptian oil. What is it all about ?
It is called the Talking Oil, not the Egyptian oil. Talking oil is a famous oil that brought me into the limelight about six years back. It is our signature product and we have sold over 50 million bottles over the years. The Talking oil is a dark spot oil that is a water based oil and it is the first of its kind in Nigeria. It is a water based oil treatment that treats the skin, clears blackheads pimples, whiteheads, and clears uneven skin tone. It clears the skin perfectly and removes dark spots and it makes you look very clean. And the good part of this oil is that once you apply it on your skin, it is non-greasy. Dark skin can use it, light skin can also use it, and ageing skin can use it as well. It is a famous oil and it is the most wanted product in our brands. That is why women talk about it a lot.
Have you taken any professional course on Cosmetology?
Yes, I have gone to many schools in South Africa, America, and Europe too and I am still going for more courses. Learning about beauty like every other form of learning does not have an end. Beauty is very broad, and it does not have any end. It requires more and more courses, and one needs to keep tabs by going for courses to upgrade what you do and various new techniques because as the days go by, things evolve, new techniques are coming out, and new procedures are coming out. That is why I g o for courses. In a year, I go for courses like two or three times. I go for trainings also within the country.
As a beauty expert, share some natural home remedies that can help facial skin?
Some Skin Care advice that I can share for a home remedy is that you can use honey for steaming, or you can use lemon for body beautification. If you are the type, you can also use Aloe Vera. Turmeric is also good for clearing dark spots, and can also be used for home remedy beauty routines. There is Honey, Turmeric, Sheabutter. Sunderwoods are ingredients you can use at home. They are some of those natural products that nourish the skin, especially if you are dealing with hyperpigmentation, if your skin tone is uneven or damaged. I recommend Coconut oil to the person. But we have products that can solve those problems.