Skin serums, pigment creams, and hair balms are all products that most Egyptians assume are feminine. In fact, the traditional attitude towards skincare and other cosmetic products is that they are exclusively for women. However, that attitude is rapidly changing — and local Egyptian brands, such as Meraki, are reflecting this. Meraki is a local business for natural skincare, hair, and wellbeing products founded by Mona Awwad in 2019. Awwad is a chemist who began her business by making products as gifts for her friends; she now runs an entire natural product brand with her family. Her goals are to create affordable, high quality products, to encourage women to accept how they look in this age of social media, and to encourage them to adopt skincare routines early on. That being said, Awwad and her family are acutely aware of what’s in demand through their networks. Meraki may have started with women in mind, but the brand has branched out considerably since its inception. “[During the beginning of COVID] I developed the wellness line, which I’m very proud of,” Awwad tells Egyptian Streets. “We have something for pain, for anxiety…
Why Not Men? Meraki’s New Line Encourages Egyptian Men to Love Their Natural Selves
June 16, 2023
