Tante is Providence Irakoze, the founder of Tante Beauty, a brand born from curiosity, science, and love for natural beauty.
In university, I studied Food Science and Agribusiness, but my passion was always in fashion and beauty. One day, a lecturer told me; “You seem not to be connected with this course, you need to find a way to combine the two, food science and beauty, that’s where your future lies.” I smiled and asked him, “How?” He replied, “That’s the question you should answer.”
I didn’t understand it then. But years later, when my hair began breaking and nothing seemed to help, I turned to what I knew best, science. Through research and experimentation, I discovered how natural herbs could restore hair health. My first hostelmade oil worked, first on me, then on my friends and family. That’s how Tante Beauty began, from frustration to innovation.
The name Tante is so personal. It’s a nickname my parents gave me when I was born, inspired by the song Laurrete by Kamaliza, where the lyrics go, “Babaza nyina ngo Tantine ari he bazamubwira iki?” My mother loved that part so much when pregnant, she then called me Tante. Over the years, the name has become part of who I am; nurturing, creative, and caring.
Today, I am Tante for my customers, using my background in food science to create safe, natural skincare and haircare products that cure acne, eczema and hyperpigmentation while supporting local farmers to earn fair prices for ingredients like moringa and aloevera that they ususally struggle to sell.
Tante Beauty is a reflection of who I am and what I believe in: Beauty that heals. Science that empowers. Nature that sustains.
