Recently, I had the pleasure to have a brief question and answer session, with the ace beautician Mana of MANA Beauty and Spirit.

MANA Beauty and Spirit is a skin and hair care brand that makes hand-blended beauty product from fresh herbs and organic ingredients.

Q: Tell us what MANA is all about? How did the skin care brand start up?

A: MANA is a belief in the power of healing through products that speak the true language of nature; it is all about healing skin through aromatherapy that cleanses the skin from inside and out. With great hard work and craftsmanship we have developed products using our knowledge of skin care science and the power of herbs. I have always loved love fragrances, colors and all things natural. Therefore, I chose to make a full-fledged career out of my passion for natural and organic products.

Q: How did your journey into making skin care products begin?

A: I studied hair and beauty from Harrow College, London and gained diplomas in making skin care products using natural ingredients from Covent Garden Beauty Institute of London.

Upon the completion of my education I started working in the English beauty industry. It was then that I experienced and benefited from some great natural products, which had amazing results, and had no side effects, but were also very expensive.

Thus, I became curious and started my own research into this field and gradually developed my own products through the course of studying aromatherapy and the art of essential oils. Throughout my journey I have learnt that each product that I create is a piece of art and is always different and original, reflecting the purity of the ingredients I use to make it.

Q: Tell us about the different types of products that MANA offers?

A: We offer three ranges of products, for the face, hair and body.

For the face we offer a bliss balm that is made with pure butters and beeswax and serves as a versatile cleanser, toner, and moisturizer, followed by a lip balm, and an anti- aging Forever Young night serum that is made with an anti-oxidant and multi-vitamin formulas to revitalize the skin.

For the body range we manufacture a Limelight body wash that thoroughly cleanses the skin and has an enchanting fragrance, followed by an amazing Awaken body scrub made with sea salts and fresh herbs that smoothen the skin. Lastly, we offer a Clarity Cream rich in natural minerals and essential oils to enrich and refresh the skin.

Our hair care range includes strengthening shampoos, conditioning treatments, serums and essential oils.

Q: All your products are hand blended which involve a lot of hard work, how do you manage to produce such amazing products all by yourself?

A: For me making skin care products is a passion. I love the whole process of creating amazing skin care products using fresh and natural ingredients. Therefore, I prefer hand blending. Each of my products has a personal feel to it and their smell and colours vary from batch to batch and season-to-season as I only choose fresh ingredients and colours as they are not synthetically treated and are free of preservatives.

Q: Do you use seasonal ingredients at MANA?

A: Yes, Ingredients for all our products are always fresh in the form of fruits, vegetables, and herbs such as: rosemary and lemongrass. We also use a lot of essential oils, butters, lavender, chamomile rose buds and almonds in our products.

Q: You also have your own Salon and spa; tell us a bit about that.

A: At MANA Salon and Spa we offer all services ranging from hair treatments, haircuts, hair styling and much more. We also offer massage therapies, facial treatments to suit all skin types. Furthermore, we offer signature treatment, which are only available by appointment where I examine the client’s needs and design a specialized treatment for them.

Q: As a beautician and skin care specialist, what do you feel are the mistakes that women in Pakistan are making when it comes to skin care?

A: I believe that people have the knowledge and understanding of what they want but, unfortunately, they head towards getting cosmetic surgeries and treatments done that offer quick results, but damage the skin in the long term. Moreover, they are not given the right choice of treatments and are rather pushed to go for drastic and harsh treatments often performed with unhygienic equipment. I feel that this lack of knowledge about the right treatments and which lead people to opt for harsh treatments is a major skin care mistake.

Q: What is MANA’s personal skin and health care routine?

A: I believe that we should always keep the skin clean and let it breathe. I mostly use my Bliss Balm for cleansing and toning the skin and even as an overnight mask to hydrate the skin. I follow an intensive massage routine once a week and apply fresh hand made masks at least once a week.

Q: What’s the secret to beautiful and glowing skin?
A: The secret to glowing skin lies in your lifestyle and eating habits. Take good care of yourself, eat healthy and workout at least thrice a week. Moreover, keep an optimistic approach towards life and feed your spirit by being near to nature as much as possible and try to meditate at least ten to fifteen minutes a day.

Q: One skin care advice that you would like to give to our readers?
A: Follow a good and healthy skin care skin care regime. Start with cleansing and toning the face on a daily basis. Drink lots of water and never compromise on the quality of products that you apply on your skin.

Q: When will we be able to shop for MANA products at leading stores?

A: Our products are already available at our Spa and also through our Facebook and Instagram pages by the handle “Mana Beauty & Spirit”. Moreover, we will be launching our online store on the 20th of April. We intend to keep our products as affordable as possible, so that everyone can benefit from them. You would find our products in leading stores very soon.