About us
The team driven to provide you with top quality natural ingredients
WHERE DID IT ALL START?
Isa and Bianca began their journey in natural products as postgraduate students studying Medicinal Plant Science.
Fast forward a few years to two PhD students on a mission to scientifically prove how effective South Africa’s plants are for acne, ageing and oral care. and this is what lead us to realise the importance of science and quality control in providing these actives, and the power that this unlocks for natural products.
Our team
BIANCA PAYNE, PhD
CO-FOUNDER, SHAREHOLDER, DIRECTOR
Bianca is currently completing her PhD in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at the University of Pretoria. The research she is conducting implements a multi-faceted and unique approach to anti-ageing skin care and incorporates many different interests such as biochemistry and microbiology. She is working as a Junior research assistant involved in cell culture as well as the preparation and formulation of cosmetics and prototypes.
Her work has been presented at several national conferences where she also won first prize for her work on anti-ageing at the 2018 South African Association of Botanists annual conference. More recently she awarded the DST South African Women in Science Awards, Albertina Sisulu Fellowship (Doctoral) in Natural (Physical and Life) and Engineering Sciences for 2019. She has published numerous articles in high impact peer-reviewed journals and has written several book chapters.
She has identified lead samples from South African plants with potential anti-ageing activity and is further expanding on this research.
Contact
bianca.payne@blydebotanics.com
+27 81 254 3469
Isa Kupke, PhD
CO-FOUNDER, SHAREHOLDER, DIRECTOR
Currently completing her PhD research in the potential of South African plants against antibiotic resistance associated with acne vulgaris. She is the leading researcher in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences which focuses on anti-acne research. She has mentored several postgraduate students in the field of acne vulgaris in skin even tone. She is currently working as a Junior research assistant in the department where she is responsible for licensing of the actives to manufactures and formulators.
She has coordinated and managed several projects from national and international universities and formulating companies. She has published several research manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals and is in the process of applying for both a national and international patent for her research on acne vulgaris. She has presented her research at both national and international conferences. She has been awarded the DST South African Women in Science Awards, Albertina Sisulu Fellowship (Doctoral) in Natural (Physical and Life) and Engineering Sciences for 2018.
Isa has a strong background on research related to acne vulgaris and skin even tone and she has been awarded both her honours and MSc degree Cum Laude for her research in Medicinal Plant Sciences.
Contact
isa.kupke@blydebotanics.com
+1 573 825 5595
Prof. Namrita Lall
Scientific Advisor
Prof Lall has been placed in the Essential Science Indicators list of the top 1% of publication outputs (citations) in the discipline of pharmacology and toxicology. Prof Lall has been recently appointed as an adjunct Professor at the School of Natural Resources University of Missouri, USA to a department is ranked in the top 15 globally, and as a Senior Research fellow at the Bio-Tech R&D Institute, Jamaica.
She has international recognition for her research into the potential of medicinal plants for pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical purposes.
She has published 130 research articles, 15 patents, 22 book chapters and her H-index is 33 and RG score is over 38 (Top 5%). A book on medicinal plants has recently been published by Elsevier. Among several awards received in recognition for her work, a few are “The Order of Mapungubwe”, South Africa’s highest honour from the Honorable South African President Jacob Zuma (April 2014), Distinguished Young Women in Science Award by Naledi Pandor, Honorable minister of the Science and Technology of South Africa (August 2011) Biotech Fundi Lifetime Contribution Award by GDARD and Innovation hub (March 2017) and UNESCO-L’Oreal Award for Women in Science (one of the 10 selected candidates internationally, March 2002).