Skin Zen promoting self-love through great skin
Published:Friday | January 12, 2024 | 12:08 AMShanel Lemmie/Staff Reporter
During the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown hobbies became the order of the day. No longer able to visit brick and mortars to bathe in the aroma of scented candles, Sabrine Seid, like many others crafters, made the switch to making her own candles. Now nearly three years later, that lockdown hobby has transformed into Skin Zen, an aromatherapy and skincare start-up.
“I actually started while I was finishing up my undergrad degree. It was in the midst of COVID and I wanted to find something to occupy myself. COVID was kind of a depressing space for some of us and I wanted to find something to distract and occupy myself,” she explained.
Recognising her ‘serious obsession’ with candles, Seid decided to start sharing her creations under the name Therapeutic Essentials.
“Candles can be a little expensive so I just wanted to find a way to create something that I love. It was a bit difficult at first but with practice came perfection, and that is what I am currently giving to my customers. My customers love my candles and I mean, I’m quite obsessed with them myself.”
Later rebranding to Skin Zen, Seid began to tackle other problems she was having through her brand.
“Where the skincare came in, I kind of suffered with hyperpigmentation during my high school years and going into university. You know, undergrad stress, it sometimes manifests in your appearance, how your face looks, and so was battling with a lot of acne and hyperpigmentation. And so I realised that the store-bought medications and the topical creams that I was getting from my dermatologist was just not working for me, and so I decided to just do my research and create.”
First only supplying her mother’s co-workers, Seid soon found her market online.
“Skin Zen is an aromatherapy and skincare business. We specialise in natural hand-made beauty care and candles really designed to promote both skin health and mental well-being. Our commitment to providing quality products has garnered positive response from a lot of our growing customer-base.”
She continued, “I believe our products are aesthetically pleasing. The line is meticulously crafted to not only enhance the physical well-being of our customers but to also provide a visually appealing and luxurious appearance, and that’s in our packaging. We craft our packaging to really give our customers that experience when they receive their package and when they’re unboxing it. So it’s a full experience. It’s not just buying the products and using them and making sure that they work but it’s an experience all around.”
Now promoting their Skin Like Gold collection aimed at removing toxins from the body, reducing hyperpigmentation and getting rid of acne scars, adding moisture and soothing the skin, Seid says they have found their stride.
The three product line includes a cleanser, a face and body scrub and a face mask that incorporates honey, turmeric and calendula, tea tree, lemon and activated charcoal.
Though Seid has no formal training in dermatology, she joked that any willing party in her vicinity becomes a guinea pig for the brand.
“I do my own research. I ensure that each product I create, I do thorough research on each ingredient and I also test them on myself before I even start selling them,” she said.
While still in the beginning stages of a booming business, Seid says 2024 will be focused on more female-led collaborations with other brands and promoting their central message of self-love.
“In essence, the main goal of Skin Zen is just to promote self-love and to boost the confidence of anyone that uses our products. The essence of self-love is really ingrained in our brand, creating an emotional connection with our customers and contributing to an overall positive experience when we communicate with them, and when they use our products and give us feedback. I just want persons to know that they should take care of their skin. It’s that one thing that you will wear for the rest of your life.”