Using camel milk in skincare

Manjula Ramakrishnan

From the bygone days in history, camels have been a primary part of the Arab World’s heritage. In order to promote the goodness that camel’s milk offers, Stevi Lowmass launched The Camel Soap Factory in 2013.

“We love UAE and want our products to reflect the rich traditions and heritage of the region. We have simply expanded our soap and gifting niche to include gorgeous skin care products such as a rescue cream, using local ingredients like camel milk and frankincense.”

Stevi proceeds to explain the sheer potential of camel milk…

What is your source for the local camel milk?

We buy all our milk from one of the oldest dairies in the region, Al Ain Farms. They provide us with the highest quality camel milk we can source from animals that are well treated and fed.

How did the idea of getting into skincare with camel milk come about?

Our mission has always been to create beautiful products that reflect the traditions and heritage of the region. Moving into creams was a natural step from our natural soap products.

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How affordable are products related to camel milk and what variety can be produced from it?

Camel milk as a raw ingredient compares in price to any other natural or organic ingredient and is therefore a very cost-effective active ingredient. Our company focuses on skincare and we manufacture a wide range of soap products with camel milk. We also produce lip balms and creams based on camel milk.

All our products are formulated with natural ingredients using a minimum amount of preservatives or any other additives. The lip balms are formulated with rich shea butter, coconut oils and beeswax as well as the camel milk. The creams are based on a rich formulation of olive and rice bran oils, shea butter, camel milk, frankincense and sweet orange essential oils.

 Stevi Lowmass, founder and CEO of The Camel Soap Factory.

How environment friendly are the products?

We endeavour to keep all our packaging environmentally friendly. For instance, our soaps are packed into recyclable jute bags or boxes. And the creams are packed in aluminium bottles which are recyclable. We have tried to keep the use of plastic down to a minimum.

Will the clientele be largely Arabs or will this appeal to other nationalities too?

We think the cream appeals to a broad spectrum of age groups and nationalities. We have done surveys whilst developing the cream and found the appeal is broad — many people are simply looking for beautiful, natural and cost-effective skin products.

What were the struggles faced in this journey to promote camel milk products?

We have had our fair share of struggles in trying to build our brand. In the early days we had to deal with counterfeits and very cheap copies of our product. Moving into skincare has its challenges, not the least of which is establishing consumer trust.

What factors should one consider when selecting cosmetic products?

Personally when I buy products the first thing I do is read the ingredients. I consider how it is packaged. For example, a jar or cream will require me dipping my fingers into it multiple times over the course of a month. That requires a much stronger preservative than a cream which is dispensed by a pump.

There are also a few ingredients I avoid; for example, parabens as preservatives and SLS’s in soaps. I also look out for fragrance, a common allergen and am careful with fragrance in leave-on products. I also appreciate simple packaging that can be recycled. Besides, beauty is also about what we put in our body as much as on our skins. Therefore eat as healthily and naturally as possible; keep the body hydrated and keep out of the sun.

What distinctive edge does the camel rescue cream offer?

When we formulated the product, we really wanted to create a natural product with as few preservatives as possible, using the most natural ingredients we could find. We were looking to create a product that could be a simple go-to product for not just moisturising the skin in the morning or evening, but also to use when skin was a little stressed from our harsh desert climate, or after swimming in very salty water. And be perfect to use when you need just a little extra care such as when flying or travelling.

Just as everything was beginning to fall in place, the addition of Omani frankincense and sweet orange gave it a complete holistic touch. We knew frankincense smelled gorgeous. It was when we started looking at the literature that we realised we might have found not just a fragrant additive but an astonishing active ingredient. We balanced the heady earthiness of the frankincense oil with sweet gentle orange oil and found the perfect balance. The frankincense turns a beautiful cream into an extraordinary one.