Drawing on their shared Iraqi heritage and over fifteen years of living in the UAE, the founders have cultivated a purpose-led philosophy that prioritises the integrity of ingredients over complex formulations. By centering their creations around high-quality botanicals, they encourage a return to intentional self-care that is as much about grounding the mind as it is about nourishing the skin. In an exclusive interview with Zenith, Nada and Nabaa discuss their personal health journeys that shaped the brand’s ethos, the science of cold-pressed oils and how they are reviving traditional Middle Eastern beauty rituals for the contemporary world.
What was the moment or need that led you to create SAAF Skin?
The moment SAAF really began was actually a conversation between the two of us about frankincense oil. We both realized that we had independently started using frankincense in our daily skincare routines and had both fallen in love with it.
Nabaa discovered frankincense through her mother’s herbal remedies when she was trying to find solutions for her skin while dealing with an autoimmune condition. Her mother always believed in herbal and regional ingredients, and frankincense was one of the remedies she encouraged her to use regularly. At the same time, Nada had also started using frankincense oil after her aunt told her about it and described it as a powerful ingredient for the skin.
When we had that conversation and realized we had both independently discovered and started using the same ingredient in our daily rituals, it felt like a very natural connection. We started talking more about oils, traditional ingredients and the remedies we grew up with and both of us felt a strong urge to share these ingredients and rituals with others. That was really the moment we decided to create SAAF.
How did your personal backgrounds and family traditions shape the foundation of the brand?
Family traditions are really at the heart of SAAF. We grew up in homes where natural remedies were the norm. Oils were used for skin, hair and even for healing. Rose water was always in the house, olive oil was used for everything and resins like frankincense and myrrh were part of our daily life in different ways.
Our mothers and grandmothers did not have complicated skincare routines but they had beautiful skin and very consistent rituals. They believed in oils, massage, simple ingredients and patience. That philosophy influenced SAAF very deeply. The brand is not just about products, it is about rituals and taking care of yourself in a more intentional way.
You describe SAAF as rooted in heritage. What specific rituals or ingredients from your upbringing influenced that?
Frankincense and myrrh are probably the most important ingredients for us because they have such a long history in our region and in our culture. Across Arab heritage, ingredients like rose water, olive oil and herbal treatments were always part of beauty rituals. With SAAF, we want people to rediscover these ingredients and bring these rituals back into their daily skincare routines.
Starting a beauty brand is no small feat. What were the early challenges you faced as founders?
One of our biggest challenges was learning how to navigate the beauty industry itself. We had the passion, the ideas and the products but we had to learn everything else. From branding and packaging to production, regulations and setting up a proper business. From the beginning we wanted to build a real brand, not just sell products, so we focused on quality in every detail. Finding the right partners and vendors who understood our vision was probably our biggest challenge but it was also what allowed us to build SAAF properly from the start. We are building a brand that focuses on slow skincare and long-term skin health, and that is very different from the fast beauty industry.
SAAF translates to pure in Arabic, what does purity mean to you in the context of skincare?
Purity for us means simplicity, honesty and intention. It means using ingredients that are necessary and beneficial and not adding things just for texture, smell or marketing. It also means being transparent about what is inside each product and respecting the skin barrier rather than damaging it.
Purity also extends beyond ingredients. It includes how we source ingredients, how we produce our products and the philosophy behind the brand. It is about creating products that are clean, simple and respectful to both the skin and the environment.
Your formulations are intentionally minimal. How do you decide what makes it into a product and what doesn’t?
We always start by asking what the product needs to do and then we choose the fewest ingredients possible that can achieve that goal effectively. Every ingredient must have a purpose and must contribute to the performance of the product.
Minimal for us does not mean less effective. It actually means giving our customers more of the good ingredients and not filling products with unnecessary fillers or additives. We prefer to choose the right ingredients and use them in meaningful amounts, rather than adding many ingredients in very small percentages just to create a longer ingredient list.
We believe that a few high-quality ingredients that work well together are far more effective than very complicated formulations, they also allow the skin to function naturally.
SAAF focuses on cold-pressed, therapeutic-grade oils like frankincense, myrrh and prickly pear. What makes these ingredients so powerful?
What makes these ingredients so powerful is a combination of how they are extracted, their natural therapeutic properties and how they work together. Cold-pressed oils retain their vitamins, antioxidants and essential fatty acids because they are not exposed to heat or heavy processing, so the oils remain very rich and active.
The ingredients themselves are also known for their healing properties. Frankincense is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and for supporting skin regeneration and improving skin tone. Myrrh is known for being anti-fungal, antibacterial and very soothing for the skin. Prickly pear oil is extremely rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, which help nourish the skin and support the skin barrier.
We also believe strongly in ingredient synergy. Many of these ingredients have been used together for centuries because they complement and strengthen each other’s effects, creating very nourishing and restorative formulations for the skin.
Why was it important for you to avoid fragrance, allergens and unnecessary additives?
Fragrance is one of the leading causes of skin irritation and sensitivity. It is also one of the least transparent ingredients in the beauty industry. Companies are often not required to disclose what is inside a fragrance, so you do not really know what you are putting on your skin and some of these ingredients can be allergens or even endocrine disruptors.
For us, being a truly clean beauty brand means being transparent and intentional about every ingredient we use. We prefer that people experience the natural scent of the oils and botanicals rather than covering products with artificial fragrance. We also avoid unnecessary additives and fillers because we believe skincare should nourish the skin and support overall skin health, not just create texture or scent.
If someone is new to SAAF, which product would you recommend they start with and why?
We would recommend starting with the Golden Dew Face Oil. It is our hero product and the first product we ever created, so it really represents the heart of the brand.
It contains some of our most beautiful ingredients and we often describe it as feeding your skin the nutrients it needs. It helps nourish the skin, support the skin barrier and improve overall skin health and glow. It can be used on all skin types, which makes it a very good introduction to oil-based skincare and to the SAAF philosophy.
You highlight local sourcing and supporting communities. Can you tell us more about that aspect of the brand?
For many of our main ingredients, we work with small regional farms and trusted suppliers in the region. This helps us maintain the quality of our ingredients and ensures we are sourcing them properly. Many of these ingredients come from regions with long agricultural traditions and supporting these communities is an important part of our brand and our values.
What sets SAAF apart in an increasingly crowded clean beauty space?
What sets SAAF apart is authenticity. The brand is deeply rooted in our culture, our heritage, and the rituals we grew up with. We did not start SAAF by following trends or trying to enter the clean beauty space, we started it because this is how we actually take care of our skin. SAAF focuses on oils, minimal formulations and long-term skin health rather than quick fixes. That philosophy is at the core of everything we create.
As female founders in the region, what has your journey been like building SAAF?
In many ways, it feels very natural for us to be building a brand like SAAF because so much of the knowledge behind oils, herbs and beauty trends in our region has always been passed down through women. We grew up learning these things from our mothers, aunts and grandmothers, so building a skincare brand rooted in these traditions feels like a continuation of something that women have been doing for generations, just in a different form.
What’s next for SAAF Skin? Are there new categories you’re looking to explore?
We are always exploring new product lines and experimenting and learning along the way, so you can expect to see more products from us over time. We’ve also just launched several new products as part of the Bloom Collection, all focusing on pure, purposeful ingredients designed to support different skincare concerns. For example, our Bakuchi Bloom is a plant-based retinol for overnight use, something we noticed was really missing from the market!
However, we do everything very intentionally and take our time with development and testing before launching anything. We are also looking to expand into new regions, as we have received a lot of international interest in SAAF.
