MissPalettable.com, is a platform that offers options that are natural, organic, vegan, sulfate free, paraben free and cruelty-free. They have several brands sourced globally such as Thank You Farmer, Kama Ayurveda, Oxymax, Mi Rebotica, Antonym Cosmetics and Soroci to name a few. We interviewed the founder, Mukta Tewani Purain, about the state of the organic and natural industry in the region.
What type of natural/organic products/services do you sell in the Middle East?
After struggling with skincare during my pregnancy and post, I realized there was a serious lack of options when it came down to beauty brands that were not mass-produced and mainstream. This was when I came up with MissPalettable.com, a platform that offered options that were natural, organic, vegan, sulfate free, paraben free and cruelty-free. We have several brands sourced globally such as Thank You Farmer, Kama Ayurveda, Oxymax, Mi Rebotica, Antonym Cosmetics and Soroci to name a few. We are constantly sourcing new brands to add to our website and have a few more brands in the pipeline.
In your opinion, how popular is the organic industry in the UAE and the Middle East?
The organic industry in regards to food I believe is quite popular which is why you have markets such a Ripe doing really well. However, in natural beauty, we haven’t reached the popularity status that you see in the West. Most beauty users in the UAE and the Middle East still prefer using mass produced big brands especially in cosmetics and is not completely on board with using natural and organic beauty brands. However, I do feel there is a slow shift happening, as more consumers are starting to read the ingredients list and become more aware of what they are putting on their skin. It’s a matter of time, as awareness increases and more users become conscious, we will definitely see a big shift in the industry in this region.
Why, in your opinion, do people prefer buying organic nowadays?
There are several reasons why people prefer buying organic and it’s got a lot to do with awareness and lifestyle. The main reason would be the awareness and understanding of the ingredients list and the harm some ingredients can cause. Ingredients such as SLS, Parabens, Phthalates, are detrimental to your health and there are several studies you can read if you do your research. Another big reason is that the organic beauty industry has come a long way. The products are just as effective and of high quality that they could ever surpass some of your mainstream brands, especially in cosmetics. There is also the ethical aspect of it, as all natural beauty brands are cruelty-free and some even use sustainable materials for their packaging.
How do you determine the products to sell in this market?
We do a lot of research, and source for beauty brands in the industry that are gaining popularity and have their own USPs. The brands then go through our curation process, where we try every single product to see for ourselves how effective they and do our due diligence on their documentation and ingredients list. We believe our customers are entrusting us with their skin by purchasing products from us and it is our duty to make sure we deliver transparency; quality and service to them. We want our customers to always feel comfortable buying from MissPalettable.com. We also listen to our customers and their feedback, so that we can constantly deliver products and brands that connect with them.
Any other facts you might want to add about the natural/organic industry.
The natural/organic industry is at its beginning and hasn’t even peaked yet! The natural beauty industry is expected to hit 13.2 billion USD this year and is still on a uphill trend! It’s an exciting time, and you really are seeing some fantastic innovations coming out of many independent brands all over the world. You see many brands going back to their cultural roots and creating effective products from recipes passed down generations.
Interviewed by Menaka Ramakrishnan, Buyer Manager
menaka@organicandnatural.com