Upfill’s founder Mariam Khafagy
Cosmetic and beauty products are associated with negative environmental impact, including the size of the carbon footprint in the production process and the harmful chemicals found in them. Additionally, there are millions of tons of water contained in transportation, leading Mariam Khafagy to co-found Upfill, the region’s first waterless cosmetics brand. Along with partner Thomas, Khafagy wanted to make eco-conscious living accessible for everyone.
After extensive research and development spanning over two years, the founders devised a product formula containing 100 percent active ingredients, all packaged in the form of a solid bar. Subsequently, the unique homegrown brand offers personal care products that contain all the key ingredients without any of the waste and without the usage of excess water.
While traditional cosmetics are made up of around 70 percent water, the brand that is based on the philosophy ‘its cool to care’ uses only 10 percent. Made with natural ingredients, effective formulations and beautiful scents, the Upfill products re-writing the beauty industry equation don’t contain unnecessary non-recyclable plastics and harmful chemicals either.
"Why do we need all these extras that are harmful for us and for the environment, when we can have healthy solid bars that work wonders?" Khafagy says.
As well as being 100 percent cruelty free, the total of 10 Upfill products, which span the hair, face and body categories, are all natural and vegan. In addition to an Upfill shampoo, which is SLS and paraben free, there is a conditioner, facial cleanser, moisturiser, mask and make-up remover. Plus, the body range includes a shower oil and body scrub to effectively remove dead skin without drying out the skin. And they all come in recyclable and refillable packaging. According to Khafagy, there are also a handful of accessories that will help consumers properly store and use the products. She also says the personal care brand is aiming to add more choices in the near future.
“We understand making major lifestyle choices is not going to happen overnight and through Upfill we aim not just to serve our planet but also inspire people to make better choices” she adds.
Apart from the obvious advantage of saving water, waterless cosmetics are the fastest growing beauty and clean beauty trend globally. They reduce carbon footprint by removing unnecessary water, a precious resource, from products and processes. Additionally, solid cosmetics, as they are also known, eliminate the transport of water, which is in the products, from one continent to another. This also helps to reduce the carbon footprint associated with this process, especially since there’s already water to be found locally.
Products are available to order globally through the Upfill website – www.upfill.ae
