Jahangeer Ganaie

Srinagar, Jan 25: A woman from Kashmir has started a unique brand of organic skincare reviving the old traditional culture of the Valley.

Zahara Nedou, 36, a resident of Srinagar city while talking with ews agency—KNO said that she started her brand  “Zahara Skincare” in 2016 and later decided to take her brand to different corners of the world as organic products with no side effects.

Zahara said that she had taken her basic education at ‘The British School’ and later graduated in business management besides post graduation in marketing.

She had travelled to various countries and cities where she was influenced by new cultures.

“The difficult part isn’t to start the business but to sustain it, to get where you want to be, she said, adding that as a woman it is very hard to start something as for most people a women entrepreneur running a successful beauty brand still is a “hobby”.

“There are miles to go in our community for a woman to even come close to cracking the glass ceiling but they can and nothing is impossible,” she said. “It was possible only due to the support of my family that I managed to start a unique thing of what I was dreaming even without a role model.”

Zahara said that her vision is to create a holistic community based on clean, green living and a very healthy lifestyle which is accessible to anyone. 

“In very less time, my brand has got recognition as we have won several beauty awards including Vogue beauty award 2020, best innovative brand Harper’s beauty award 2018-2020, and Elle beauty award,” she said.

“Our brand is being loved, endorsed and appreciated for its uniqueness of being a Kashmiri pure product,” Zahara said.

“I want to break a perception that organic products are expensive or unattainable, she said, adding that my grandmothers were my biggest cultural influences as they never used any chemicals in their beauty products and even made their own shampoos.

“We have a range of our around 40 products which are available online as well as offline. The offline products are available in Delhi, Mumbai, Goa and Dubai. In the coming days it will be available in other markets of the world,” Zahara said.

Zahara said the ingredients which are used in the product include almonds, apricots, walnuts, saffron and herbs which are all grown in Kashmir.

“At present more than one dozen youth are getting employment through my brand,” she said.