Skin is a beautiful thing – wear it well...

skincare

Daily care is vital with a variety of skin care products and ingredients that are also gentle on the skin. It’s also essential to use products tailored to your skin type, as this will help keep it nourished and hydrated. Proper skincare can make a massive difference in the look and feel of your skin.

Having a well suited skincare regime is essential and this is where Arine comes into the picture with its selected range of skincare products that gradually improve the skin’s appearance with regular use. The rose quartz facial roller and gua sha tool help improve the skin’s elasticity with regular use and we love the way it feels on the skin.

After hearing numerous reviews on their popular mud mask, I had a chat with founder of the brand, the multi talented, Alina Ashfaq to get more insight on her brand...

You! What according to you is important for the skin?

Alina Ashfaq: I think daily cleansing is most important, thanks to de-pigmenting products that cleanse and remove make-up from the skin while preparing it for subsequent skincare. Most of the time, women look for cleansing products that not only have anti-dark spot and anti-mark action but are also tailored to the hyper-pigmented sensitive skin of their face and body.

You! What inspired you to get into skincare?

AA: Growing up, I struggled to find good quality skincare in Pakistan. All products I found were either with strong artificial fragrances or with bleaching agents. So, with time, I started working on organic formulas that worked for me and we slowly started using them for facials at my mother’s salon in Lahore. Given the positive response, I realised these products could be packaged and sold for people who preferred gentle skincare products with good results. So, in September 2020, I launched Arine.

You! Can you tell us a bit about your skincare line?

AA: Our skincare line is a one-stop shop for skincare with products ranging from face masks, hair oils, facial tools, and candles. What’s unique about the powdered masks we offer, is that they are created in small fresh batches and have a shorter shelf life as they are completely organic. This ensures product quality and delivers the results we promise.

You! What do you love most about your job?

AA: I love it when after trying a product; people come back to me with stories of how it made their day. One time, I received a message from a customer who said the candle scent helped calm her nerves as she was struggling with a difficult time in her life. Nothing is more rewarding than being able to simplify people’s lives and lighten up their day with what you do.

You! Are women in Pakistan becoming more aware when it comes to skincare?

AA: The internet has given access to a vast range of knowledge. When it comes to skincare, yes women are more aware, more informed on the type of product they should be using, which I believe is wonderful. Knowing what would suit your skin type is the biggest favour you can do to yourself.

You! Any skin care tip for young girls?

AA: Less is more. Stick to a few products that you think work for you. Avoid acids and chemicals as misuse of those could lead to serious reactions.

You! What are your future endeavours or plans?

AA: We aim to become a self-care brand with a wider product range of complementary products to the existing line. Right now we are Lahore-based, however, in future we look forward to expanding to new cities such as Islamabad and Karachi for physical retail outlets.

You! What is your opinion about fairness creams in the market? Do you think they are any good, in the real sense?

AA: Beauty standards in many parts of South Asia dictate that fairer skin tones are considered beautiful, as evidenced by the multi-billion-dollar skin whitening industry. The impact I want is to change these antiquated and racist views, as has already happened in many parts of the world.

We believe every skin tone is beautiful and all our products have been developed using mild formulas and free from any bleaching or whitening agents. They only harm your skin and ruin your natural texture.

You! How do you think you have tapped on the audience with your brand?

AA: With a promise of developing safe ingredient skincare, our brand has tapped into the market and gained popularity among the youth by providing skincare educational content on products and providing doorstep delivery.

You! Do you think in today’s age and time e-commerce is better than outlet retail?

AA: Covid-19 made us realise the importance of operating remotely. We started business at a time of complete shutdown of retail outlets, so our initial model depended on providing doorstep delivery of skincare products. In perspective, it does save cost also, but there is a good chunk of audience who still like to physically shop for products at outlets which makes the audience divided into 50/50 ratio.