Skin is the body’s largest organ, and with that understanding, Janine Schilder built a skincare approach rooted in lived experience, identity, and healing. Her work goes beyond beauty, centring care that is intentional and grounded in real life.
Schilder’s story begins in Ocean View, a township near Cape Town created during apartheid through forced removals from areas such as Noordhoek and Simon’s Town, where her grandparents and parents were displaced.
Growing up in a close-knit but strained community, she witnessed both solidarity and the emotional weight of loss.
“Ocean View carried both a strong sense of community and the weight of what people had lost,” she says, noting how apartheid shaped where people lived and how they related to one another.
Her grounding came strongly from her grandmothers, Eileen and Violet, who later inspired her brand name.
Eileen, born in 1929 in Kalk Bay, was gentle, warm, and deeply nurturing, with a home that always overflowed with family, laughter, and presence.
Violet, born in 1923 in Simon’s Town, was bold, spirited, and deeply connected to nature, known for her fearless energy even in old age, diving into tidal pools to show life was still meant to be lived fully.
“One showed me softness and care, the other showed me strength and boldness,” Schilder says.
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A journey back to self
Schilder tells Food For Mzansi her love for craft began in childhood, when she made homemade skincare like sugar scrubs and face masks.
“My grandmother Violet was also into natural skincare and made her own masks, which is probably where I got it from.”
In 2024, she developed a full skincare range for herself, not yet realising it would become something she would later share.
She describes Eileen Violet as the product of a healing journey that guided her back to herself. “It began with something simple: making a body scrub at home,” she says.
“Through using and testing my creations, I realised how present I was with myself. I had finally found the person who had been waiting for my care and attention; me.”
Care and connection
“Through these rituals, I discovered something profound. The textures, scents, and slow, intentional touch created a sense of connection within me,” she says.
Today, the Eileen Violet range is a simple system designed to support the skin barrier and maintain balance rather than disrupt it.
The facial range includes a cleanser, day cream, exfoliator, and elixirs, while the body range includes wash, sugar polish, body elixir, and butter, all working together to support hydration, comfort, and skin harmony.
The formulations combine natural ingredients with actives such as niacinamide and panthenol, alongside oils like camellia seed, jojoba, squalane, and sunflower seed oil to support barrier health and reduce moisture loss.
Hydration is supported through glycerine, aloe vera, and rose hydrosol, while Roman chamomile, frankincense, and lavender add a calming sensory layer.
Building a beauty brand
Eileen Violet is still in its early growth stage, with sales driven primarily through word-of-mouth, local markets, and its online store, explains Schilder.
“At this stage, the focus is on building a strong and intentional foundation while growing at a pace that honours the integrity of the brand.”
Schilder adds that growth also carries a deeper intention: creating meaningful employment opportunities in Mzansi. For her, work brings dignity, while contribution builds purpose, worth, and possibility.
Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs:
- Prioritise quality, consistency, and professionalism from the start.
- Don’t follow every opinion; look for repeated, meaningful feedback.
- Use feedback to refine your product, not abandon your vision.
- Even a small group of paying customers signals real demand.
- Understand your core customers deeply; they guide direction.
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