After graduating from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 1998, Emirati Doctor Lamees Hamdan was driven by her interest in dermatology, which led her to found Shiffa Dubai. Her luxury skin and body care company is known for combining the latest advances in science and dermatology using nothing but premium organic natural products.
After the success of the first Shiffa product – the one-of-a-kind pregnancy body oil launched in 2002 – Dr. Hamdan unveiled her first range of organic skincare products in 2004. The six-time award winning brand continues to stand out in the beauty world and we had the chance to interview its founder about the essential skincare regimen that should be followed by Middle Eastern women, as well as her daily beauty routine and many more.
As a Middle Eastern woman and the founder of Shiffa Dubai, how do you cater to Middle Eastern women’s needs?
Middle Eastern women wear makeup and live in a hot, humid, sunny environment. They also spend most of their time indoors in air conditioned environments, which is very dehydrating for the skin, so products that are not natural or contain clean fresh ingredients tend to make the skin greasy and block the pores. While people who live in colder climates can use lesser quality creams, women who live in the Middle East should (and they do) invest in good quality creams because the difference shows on their face.
How did you get the idea of creating your first product, the pregnancy body oil?
I was pregnant and I was looking for natural products in the market to prevent stretch marks, but I couldn’t find anything that is safe, natural and effective all at the same time, so I created my own product which is the pregnancy body oil, and then I gave it to some of my friends and family and I received amazing feedback. That’s where the story began.
After being chosen as Best Business Leader by the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid awards for Young Business Leaders, how do you think your responsibility grew in keeping Shiffa Dubai ahead of its game?
It was a great honor to be chosen. It definitely placed Shiffa in the spotlight, so I felt the pressure to innovate and produce the best quality skincare ever.
How do you start creating a new product?
I always envision what I would need. I am my own best client. I like to keep my skincare simple but extremely effective. You see that Shiffa products contain many different ingredients that on their own are excellent and when mixed and used together, the results are simply superb! Your skincare should be able to do many things all at once: make your pores appear smaller, erase fine lines, make your skin more elastic, brighten your complexion and fade pigmentation, treat and prevent spots from forming, hydrate, and feed your skin the vital nutrients it needs to stay healthy. Especially speaking about the last bit, “feeding your skin”, chemicals do not feed your skin, only natural substances (like argan oil, rose extracts, date essence, seaweeds) can do that.
What do you recommend for a woman in her 30s and 40s to use in order to keep her skin youthful and glowing?
A woman in her 30s should use a cleanser, toner, eye cream and moisturizer. Cleanse twice at night using our Shiffa Muslin cloth that exfoliates and cleanses the pores very well. Start using a weekly acid mask, 9Tri Acid Radiance Peel by Shiffa contains 3 important acids for this purpose. Constantly using the peel will help your skin make more collagen over time, and brighten any pigmentation you may have.
For a woman in her 40’s, it is essential to use a cleanser, toner, eye cream (on eyes and neck) and a moisturizer because your skin is becoming a little dryer than before so make sure you moisturize well. Start using a retinoid like Shiffa Rose Night Elixir at night, and Shiffa Tri acid on a weekly basis. This age is when you really need to start eating well and sleeping well because they both can show on your skin quickly. You would benefit from a weekly massage and a monthly facial massage to keep your facial muscles tight. This is when you should also start looking for noninvasive LED light therapy or various lasers that help stimulate collagen formation as well.
Can you tell us a bit about your daily beauty routine?
In the morning, I drink a mug of warm water and squeezed lemon (you cannot talk about beauty without looking at what you feed your skin from the inside and outside). I use Shiffa cleanser with Shiffa Muslin cloth, followed by Balancing Floral toner (it is summer now and this toner helps absorb excess oil). Then I massage a few drops of Shiffa brightening ampoule into my skin and Shiffa eye cream under my eyes and on my neck, followed by Shiffa White tea moisturizer (I have combination skin). Then, I apply sunscreen on my face and neck. I use Tom Ford blusher and Suqqu lipstick from japan, I don’t use foundation or powder because my skin is so healthy thanks to my skincare regime, that foundation actually makes it look unhealthy. At night I cleanse twice, and follow the same routine but instead of using the ampoule I use Shiffa Rose Night Elixir, which helps my skin look radiant in the morning.
What is next for Shiffa Dubai?
What’s coming next is a secret!
Mirella Haddad
