We were intrigued to know more so we talked to Salma and got a closer look inside her brand, inspirations and career, here’s what she had to say.
So tell us, when did you get in to skincare, and how did you first become interested in it?
Around 7 years ago I had skin problems but I didn’t find results from commercial, chemically-loaded products, so that motivated me to play around with natural ingredients that had skin benefits. After trying on myself and noticing results I started sharing them with friends and family for more feedback. That’s when I went from just making DIY products to working on formulas in a lab, I could work on 20-30 trials to reach one perfect formula. When I was done with my bachelor’s in marketing I started thinking about how to take my skincare more seriously and professionally so I thought I’d get an accredited degree and found Formula Botanica in London. Two years later I became a certified skincare products formulator, it wasn’t easy because I obviously had no background in chemistry but I learned a lot and started to get creative with it.
“Teal” is the name of your skincare brand, what is the inspiration behind your brand’s name and aesthetic?
I live really close to the sea and so every day I love to walk by the sea path and smell the breeze. I always think of the sea as the purest thing on earth, there’s no human interference in it and it symbolizes nature to me. So to create a skincare line that was inspired by the freshness and purity of the sea was top priority for me, even the logo of my brand is an infinity sign inspired by a wave and the formulas include natural seaweed.
What else do you do besides working on this line?
I have a part-time job at a digital marketing agency that I momentarily left to finish my diploma, but I’m back working there now. Not having a full time job is something I had to sacrifice to create my business, but you do what you gotta do. So my day usually includes; go to work, go to the lab, do sports then go back home.
So, how do you juggle it all?
Well my parents, siblings and friends give me incredible support, they’re a huge part of how I began working on my dreams. I also benefit a lot from being in marketing so I get to work on the marketing aspects of my business, including creating my own vision for the brand, so I’m making the most of the situation. My passion for this business and seeing it launch is what drives me to keep going.
Tell us about the products in more detail.
I use the finest quality ingredients in my products, no matter how hard it may be to find them in Egypt. My products are 100% safe, with no added synthetics, even the preservatives I use are all natural. All products are fragrance free and I use the essential oils with their dermal limits, I aim to maximize the benefit of every ingredient I use for the best product results. I try to promote sustainability by offering product refills and encouraging returning empty products for recycling, I use amber glass bottles and craft paper so that the brand would be extremely eco-friendly, which is extremely important to me.
What do you hope to achieve with your brand?
I really want people to become aware of the importance of shifting from commercial skincare products which are full of synthetics and preservatives, to completely natural products. I’d love to open my own factory and go worldwide one day. For the meantime, I just want to inspire people to be kind to their skin and help them reach the results they wish for because I understand how big of a responsibility it is.
Salma’s brand “Teal“ showcased at the She Can event on Saturday at the Greek Campus and was extremely successful, make sure to follow her on social media to see more.
Author: Sarah