A PAPUA New Guinean woman entrepreneur celebrated an achievement last Friday when her homegrown neem hair care and skincare brand was officially launched in-store at City Pharmacy Limited (CPL).
Doris Joe, founder of Doris’ Neem Oil, said the moment felt unreal after years of building her business quietly.
“I wasn’t expecting CPL or any other bigger company to reach out to me,” she said.
“When they reached out, I didn’t believe it. I was focusing on my small customers and agents, and that’s when you reached me.”
Joe said when CPL first contacted her, she did not believe the message was genuine, having spent five years building the brand without any major support.
At the launch, she presented her full range now stocked at CPL, Waigani-Doris’ Neem Oil, Neem Hair Cream, Neem Hair Tonic, Neem Scrub and Neem Powder.
Joe explained that she first started off her product-line with the Neem Hair Oil, the other neem products were later added to the line following customer requests.
She said all products were made from natural ingredients found in PNG, with only shea butter imported.
The brand also underwent a rebranding with new labels and packaging under CPL ahead of the in-store launch.
“Today marks the beginning of a bigger journey for Doris’ Neem Products, and we look forward to serving all people across Papua New Guinea,” Joe said.
“I would like to thank CPL Group for supporting local SMEs, especially women entrepreneurs, and for recognising the potential of Doris’ Neem Products.”
City Pharmacy Limited general manager for marketing and advertising Christopher Lam said the partnership showed CPL’s ongoing commitment to support local small and medium enterprises, particularly women entrepreneurs.
