Whether your skin is dry, oily, sensitive or a combination of all three, taking care of your skin seems to be more of a chore than a joy most of the time. But by using natural products made with powerful ingredients that address skin concerns, you can actually see results (in an ideal world clear and supple skin!), which will have you raving about your newfound beauty best friend. Zaaina Skincare, based in Gilbert, creates and sells facial masks, soaps, bath bombs, lip balm and soy candles made from natural ingredients.

Purvi Desai, founder and creator of Zaaina Skincare, started the company in 2010 with three products: the Clear Skin Face Mask, Clear Skin Face Scrub and Skin Clarifying Toner, and has since expanded to offer more than 40 products. Desai was born in India and grew up seeing her mom and grandmother using ingredients found in the kitchen to make their own products such as face masks and hair conditioners. “I was always fascinated with natural skincare and bath care and then I started conducting research by reading articles about how other people were creating their products,” Desai said.

She decided to leave her job in 2010 and pursue her passion full-time to create Zaaina. Desai said her decision was prompted since she was already creating products in her daily life and wanted to see if she could create a product that someone else would be interested in. She began producing and selling the products and received positive feedback, then the business grew and she was able to start selling online through Etsy, Amazon and others.

Their product line expanded through customer inquiries Desai said. “We normally work with our customers one-on-one, and they tell us what skin concerns they want addressed, and then we collect data, conduct research how we can make a high-quality product that benefits the skin,” Desai continued. “Once we have the product, we give it to friends and family to try out and get feedback; afterward, we incorporate that feedback then introduce the product.”

For example, Desai said a customer asked if Zaaina Skincare could make turmeric soap because they heard good things about the benefits of using it and couldn’t find it in the market. Since that inquiry, Zaaina Skincare has a turmeric face mask, turmeric glowing beauty soap bar with turmeric oatmeal and honey to soothe, moisturize and exfoliate the skin and is coconut oil free. They also have a neem and turmeric soap with neem oil, tea tree essential oil and rosemary essential oil which relieves dry skin, evens out skin tone, cleanses pores and helps prevent future breakouts.

In addition, their clear skin, detox, deep hydration and skin brightening face masks focus on skin concerns like acne, dryness or oiliness by using healing ingredients like turmeric, honey, tea tree oil and bentonite clay. If shopping on Zaaina’s website, customers can filter products by skin concern to view what products fit their skincare goals.

Zaaina also creates festive soaps like their home for the holidays scent with an essential oil blend of cranberry, orange, vanilla, pine, cinnamon and clove and popular scents like rosemary tea tree eucalyptus, lavender and lemongrass, clear complexion tomato and soothing oatmeal, goat milk and honey. They also hand pour their 100 percent soy candles with scents including peppermint spearmint, leather and cedarwood and citrus bliss and have an assortment of gift sets with combinations of soaps, bath bombs and candles.

“We always try to bring something different for each of our products and our main focus is to work with ingredients which have been proven to be effective in the last century and that’s where our brand stands out more,” Desai said. “We also try to focus on organic ingredients by buying from local or small shops who are putting their heart into those quality ingredients.”

In addition, they offer Ayurveda soaps, which contain ingredients that are designed to nourish, relax and firm, deep cleanse, and help restore the elasticity of the skin. Zaaina creates five different Ayurveda soaps that include aloe vera, sandalwood, turmeric, bentonite clay and basil composed of a blend of essential oils and powders.

Zaaina Skincare’s website defines Ayurveda as a “holistic science of health focusing on maintaining a physically and emotionally balanced state. The Sanskrit term Ayurveda comes from the word “ayur,” meaning “life” and “veda” meaning “knowledge.” Over the centuries, Ayurveda became the science of life, providing a foundation for a healthy mind, body, and spirit. Ayurvedic medicine emphasizes natural cures and treatments to restore a person’s energy and promote healing. The same principles apply to Ayurvedic products, which are formulated using ingredients which clean and refresh the skin, with its specific ingredients determining its exact effects. Ayurveda sees bathing as a therapeutic and healing activity; it enhances physical energy levels and improves mental clarity, helps remove toxins from the skin, relaxes the mind and balances emotions.”

They create their soaps using the traditional cold process method in small batches with premium quality ingredients like oils, butters, therapeutic grade essential oils and botanicals and herbs—and the products are working. Customers are happy with the products and are seeing tangible results that help them reach their skincare goals.

“One customer said she had really bad skin and she tried everything and it didn’t work, and she pretty much was hiding her skin through makeup,” Desai said. “And then once she found our products and used them, she could see the improvement and difference in her skin, and now since her skin has improved she doesn’t wear that much makeup, her skin is glowing and she’s getting compliments; she loves how she feels,” Desai continued.

“A lot of people who use the soap said they look forward to going home after a busy day just so they can wash their face with the soap, because of the scent and feel they have,” Desai said. “We get a lot of positive feedback from reviews online and emails that it’s a high-quality product and makes a huge difference on their skin complexion.”

Desai said she has enjoyed the journey of starting the product line and how it has expanded, and that people are not only using the products, but seeing how the products are making a difference in their lives. As part of her goal to increase awareness of the company, Desai wants to reach out to more retailers to see the products in more stores, attend more trade shows to reach spas and boutiques, and is working on creating some health and wellness products that can help calm and soothe in the midst of every day stresses.

Zaaina Skincare products can be purchased on their website, through online retailers including Costco, Amazon and Etsy and is sold at 10 stores Valley-wide.