ENOUGH upcycled beauty: “Circularity should become the next standard in beauty”

Exclusive interview with Ginette Blackbeard, founder of ENOUGH, an award-winning upcycled beauty brand—South Africa’s first.

Q:Thank you for joining us. Let’s start with some background on you and what led to the founding of Enough.

Hi everyone, I’m Ginette Blackbeard, the founder of ENOUGH Upcycled Beauty-Health. I grew up in small towns across South Africa. My dad was an exploration geologist, so we moved around a lot, and as a result, I spent most of my childhood outdoors. That time in nature gave me a deep appreciation for the environment. Back then, terms like “sustainability” weren’t really used, but I’ve always understood the importance of living in harmony with the natural world.

My entrepreneurial journey began in 2004 when I co-founded an ad agency with a couple of partners. I headed up the creative studio, which really cemented my foundation in concept development and design—skills I’ve carried with me and used extensively across all the businesses I’ve built since then.

About ten years into my journey, I really started to feel stuck. I remember saying to my father-in-law, “I feel like there’s something else out there for me—something more I’m meant to be doing.” But I also said, “This is what I studied… I’m not sure what else I can do.”

And he said to me, “Come join my business. I’ll take you under my wing and mentor you.” He said, “Ginette, you don’t need to know everything, but I will show you how to assemble the right team of people with the right technical knowledge for any job and you just have to manage the process.” And that’s that I’ve taken with me into every business that I’ve been involved in. It took away the fear of navigating the unknown because I knew with any challenge that I had; I would just find the right people that could help me.

Since then, I’ve been involved in a variety of businesses—from manufacturing and engineering to a small water start-up focused on chemical-free water sterilisation. That particular venture didn’t succeed, but I firmly believe that failure is part of the entrepreneurial journey. It builds resilience and perspective. As the saying goes, “Smooth seas never made a skilled sailor.” Those experiences are invaluable in shaping your understanding of how to build and run a business.

By the time the opportunity for ENOUGH came along, I had already started thinking in terms of circular design principles—even if I didn’t yet have the language for it. I’ve always believed that when you’re aligned with what you’re truly meant to be doing, life starts to open doors. And, as luck would have it, a circular economy accelerator—backed by the Ministry of Finland—launched just a month before I launched ENOUGH.

That experience played a pivotal role in how I began to understand and apply circular thinking to the business from day one.

Q: Tell us about the circular beauty solution that your company, Enough, offers. What is different about how you produce and package your products?

ENOUGH. is South Africa’s first upcycled beauty brand. We combine circular beauty practices with award-winning skincare formulations. Our approach is simple, yet transformative: we take by-products from industries like coffee brewing and fruit juicing, and blend them with other clean, high-performance ingredients to create premium, effective skincare.

Our commitment to upcycling extends beyond ingredients—it’s woven into our packaging too.

• Our Caffeine range, made from coffee by-products, is housed in cartons cut from packaging waste.
• Our Blue Light Elixir, made using waste from the fruit juicing industry, comes in Hempcelium®—a fully compostable mushroom-based material grown on hemp hurd, a waste product from hemp production.

By repurposing these materials, we actively divert organic waste from landfill and reduce its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.

In the early days of launching ENOUGH., I used the word waste a lot—because in the green economy, people expect to hear that you’re “processing waste.” But I quickly learned that in the beauty industry, the word doesn’t always resonate. People want clean, luxurious, effective—and the word “waste” can feel at odds with that.

One of my favourite quotes is from will.i.am:

“Waste isn’t waste until you waste it.”

If I were a baker making a cake that only required egg yolks, I’d use the yolks and throw the whites away. That egg white becomes waste. But if you were baking meringues and needed egg whites, you could take what I didn’t use and turn it into something valuable. That’s upcycling.

It’s not really waste—it’s untapped potential. And that’s exactly how I like to think about things.

Take our Caffeine Body Scrub, for example. It’s made with spent coffee grounds sourced from Truth Coffee Roasting in Cape Town. The process is quite hands-on: I personally drop off empty buckets at Truth each day, they fill them with used grounds throughout the day, and I collect them at closing. Once collected, I dry the grounds—a crucial step to prevent mould and preserve quality—and treat them using a chemical-free sterilisation method I developed during my time with a water purification start-up.

Once dried, the grounds are sent to our ISO-accredited manufacturing facility, where they’re incorporated directly into our formulation.

We also use upcycled coffee oil in both our Tissue Oil and Antioxidant Serum. This oil is extracted from spent grounds collected from various cafes and hotels by a specialised partner. They’ve developed an efficient process to extract this oil, which is rich in restorative and reparative compounds—making it ideal for face and body care.

In the fruit juicing industry, once the juice is extracted from blueberries, the pulp is typically discarded. But that leftover pulp still holds immense value. We source blueberry seed oil from a supplier that upcycles this pulp: they separate the tiny seeds, dry them, and cold-press them into a potent cosmetic-grade oil.

This oil has undergone extensive safety testing—including proof of its blue light absorption capabilities. At ENOUGH., we only use ingredients that are backed by solid research and can substantiate their claims. The blueberry seed oil is packed with antioxidants and provides natural protection from blue light, which comes not only from our screens, but also from the sun—which is made up of approximately 25% blue light. Most sunscreens don’t protect against this, so having a natural defence is a meaningful advantage.

Nature already holds the solutions—we’re just learning how to unlock them. Through green biotech and circular innovation, we’re finding new ways to extract value from what was once seen as waste. And that’s exactly what we’re doing at ENOUGH.

Source: ENOUGH

 

Q: What is the estimated contribution of the beauty industry to pollution, waste and climate change and what form does this take? What changes should the industry implement in your view?

The beauty industry is massive—globally, it’s worth around $500 billion. But with that scale, unfortunately, comes a significant amount of unsustainable practices. Globally, it generates about 120 billion units of packaging waste a year. And many of these items aren’t recyclable. I think a lot of companies have started by focusing on packaging as a first step toward sustainability—which is great—but unfortunately, most of it still ends up in landfill.

As someone with a creative background, I completely understand the importance of packaging in the consumer journey. It’s often the first impression someone has of your brand, and it plays a key role in how a product is perceived.

But the issue is that once that packaging is removed—especially if it’s single-use—it’s usually discarded and forgotten, ultimately ending up as waste. And that’s where the real challenge lies.

Another big issue is the ingredients themselves. A lot of products still contain microplastics, which can make their way through our waterways and into the ocean. Some formulas also use UV filters and nanoparticles that aren’t biodegradable—and these can have devastating effects on marine ecosystems.

According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, one in three personal care products contains ingredients that are toxic—not just to us, but to the planet as well. That’s a really alarming statistic.

I believe brands need to take greater accountability for the ingredients they choose to use. These are the conversations that aren’t being had—and yet they’re crucial if we’re serious about creating real change in the industry.

Q: In what ways are viral beauty trends on platforms like TikTok accelerating unsustainable behaviours in the industry—both from brands and consumers?

Platforms like TikTok and Instagram have given an incredible voice to small indie brands like ENOUGH.—which is something I’m grateful for. But at the same time, they’ve also amplified unsustainable behaviours, like overconsumption and the spread of misinformation about products that aren’t backed by science. Everyone seems to want a quick fix these days, and when products are cheap and trendy, they’re easier to discard—which only adds to our growing waste problem.

One of the current viral trends is beef tallow skincare. As a sustainable brand, we don’t use animal by-products. Our mission is rooted in using plant-based ingredients—especially those that come from materials society would otherwise throw away. What’s often left out of the conversation is that beef tallow is a by-product of the industrial meat industry, one of the largest contributors to water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. And the reality is that many of these animals are not raised in humane or environmentally friendly conditions.

Yes, there are brands that source from regenerative farms and use grass-fed cows—but unless brands are fully transparent about their supply chain, it’s difficult for consumers to know the true origin. And unfortunately, many would still rather choose a cheaper product than engage with the uncomfortable truths behind where that product comes from.

Q: Is the mainstream beauty industry motivated to become more climate-friendly? What are the challenges?

The short answer is yes—but I don’t think the industry is doing enough right now.

Most mainstream brands have addressed packaging, which is often the first and easiest step. Many have switched to lighter materials or incorporated bioplastics, which is a step in the right direction. But the issue is that our recycling systems aren’t always equipped to handle these materials—especially bioplastics.

Even if a product is labelled as “biodegradable,” that often refers to industrial composting conditions, which require specialised facilities. And let’s be honest—in most places, especially here, those facilities are few and far between. So even with the best intentions, a lot of this material still ends up in landfill.

There’s also a lot of greenwashing happening in the industry—and I think, at times, it’s unintentional. When people or brands aren’t properly educated on sustainability, they can make well-meaning claims that don’t hold up. But that’s exactly why there’s a need for greater transparency, accountability, and education—especially if we want to see real change.

Q: And what are the opportunities?

I think there are definitely a lot of opportunities ahead. Circularity should become the new standard in beauty. There’s so much we can do—and at ENOUGH, we’ve already started by using upcycled ingredients. At the moment, we’re using maybe one or two upcycled actives, simply because it’s still an emerging space and availability is limited. But according to Covalo, an online platform for sustainable ingredients and packaging, upcycled ingredients are one of the most searched categories on the sustainability side—so the interest is there, and I think we’re going to see significant growth in that area.

When it comes to packaging, I believe brands need to look beyond just recyclability—which is often the “first tier” of change—and start asking, What can be reused? What can be refilled? There’s a lot of opportunity in the refillable space, but that relies heavily on changing consumer behaviour—and as we know, that’s one of the hardest shifts to make. It also comes with the challenge of education, which is one of the most expensive forms of marketing because it doesn’t yield quick sales. But it’s so important.

At ENOUGH, I’ve got quite a few ideas around refill systems and packaging reusability that I haven’t implemented yet—but they’re definitely on the roadmap.

There’s also a lot of exciting innovation happening in packaging globally. I recently came across a packaging material made from microbes, which biodegrades completely in any soil or marine environment—no microplastics, fully compostable, and visually identical to plastic. It’s incredibly promising, but the reality is that minimum order quantities start at 25,000 units, and it’s manufactured in Europe. Once you factor in currency conversion and import costs, it becomes up to 10 times more expensive than a standard plastic bottle—which is just not viable for a small brand like ENOUGH. So I think there’s a real opportunity to democratise sustainable packaging solutions and make them accessible to smaller players in the industry.

From a formulation perspective, I think the industry also needs to move toward smarter, leaner product development. At ENOUGH, we’ve deliberately started with just four core products. As we expand for retail, we’re curating very intentionally—we don’t want to launch products just for the sake of sales. I believe in multifunctional formulations—like a mask that doubles as an exfoliator—so people can do more with less. It’s not only better for the planet, but also aligns with conscious consumption.

Waterless formulations are another exciting area with massive potential. There are brands doing great things with shampoo bars and powdered face washes, which reduce packaging waste and dramatically lower the carbon footprint of transporting heavy, water-based products. But again, consumer education is key—helping people understand that less lather doesn’t mean less effective, and that powder can clean just as well as a gel.

Of course, there’s always new, cutting-edge innovation emerging in the industry—and as a brand, we need to keep our finger on the pulse. But alongside that, we also need to keep investing in education and community-building. That’s a big part of what I do at ENOUGH. As one of the pioneers in this space, I feel a sense of responsibility to help consumers understand what’s really behind their products.

Education doesn’t bring in fast money, and I know that. But if we truly want to see meaningful, long-term change in the beauty industry, we have to invest in it—even when it’s not the most commercially appealing thing to do. And whenever I get the opportunity to share what we’ve learned, I make the time. Because I believe it’s part of our role in shaping a better future for beauty.

Q:What is your vision for the upcycled beauty sector on the continent?

Upcycled beauty is still a very niche part of the industry—not many brands are doing it yet. But I truly believe that in a few years, it won’t be considered niche at all—it will just be the way things are done. That’s how I see the future of beauty.

This vision was really reinforced during my trip to Finland in November, where I had the privilege of winning a pitch contest and attending the Nordic Circular Summit. Everyone there was talking about the circular economy, and one phrase really stuck with me: “In a few years from now, it won’t be called the circular economy—it will just be the economy.” Because it’s not a trend, it’s a necessity. We can’t keep following this linear model of take, make, and throw away.

If we want the world—and our industries—to continue thriving, we need to embrace circular practices at scale. Brands like ENOUGH. are helping to pioneer that shift, but we’re also bootstrapping, doing the best we can with the resources we have. For real momentum to build, larger players need to come on board. The more brands adopting circular models, the more accessible and effective the solutions become.

One of the key takeaways from Finland was also the importance of collaboration. The circular economy is not something you can do in isolation—it requires partnerships, knowledge-sharing, and trust. If we want to go far, we need to go together. And that spirit of collaboration is something I really value and hope to see more of in the beauty industry.

Q: You are a true green entrepreneur. You founded your own company, wearing many hats to grow the business. How important is entrepreneurship in the green economy and is there enough financial and other support out there?

I believe entrepreneurship plays a critical role in advancing the green economy. While large brands talk about circularity and sustainability—and many have these goals embedded in their long-term strategies—the reality is that real, disruptive change rarely starts with them. Change at that level is slow. These organisations have deeply embedded processes and are designed for efficiency, which makes sense. But when it comes to truly transformative thinking, it’s often the smaller, more agile companies and entrepreneurs who lead the way.

We’ve also seen a massive rise in accelerators and incubators, which is incredibly encouraging. I was fortunate to be part of one at the start of my journey, and I can confidently say I wouldn’t be where I am today without that support. But for founders like me—I’m 45 and not new to business—there comes a point where the training ends, and what you really need is support to scale and sustain. That’s where things get hard.

In the accelerator I joined, we started with 50 women, narrowed down to 25, and then to the final 15. In the third phase, we had the opportunity to choose between grant funding or equity funding. Because ENOUGH was still so new, I opted for the grant funding route. But I quickly realised that in my sector—beauty—grant funding opportunities are incredibly limited. Most of the climate funding is reserved for traditionally high-impact sectors, and unfortunately, beauty isn’t seen as one of them.

And that’s a real shame. The beauty industry has enormous potential to drive climate-conscious behaviour, especially through packaging, water usage, and ingredient sourcing. But it’s often dismissed as superficial or less urgent.

I also had the opportunity to attend SLUSH in Finland, one of the world’s leading tech and startup events. While it was an incredible experience, it was clear that investor focus was almost entirely on tech startups—scalable businesses with potential for 10X returns. And I get that. But I also think there’s a major gap in the funding landscape for non-tech brands that are pioneering new categories and doing meaningful work in sustainability and regeneration.

We may not offer lightning-fast returns, but we’re building something essential: a more responsible, regenerative future. If we’re serious about systemic change, then we need more support for the brands doing the slow, foundational work too—because they’re just as vital.