By Mwangi Sommer, Founder of “Hacked”
In the early 1990s in Zambia, body lotions were rarely available. Most people had grown accustomed to creating their own body butters using homegrown ingredients. One of these women was my grandmother — a tough, kind-hearted lady who never missed a Sunday at church and was determined to pass her skills on to the next generation.
When I was just three years old, she would ask my siblings and me to gather fallen fruits and remove their nuts. With a sharp, hard stone, she would crack and work those nuts day and night, extracting the richest oils. She stored them in large 20-liter containers and lit a small fireplace — something I always loved as a child. Sitting under the stars, watching her cook up those butters, carefully pouring in every essential ingredient and stirring with love, are memories I’ll never forget.
Those evenings were the true beginnings of Hacked — my lifelong love for natural skincare products.
Fast forward to 2025: the idea returned when I decided to make a body butter for my daughter, who suffers from extremely dry skin during the winter months. By chance, one day at work, a client mentioned needing a hand cream. I offered her some of the body butter instead. As it touched her skin, it melted instantly and absorbed beautifully — non-greasy and nourishing. Delighted by the result, she immediately asked to buy three jars.
At first, I hesitated. Creating handmade skincare within the EU isn’t as simple as one might think — there’s a mountain of paperwork, testing, and preparation involved. Still, I agreed to make a glass jar for her. I revisited my grandmother’s old recipe, recalling her stories and the care she poured into every batch of her luxurious, velvety butters.
After that first sale, my client returned — this time bringing her sister, her mother, and her colleagues. Seeing their excitement and joy filled me with gratitude and purpose. That was the moment Hacked was reborn — no longer just a cherished memory, but a brand ready to be shared with the world.
— Mwangi Sommer
Founder, Hacked