- Georgina Tang launched YNNY in 2014 from her kitchen, growing it into a multi-award-winning brand producing natural, vegan-friendly skincare and haircare products handmade in the UK.
- Tang’s business was inspired by a personal challenge — creating effective, gentle products to treat her son’s severe psoriasis during chemotherapy, which ultimately shaped YNNY’s product range.
- After nearly 20 years in housing management, she pivoted careers and later overcame a costly five-year legal battle that pushed her business to the brink, before rebuilding and continuing to scale the brand.
Tell Me About Yourself and YNNY
I started my multi-award-winning company YNNY in 2014, when I began making products first on the kitchen table, then in the log cabin in my garden. Since 2019, YNNY has been based at my headquarters in Widnes, Cheshire.
Our high-quality natural, organic products are handmade by local people, they’re vegan-friendly and never tested on animals.
Prior to launching YNNY, I had a senior role in housing management, looking after properties across the North West and North Wales. I worked in housing for nearly 20 years, starting as a graduate trainee and then obtaining a postgraduate diploma in housing management whilst working.
What Inspired You To Start YNYY, and What Problem Were You Trying To Solve?
It was trying to solve a problem that inspired me to change my career path. In 2012, I started learning how to make natural skin and hair products at the leading soap and cosmetics-making course provider, Soap School in Huddersfield.
In 2013, my 10-year-old son Alessio was undergoing chemotherapy for an autoimmune condition and he developed severe psoriasis, where his fingers were cracked and bleeding.
He was looked after by a consultant dermatologist but nothing was working so out of desperation, I took matters into my own hands. I created a shea butter balm (which I now sell as Soothing Shea Butter) and within a month, his psoriasis had vanished.
I also created my Ultra Mild Shampoo and Ultra Mild Conditioner to help Alessio when he was losing clumps of hair during treatment, which helped support his hair as it grew back.
What Has Been Your Biggest Challenge So Far, and How Did You Overcome It?
The hardest professional challenge I’ve overcome was winning a five-year legal battle in 2024 against a former client, Kate McIver Skin (KMS), which falsely claimed to have created my Elixir serum.
The case went to the Court of Appeal, by which time I’d spent £360,000 and my business was taken to the brink of bankruptcy. However, my win made legal history as the first case of ‘reverse passing off’ won determined by a trial as previous cases have been settled out of court. I started to rebuild my company in 2025 after overcoming the trauma and financial crisis.
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Can You Describe a Pivotal Moment That Significantly Shaped the Direction of YNYY?
I was approached by the owner of a beauty business who wanted to have my products white-labelled for her salon and training school. When we both started our businesses were small, but we grew quickly. My skin and hair products enhanced the results of her treatments, which made her training school stand out from a very crowded beauty training market.
How Do You Define Success?
I feel very successful and blessed, not just in monetary terms but because I have great satisfaction in what I do – money can’t buy passion or satisfaction.
I started this business from my kitchen over 10 years ago, never dreaming that this would become the full-time job that I love and am passionate about.
More importantly, customers love my products as they have provided life-changing transformations for many of them. But my achievement is only possible because of my son, who has severe learning difficulties and requires 24/7 care. He is my world, and through him I am a better person and, most of all, a better mum to him.
What Advice Would You Give To Someone Thinking About Launching Their Own Startup?
There is no age limit to start your business. It’s a good idea to start it as a side hustle whilst having a job to gain knowledge and experience. This is because it costs money to start and easier to succeed if you have money to invest into the new business.
Another important consideration is doing something that you feel passionate about and enjoy doing. Hard work, late nights, weekend work, sleepless nights and perseverance are what will see you through the difficult times.
But most of all don’t give up at the first hurdle.
What’s Next for YNYY? Any Exciting Developments We Should Watch Out For?
I’ve created YNNY’s Lactic Acid Exfoliator, which is launching in February. It provides similar benefits to retinol or glycolic acid, but is far gentler. This product can be used daily as the percentage of lactic acid is low, and it’s unscented so it is suitable for all skin types, particularly people with sensitive and acne-prone skin.
Meanwhile, YNNY initially grew as a brand with support from the vegan community, and I’m excited to reconnect with that customer base through the vegan press and at vegan fairs.
And as part of building a trusted brand, I’m working with Carol Driver PR to increase national visibility, which is of primary importance to secure my business long-term.
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Founder’s 5 with Georgina Tang
Here’s TechRound’s exclusive Founder’s 5 with Georgina Tang.
Favourite business tool
A calculator because I monitor the finances closely, plus I raise all invoices for the wholesale customers. Financial monitoring is an important task for all businesses.
One lesson you learned the hard way?
After my experience with Kate McIver, I still give lots of help and advice to my white label clients – flexibility is very important in what I do – but I have a few more boundaries in place.
One future trend you’re watching?
The desire to return to nature – people want to eat ‘real’ food rather than processed food, and they want more natural products for the skin and hair too.
One quote you live by
There will be light at the end of the tunnel – because it always works out for the better at the end.
One book/podcast you recommend
I’m a radio news listener, and I keep up with current affairs when I’m cooking for my son Alessio, who has multiple allergies, so requires all his meals to be made at home.
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