Aneela Zaman, Zaman Skincare

There are 2 topical skin care products in the Zaman Skincare portfolio and 1 hero ingredient, which makes ingredient source, purity, and quality central to the brand’s story. But there’s more to it, of course. In the first year, beauty entrepreneur Aneela Zaman has laid the financial groundwork, secured retail partnerships, and begun building a team that will help decide the future of her brand.

Here, Zaman shares a profile of herself and the brand.

Name: ​Aneela Zaman, CEO and Founder

Indie Beauty Company: ​Zaman Skincare

Launched: ​February 2018

Headquarters: ​Beverly Hills, California

Cash flow: ​Zaman Skincare is 100% self-funded. When I first started in 2017, I invested $20,000 of my own money to get the business off the ground. While I was going through the R&D process, I met a gentleman who shared with me about SBC for small businesses. I attended a one-hour orientation and was introduced to the multiple resources the center offered. I was taught how to write a business plan and was able to secure a $150,000 loan from the bank because of it.

Indie how? ​For me, an indie beauty brand is something that starts from a passion and a concept.  It’s born from an individual’s mission to serve the specific needs of a niche audience. They are often born out of the desire of the founder to solve a problem that he or she is passionate about, and it is this passion that defines the brand. Indie brands have an authentic creative story that provides a distinct marketing advantage by resonating deeply with their target audience. Indie beauty brands are led by a breed of entrepreneurs that are progressive, creative, and not afraid to rewrite the rules of traditional business.

Team work: ​1-3 employees and growing. When I first started, I did a lot of the legwork on my own and I continue to do so. l am fortunate to now have a group of young talented females to help support my vision for the brand. Brianne helps with our website and all the graphics, while Avalon manages our social feeds, and Robin helps brand awareness through PR.  I am effective in what I know, but I am a strong believer in surrounding yourself with those who are experts at what they do for a brand or any company to be successful.

Distribution: ​The brand was launched through our website; and we landed our first retail positioning at Salon Fedora at the St. Regis Hotel in New York, and our second positioning was at The Nail Bar and Beauty Salon in Beverly Hills. We met Amazon at the IBE trade show and joined their platform. We are growing steadily and very pleased.

Years in beauty: ​I have been in the beauty industry for more than 20 years. I started my career as a makeup artist in 1997. I was fortunate to work on some of the most amazing ad campaigns, television, and film projects.

Years at Zaman Skincare: ​2 years

Entrepreneurial experience: ​Zaman Skincare is my second venture. My first venture was in 1998 when I launched my color cosmetic line, Notorious Kolours. It was inspired and designed for international women of color. I’m from Pakistan, and most of my friends were also of ethnic backgrounds. We all found it hard to find colors which complimented our skin tones. I saw a niche and went after it.  I launched, made it onto national TV, and I got prestige positioning at a beauty salon in Yorkville, Toronto. Within weeks of my launch I fell head over heels in love with an actor. I packed up everything and moved to LA with him.

What I learned as an artist is the skin is the canvas. You have to prime the canvas for you to be flawless and radiant. That was the [starting point]. Zaman Skincare began in 2016. I was at my parent’s home in Toronto having a chat about how my skin was lacking of radiance. It was during this chat that my dad shared the wonders of black cumin seed. He had worked at the health products company Abbots Laboratory in Pakistan when I was a little girl. I quickly learned through him the multitude of benefits this tiny seed had.

The business: ​Our belief, our vision at Zaman Skincare is that skin needs water and oil but at different times of day. Herbal water is for morning and seed oil is for night; with this in mind, we create a sensorial experience.

We believe that excluding either oil or water from your skin care routine leads to imbalance, which manifests as dull, lackluster, and aging skin. Oil and water in skin care act as yin and yang: one needs the other to stay in illuminating balance. …Rise & Shine Serum for Daytime. Sleeping Beauty Serum for Nighttime. Herbal cell water combined with exfoliating fruit acid provides deep hydration and radiance. Pure black cumin seed oil provides long lasting luminosity.

The wow-factor: ​Zaman Skincare is about beauty and wellness from within. We are unique in what we deliver in terms of ingredients and their potency. We believe everyone woman and man deserves to experience timeless radiance.

The customer: ​We are a non-gender brand and although women are the majority of our customers, I believe men are starting to pay attention to the importance of self-care and self-love….I target people who want to feel positive in their skin.

Milestone moment: ​I am proud to be where I am. To take an ingredient that no one has heard of and bring it to market is a milestone not only for me but for my dad too!

Advice for fellow beauty entrepreneurs: ​Take risks and never give up on your passion! There will always be people who will say you can’t do it or you’ll never make it. I was told no one would pick up my brand because of the limited amount of SKU’s I had. If I had listened to others opinions I would have never launched. Trust me - you can do anything, but you have to love it, believe in it, and have fun with it.

Just one: ​Asked to pick just one product, Zaman say it’s her Sleeping Beauty Illuminating Serum.

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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.