Even in the depths of the tombs, cut off from the living world, from nature, and from every scent the Earth could offer, the ancient Egyptians carried the essence of fragrance with them into the afterlife, with evidence revealing that human mummies preserved in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo still release their own aromas.
From sweet, herbal notes to traces of orange peel and flowers, the ancient Egyptians treated scent the way an artist treats a palette of colors, blending and layering them to evoke a certain mood, and even more, to harness their healing power. For them, smelling good was inseparable from caring for the mind, spirit, and body; it was ritual and remedy all at once.
Although the role of scent in ancient Egypt has long been documented by archaeologists and historians, its influence on today’s wellness and beauty practices is still largely overlooked by the industry. Yet Jumana Safar and her mother, the founders of Mystic Amber Aromatherapy, Egypt’s first luxury aromatherapy brand, are bridging Egypt’s aromatherapeutic heritage with today’s wellness culture.
Their brand not only highlights the cultural roots of these wellness practices but also seeks to preserve them, at a time when many modern wellness trends borrow from ancient rituals without acknowledging their true origins.
This year, fragrance has flourished as beauty’s fastest-growing category, outpacing even skincare and makeup, with celebrities like Bella Hadid and Selena Gomez stepping into the space to capture the attention of younger audiences. While the global market continues to expand, it also presents a timely opportunity for young entrepreneurs in the region to showcase the scent heritage of their own cultures.
Building on this trend, Safar recently launched a pop-up for her brand at U Venues Mall in New Cairo. More than a place to purchase scents, the space embodies the heritage of the ancient Egyptians and their spiritual beliefs. Visitors can explore corners dedicated to the Egyptians’ understanding of energy centers in the body, also known as the “seven chakras.”
“We want to remind people of that history and carry it forward with a brand that is modern, credible, and proudly local,” Safar tells Egyptian Streets.
Bottling ancient wisdom
Safar’s path to entrepreneurship was shaped by a few formative years of self-discovery, first coming to terms with her identity as an entrepreneur, and learning what worked for her and what did not in the industry. Armed with a degree in Communication and Media Arts from the American University in Cairo, she began her career with a brief stint in advertising.
But, it did not take long for her to realize that this was not the life she wanted to build for herself.
“I just felt like it wasn’t for me. It’s just not who I am,” she says. “My creativity was very limited.”
She soon moved into her family’s import and export distribution company, towards the end of 2018, gaining three years of experience in marketing and distribution for international skincare brands supplied to Egypt’s five-star hotels. Having this kind of background in operations, client management, and hospitality partnerships would later prove crucial in shaping her own brand strategy.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Safar and her mother faced a hard stop in their family’s import and distribution business. But, instead of waiting it out, the pair decided to pivot.
“We thought, why not create a local brand?” Safar explains. “We’ve always been passionate about wellness, so it felt like the right time to build something of our own.”
Amid a wellness industry overflowing with brands, Mystic Amber Aromatherapy set out to define its own path. For Safar and her mother, the clear point of differentiation lay in how they fused cultural heritage with science. Both trained as certified aromatherapists through the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA) in the U.S., they also delved into the study of Reiki, chakras, and Egyptology.
It was this blend of knowledge that became the foundation, and the heartbeat, of their brand.
“We learned that ancient Egyptians were actually pioneers in aromatherapy and the chakra system. There is a lot of awareness that this knowledge stems from Hinduism and Buddhism, but there is not enough knowledge on the role of the ancient Egyptians in also pioneering this knowledge,” she says. “We wanted to highlight that heritage in a modern, premium brand.”
The Seven Chakra Collection, for example, is a distinctive aromatherapy set crafted with seven Egyptian essential oils. These oils are even inscribed on the walls of Edfu Temple in Aswan, where they were believed to help balance and re-harmonize the body.
The ancient Egyptians also once turned to blue lotus oil during their spiritual festivals, seeing the flower as a symbol of birth and renewal, while also valuing its calming, restorative effects. Today, that tradition finds new life in Mystic Amber’s Blue Lotus Essential Oil, reimagined for modern rituals of prayer, meditation, or yoga.
The product range spans room sprays, body oils, essential oils, mists, and roll-ons, each developed with a functional purpose in mind. Stress relief blends pair lavender with rose, cleansing formulas combine frankincense with palo santo, while oriental-inspired sprays serve as a contemporary alternative to traditional bukhoor (a traditional Middle Eastern incense).
“When people hear the word chakras or aromatherapy, they don’t usually take it seriously,” Safar explains. “But, it’s quite similar even to our cultures and religions. We already have a tradition that if you want to cleanse your energy, you automatically read verses from the Quran and use the scent of bukhoor to calm you down.”
For her, the idea is anything but foreign to the region, as it is deeply connected to rituals people already practice. “I always try to tell people that it’s the same as drinking tea, but you’re just smelling it or applying it on your skin. Your skin is the biggest organ of your body. Why do we drink mint tea, for instance? Because there are therapeutic qualities in every single plant.”
Among the distinctive scents Safar incorporates into her blends is bergamot, which is a citrus note with subtle spicy and floral undertones, often described as a cross between sweet orange and lemon. “It’s a very uplifting and positive scent. It uplifts your mood and gives you that extra push to fulfill your day-to-day tasks,” she explains.
For those who struggle with insomnia, there are also bedtime mists that can be sprayed on pillows. “We have bedtime mists that you can spray on your pillow, helping you overcome mental and emotional overthinking right before sleeping,” she adds.
From farm to formula
One of the biggest concerns around scents is their reliance on synthetic chemicals, compounds that can trigger allergies, respiratory issues, and skin irritation. From the outset, Safar was determined to take a different approach. She insisted on sourcing everything locally, working with farms in Fayoum, and keeping every ingredient clean and chemical-free.
Known historically as Egypt’s “garden,” Fayoum’s climate and soil conditions make it especially favorable for cultivating aromatic plants and medicinal herbs. Today, many of the country’s finest essential oils originate there, making the area not just a key supplier but also a cornerstone of Egypt’s scent economy.
“Everyone says your [Mystic Amber Aromatherapy’s] scents are unique,” she says. “It’s not just because we blend unique scents together. It’s also because of the quality of the ingredients that we use, which are very premium and natural. There are no chemicals, no carbons, and no synthetics.”
Using local sources did not just guarantee the quality of the product; it also helped with Egypt’s current import challenges. “I’m never out of stock of a product because everything is sourced here,” she points out.
“As a young entrepreneur, especially as a woman, people questioned the authenticity of the ingredients and the science behind the brand. But I had to be strict about everything, from our sourcing and our formulas to our packaging.”
Quality control is also one of the toughest but most vital aspects of building a brand. In the scent economy, where consumer trust hinges on consistency, even the smallest misstep can compromise a product’s integrity. “I personally oversee every stage, from printing to packaging to the pop-up design,” she says. “You have to be persistent until you get the result you want.”
Persistence, for Safar, is especially critical in Egypt’s business environment, where entrepreneurs often navigate fragmented supply chains, fluctuating material costs, and inconsistent standards. For local businesses trying to compete with international players, ensuring reliability and precision becomes not only a differentiator but a survival strategy.
“If I just hand something off and try to manage it over the phone, it won’t work. You have to be present all the time,” she says. “Over time, I’ve also become more perceptive about what I want and what I don’t want, whether it’s products, business decisions, or even corporate deals. That clarity only comes with experience.”
Over time, she quickly came to know that in the wellness space, credibility is currency. Holding firm to a premium positioning helped to distinguish the brand from a crowded space of consumer brands, earning the trust of the hospitality sector with partnerships at the very top tier, supplying spa products to the Cairo Marriott, Four Seasons, and Waldorf Astoria.
Reaching everyday consumers
Beyond hotels and spas, the brand is also building a consumer-facing presence. In the summer of 2025, she launched her first pop-up at U Venues Mall in New Cairo, creating a more immersive retail experience that included live music, a scent customization bar, a polaroid scent station and an energy reading station.
“Hotels gave us access to tourists, but the pop-up lets us connect directly with local customers,” she explains. “We even set up a chakra station where visitors could learn about energy centers and receive personalized readings.”
Believing that scents are deeply personal, she included an aroma bar in the pop-up where people can customize their own scent, allowing them to smell and try the oils, and even blend them, to find a scent that truly matches their personality.
“This field is so personalized, which is why I felt people needed to physically interact with our products,” she says. “You can take a test right here to see which chakra is blocked and needs balancing. You have to first understand yourself and exactly what you need, then smell and feel everything before you buy it.”
To make the brand more accessible and educational, Safar is expanding beyond products into experiences. Later this year, she plans to introduce workshops on chakras, alongside aroma-focused sessions and Pilates events. The goal is to cultivate a full lifestyle experience, one that influences how people live, not just how they smell.
“We have a unique edge, a cutting edge, which is the Egyptian story and Egyptian wisdom, blended into modernity,” she says.
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