Tired of looking for a skincare brand that is good for the environment, appropriate for warmer climates, and backed by science, Tarfa Al-Farhan and her partner Hui Min Ang (goes by Minnie) decided to formulate their own! Despite all the competition in the world, they were undeterred. We had the pleasure of sitting down with co-owner, Tarfa and hearing all about Souffle Beauty since her partner was out of the country on official business duty! This duo definitely had us believe that maybe sometimes business and friendships can mix.  

This dynamic duo had us super inspired with their will power to stand out among women in business and start something completely different. Only a few years ago, Tarfa, 29 pursued her bachelor’s and master’s degree in Switzerland and met her business partner Minnie, 29. They were both roommates, who soon turned into best friends and stumbled upon a need for personalized skincare. This came from long hours of working within the hospitality industry “you work long hours, and sometimes you cannot take care of yourself [since] you’re taking care of others”. 

In search of a quick fix, they came to find that facial cleansers within the industry outrageous. The amount of questionable ingredients and chemicals that went into them caused build up on the skin and left it looking dull. At the time Tarfa and Minnie stumbled upon the proposal that started it all, without even realizing it “it was an idea we came up and then left it alone for years until we met again in 2017”.

When asked if there were concerns about working together since they had such a close bond and did not want to risk losing it, the girls said they had gone through almost everything together and knew that they could count on each other no matter what. Their outlook was that if anything, their friendship would strengthen their business and not weaken it.

After a night of brainstorming and playing catch up, they decided to take a leap of faith and go for it. They researched chemists who could help them formulate the products they wanted to create. There were endless opportunities and countries to choose from, ultimately “it was between China and Singapore for us, we went with Singapore because that market is underrated” as well as “oversaturated with products from other countries such as Korea.”

When it was time to pick the base, Souffle Beauty settled on rose water because it is the best fitting base for all skin types and is not tested on animals. But not all Rose Water is equal and they chose Bulgarian rose water, which is 100% pure and natural. Rosewater is known for its skin-soothing properties and helps calm down skin irritations.

As far as the main ingredients, the ladies purposefully chose to include probiotics (specifically bifida ferment lysate) in their skincare line. Probiotics are the good bacteria your body needs to flourish. Within your skin regimen, they can act as a conditioner and help protect your skin from UV exposure. Their focus was to create a product line that would reemphasize the importance of skincare rather than makeup.

To top it off, the name Souffle came along. Having gone to school in Switzerland, both business partners felt inspired by the French dessert, the soufflé. They named their company Souffle Beauty because Souffle is known for its airy consistency. “We wanted people to think of our skincare line as light and fluffy as well! Something that applies easily, leaves the skin breathing and feels light to touch.”

Over time, and numerous trials and errors, Tarfa and Minnie kept pushing forward even when met with major competition like being told people simply did not care enough about skin in this region. They credit their perseverance to their success because they insisted on trusting their message and product regardless of the naysayers. Their advice to readers is to always remove your makeup before sleeping, no matter how tired you may be and to drink lots and lots of water.  

They have just been nominated for the best urban serum in Singapore. The serum forms a protective layer that protects from common pollutants in the air, perfect for the atmosphere in Kuwait.

For more information follow @soufflebeautyofficial on Instagram, or visit their website www.soufflebeauty.com.

Featured image by bazaar Studios. Photo of Minnie courtesy of Souffle Beauty.