Heal – Interview with Malini Ohri, founder, and Mishti Ohri, CEO of Saanté Selfcare

WORDS: SARAH JOSEPH

What do the first 30 minutes of your day look like, your morning routine? Malini Ohri: I start my day with two glasses of water from my earthenware pot to rehydrate my body and to flush out any toxins. The earthenware pot is an ancient Indian tradition that not only keeps the water cool but also balances the body’s pH due to its alkaline nature. I then go for a one-hour brisk walk and say my daily mantras. Mishti Ohri: I start my day with a glass of water, get ready and then drop my son at his school and spend a few minutes with my daughter before I rush out for the day. How have your previous roles prepared you to launch your own skincare brand and what was the catalyst in launching? Malini Ohri: My formal journey in beauty and wellness started when I was 16, but I’ve only known to approach beauty holistically thanks to my mother, who imbibed that concept in me since I was born. It has been my lifelong passion to heal through clean, natural remedies and so launching my own skincare and wellness brand was the next natural step to fulfill my dream of healing people. Mishti Ohri: I grew up in a household where both my mother and grandmother taught me the importance of selfcare and using clean, non-toxic products. My modelling days in the UAE further enhanced this philosophy where feeling good was an equal priority when it came to taking care of my skin and hair. With my background and experience in fashion, film and retail, I made it my mission to re-invent, restructure and strategically position the brand to meet the nuances of the new age conscious market. I wanted to present Saanté and its healing products to a global audience through a strong digital presence and educate consumers on the importance of slow beauty. What lies at the heart, the DNA of Saanté Selfcare? Malini Ohri: My experiences, my journey and my mom’s very strong influence of healing and being ethical. Mishti Ohri: As a brand it’s important to source 100 per cent natural ingredients by being completely transparent about every element that goes into each product. Saanté Selfcare focuses on healing through the power of natural herbs. You’re a Reiki master, reflexologist, aromatherapist, ayurvedic practitioner and entrepreneur – how do the roles support each other? Malini Ohri: All these practices have a common goal, that is holistic wellbeing. Nature’s healing powers are infinite, and both aromatherapy and ayurveda harness this in health and wellbeing. Whether it’s essential oils that ail physical and mental imbalances to herbs and spices that nourish from the inside-out. Additionally, Reiki further elevates the potency of these remedies as in unison, it all lies at the essence of what Saanté really is. Saanté is laser focused on natural ingredients. Has this been the focus since the brand was founded? Malini Ohri: Yes, this has been the primary focus and I have not deterred from it at all. I truly believe that nature is precious and want to heal with natural remedies that have been tried and tested for centuries. Mishti Ohri: This has been the focus since day one. As a personal believer of using clean and natural products, I have always been wary of the harmful effects from toxic chemicals present in many of the skin and haircare products available in the market. At Saanté, we believe in slow beauty, which simply put is slowing down and being mindful and conscious of what you put on your

IMAGES: SUPPLIED

body and how it affects you physically and mentally. This is why it is so important for our communication to deliver this message and for Saanté to be positioned as a brand that prioritises wellness. The brand is known for its ayurvedic approach. Can you expand on the importance of this and how it supports achieving flawlessly clear skin? Malini Ohri: The brand is known for a combination of aromatherapy and ayurvedic formulas. Not only does, ayurveda, the ancient Indian healing science recognize the healing powers of flowers, herbs and plants, but it also approaches extracting their goodness intricately, ensuring their nutrients are not lost. Aromatherapy also uses the essential oils from nature to cure innumerable ailments including both physical and mental. Together, the two help in bringing out your inner vitality in Saanté products. We use remedies and ingredients that have been part of ancient Indian traditions known for their medicinal properties to cure skin and hair issues but also make you feel good and calm from within. Mishti Ohri: Ayurveda approaches beauty as wellness, and a reflection of your inner health – something that is so important in today’s fast-paced life. Our products work in tandem with a healthy lifestyle and are devoid of chemicals. We’ve harnessed the goodness of age-old ayurvedic ingredients like saffron, manjistha, sandalwood and more that work as key ingredients for healthy skin and hair. Your products emphasize on the eight pillars of self-care – can you elaborate? Malini Ohri: Our products are therapeutic as well as healing. They work on deeper levels to provide relief. Besides being devoid of chemicals and rooted in ayurvedic remedies and aromatherapy, we also use adaptogenic ingredients, which in herbal medicine, is known to help with stress and anxiety. Adaptogens work at the cellular level to improve the function and vitality of every cell in the body, and in being so, they help our products heal from within. The ‘holistic’ approach is something we take in every aspect of Saanté, and therefore cover the eight pillars of selfcare, that are physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, psychological, social, environmental and professional. Mishti Ohri: Whether it’s creating a therapeutic and calming night care ritual for yourself or taking that time out at least once a week to massage your scalp with a blend of oils that activate the crown chakra, our products give you the means to follow a selfcare ritual that flect on the outside all that Saanté is about. From our logo to the colours, the packaging is vibrant and full of life but also soothing, grounding and uplifting. What piece of advice would you give to your younger self? Malini Ohri: I wish I learned early in my journey that delegation and having key people on your team is a path to success. One cannot do everything as we all have limitations. Mishti Ohri: Don’t sweat the small stuff. This is The Entrepreneur Issue – what does this mean to you? Malini Ohri: The roots of the magazine are approximately as old as my journey in UAE, so to be part of this issue is an absolute honour. Emirates Woman has always done such an incredible job supporting women and I could not be happier to be recognised. One of the very first articles written about me was in Emirates Woman about 36 years ago, so it gives me a warm feeling to be featured again. Mishti Ohri: It’s an absolute honour to be featured among some of the biggest names in their respective industries and being able to help empower other women on their entrepreneurial journey in some way through ours.

is sacred to you, giving you a multi-sensorial experience and a means to come back to yourself. Each product has a strong selfcare benefit that goes beyond topical benefits. What are the main hurdles experienced during your career and how have you overcome them? Malini Ohri: When I started, I needed to bring all the raw materials and packaging from outside of the UAE. Getting the packaging (labels) for each product was a hurdle. Eventually, over time, Dubai has started offering raw materials and bottling and now as our quantities have grown exponentially I am able to ship from my suppliers overseas. Dubai has opened up its door to entrepreneurs and SMEs making the journey exhilarating. Mishti Ohri: It was key to get our packaging and branding right to manifest and re-