“What is happening now is a re-awakening of the health and beauty industry, and going back to the simplicity of pure organic ingredients.” – Leena Al Abbas, Founder and CEO, The Organic Glow Beauty Lounge.
The Organic Glow Beauty Lounge is the UAE’s first completely green ladies salon, from their organic cruelty-free natural products, to their eco-friendly interiors. We interviewed Leena Al Abbas, Founder and CEO, about the salon.
What type of natural/organic products/services do you sell in the Middle East?
The Organic Glow Beauty Lounge is the UAE’s first completely green ladies salon, from our organic cruelty-free natural products, to our eco-friendly interiors. We’re committed to providing our customers with safe toxic-free treatments, friendly service & utmost relaxation at an affordable price. More than just a salon, The Organic Glow Beauty Lounge strives to increase awareness amongst women about the dangers of using harsh chemicals & promote ethical and holistic beauty by offering a menu of toxic-free services which includes: organic sugaring, natural hair treatments, ammonia-free colour, fruit facials, freshly-blended body scrubs, formaldehyde-free nail treatments and much more. Looking and feeling great has never been kinder to both you and Mother Earth!
All our products are toxic-free, organic, vegan and cruelty-free (never tested on animals).
In your opinion, how popular is the organic industry in the UAE and the Middle East?
Actually, the Middle Eastern cultures and our ancestors have always been ‘organic’, as they farmed their food and used herbs and natural ingredients for beauty and medicinal purposes. What is happening now is a re-awakening of the health and beauty industry, and going back to the simplicity of pure organic ingredients. We have seen it with the increased number of organic local farms in the UAE and the region, and finding more organic local produce in supermarkets and farmer’s markets. The beauty industry is also following the same steps.
Why, in your opinion, do people prefer buying organic nowadays?
There is a definite increase in demand for organic products, because awareness has increased about the dangers of ingesting and using products that contain high amounts of pesticides and chemicals. Also there is more choice nowadays, versus when organic products were expensive and limited. They have now become more affordable, and easily available. People are definitely becoming more health conscious and that’s why they are making the switch to organic products.
How do you determine the products to sell in this market?
My decision about which products to use and sell in my organic salon are based on how safe and effective they are and what ingredients they contain. They also have to be 100% cruelty-free and vegan (plant-based). The ethos of the brand is also very important to know, for example, where do they source their products from, is it from a sustainable source, do they follow green processes, and are they certified organic and natural.
Any other facts you might want to add about the natural/organic industry.
The organic industry is going to become the norm, versus a luxury choice. Since demand is increasing for natural and organic, more and more companies are offering products to meet the industry and consumer demands.
Interviewed by Menaka Ramakrishnan, Buyer Manager
menaka@organicandnatural.com