New ‘black plaster’ a welcome breakthrough in first aid products for ethnic minorities

By Staff writer
Britain's first and only multi-ethnic brand of skin toned first aid products has brought the long awaited black plaster to our high streets.

Mocha, coco, caramel, bronze and honey coloured plasters
There are few if any black or Asian people who have not at some point been forced to use plasters and bandages that contrast conspicuously with their natural brown skin tones.
The site of a friends child being bullied for wearing a conspicuous white plaster across his forehead after sustaining an injury in the playground, was the catalyst for Ndiho Sean Obedih, owner of Obedihs Enterprises ltd , to design and bring to market Briton's first black plasters.

‘At the time we couldn't find plasters that matched the child's skin tone in any shops or pharmacies. I realised I could change this. I did some thorough market research and the results I got convinced me that it was a worthwhile niche to fill. It's a journey that has taken me two years. I looked at what's available and realised that I could improve the concept and take it to the next level,' Obedih said.

YnotPlast' s range of plasters will mean this child's experience, which resonates with countless brown skinned people will make the trauma of wearing a comical white sticking plaster on brown skin a thing of the past.

YnotPlast products include bandages and first aid kits for home and leisure as well as sticking plasters for minor cuts and grazes in five natural shades of mocha, cocoa, caramel, bronze and honey.

Designed for melanin rich skin
Designed specifically for the melanin rich skin and these sophisticated and durable products have become a benchmark for the industry with Obedh having just closed sucessful deals with two heatlh trusts and one of the UK's leading phamacy retailers.

‘This really is about choice, we know that the demand for this product is out there, just like smilie plasters for children, there needs to be a plaster that black and Asian people can use and feel comfortable with. A packet of 40 YnotPlast plasters retail at £2.20, now there an affordable option.'

Currently a student at the UNiversity of Buckingham Business School, studying for a business enterprise degree, this 29-year-old entrepreneur see's this new product as symbolically, reflecting the diversity of British society.

‘We will all appreciate that culturally, socially and ideologically not everyone is enthused by the idea of a standard pink plaster. In the UK alone there are over 4.6 million people that will directly fall into the category of our target market which is a sizeable chunk of the market that we aim to make our products synonymous in and establish ourselves as their supplier of choice for such products,' Obedih said.

The spending power of the rapidly growing ethnic market and this has forced companies both in the UK and abroad to adopt and tailor their products to the needs of ethnic minority groups.

NHS and retailers to have black plasters by June
Obedih fresh approach to black and Asian skincare has mean he is at the forefront of market trends.

Having just compled talks with retailers and organisations within NHS, it is hoped that these new plasters will shortly be on sale in high street pharmacies.

Plasters are also scheduled to be on sale through YnotPlast's website by the end the summer. Obedih see this as just the tip of the iceberg. 'We are also looking to develop a sports range that football teams could sponsor and first aid kits that their fans could buy if they want to. The whole idea is to make the whole plaster thing cool, just like the fun smile plasters for children.'

A survivor of the Rwandan genocide Obedih arrived in the UK as a refugee in 2000.
‘Having lost people, childhood friends amongst others, and eventually coming to Britain in February 2000 as a refugee, I learned that life is such a precious commodity,' he says.

‘No matter what happens to you in life, just keep going because God has saved you for a purpose. We should strive to find our purpose in life and grab all opportunities that come our way.'Obedih added. Ynost have put out a call for anyone interested in seeing the new black plaster stocked in their local supermarket to sign their online petition by clicking here.