Q & A With Dafna Shaham – Founder of Dafna’s Personal Skincare

Dafna’s Personal Skincare is a Spanish brand that create natural products, which are based on high concentrations of active ingredients and advanced biotechnology that bring visible results on your skin, your health and wellbeing.

It’s founder Dafna Shaham has always been passionate about the natural world. Her own name which means ‘laurel leaves’ in Hebrew is the brand logo.

Dafna is an aromatherapist, Naturopath and cosmetic formulator with more than 18 years experience in tailor made, personalized products.

Through her experience she has seen the great influence of essential oils on skin conditions and stress, and in 2008 starting formulating tailor made products for her clients that addressed skin repair and enhanced wellbeing.

In 2014 Dafna, in collaboration with scientists, created her anti-ageing line based on the Ayurvedic philosophy, with natural and bio active ingredients and highly advanced biotechnology.

This line of products, DR², are composed of more than 40 active ingredients with the best quality and concentration (11-25 actives per product) that work in synergy and is designed to have beneficial effects on the skin and wellbeing.

Her products do not contain parabens, mineral oils, allergens, dyes, synthetic preservatives or synthetic fragrances and are not tested on animals

All the ingredients used are certified by NATRUE and ECOCERT and the organic essential oils are certified by SOIL association.

I reached out to Dafna to find out more about the brand.

How did it all begin? What inspired you to start your own brand?

Since being a child I just LOVED to put on creams and it was ‘my thing’. But it all started on my visit to India in 2000, when I fell in love with aromatherapy and started to learn it and directly went to start elaborating creams – which is my passion.

After doing that for a while the word started to spread, and my friends started coming to me with their issues and wanted me to hep them with skin issues they had, and on their daily creams. So though I was actually working on Consulting at that time, slowly slowly I understood that my passion, love and where my heart goes is in creams.. so I learned more and more and created lots of formulas testing it all over until in the end I elaborated my DR2 line.

I love aromatherapy. Why is it important to you?

It is important to me as it gives our body a full answer – from treating and solving issues (not only skin issues of course) to the great total feel it provides. It is holistic in the full sense and I am an aroma addict.

How did you decide on what products to create?

For me the most critical in skincare is to have good cleanser, hydration and nutrition. If you do that right your skin already looks great. People usually do just 1 or 2 of those… but the 3 are for me the “holistic” combination.

Saying that, this is what I elaborated first and worked on for few years to create the formulas that I like the best – effective on skin, PH compatible, with great aromas and textures…. so you LOVE to apply.

What has been the most challenging part of your journey creating your brand?

Well, being a mom to 2 small children (actually both were born in the past 4 years ) so it’s trying to combine fresh motherhood and starting my business, lots of juggling.

As a brand what standards do you follow when it comes to the ingredients, where they are sourced and manufacturing?

For me being authentic is critical. In the society we live today we lose authenticity so fast. So the ingredients have to be authentic, ones that I test and love; ones that have added value to skin – I do not add ingredients because of their ‘name’ or that they have nice marketing….

Have you got a favourite product in your line that you absolutely cannot live without and why?

For me – NUTRITION cream, as it is covers so many functions… it hydrates the skin, it provides nutrition, anti-detox, and it has such a comforting aroma – that allows you to relax and really enjoy the cream.

This cream I have been using on my clients for many years, and it took time until it got to where it is – each time I added some more ingredients that just made it better. My clients adore this cream.

What are your top three tips for healthy and youthful skin?

Cleansing is critical. We hear a lot about that topic lately, but even before it was fashion.. it is critical in order to have clean soft skin.

Try to minimize daily stress and find ways to help you relax. For me one way is having beauty rituals. You can use 5- 10 minutes to really relax, change mood, put the important thing first… take care of yourself.
Hydration – keeps skin supple, smooth and reduces fine lines.

What do you like to do to relax?

I walk and breathe deep or apply natural and aromatherapy creams… its funny but since I was a child for me putting creams on my face and body just relaxes me. I had a good friend that each time I was a bit down just told me “go and apply some creams”. She knew it would cheer me up and it does… it makes me relax and feel good.

What can we expect from Dafna’s in the near future?

We are coming soon with a new product – a mask that is so rich, detoxing and comforting that the skin is just grateful after applying it.

Again, for me it’s about effectiveness and enjoyment… so I always try to have both in my products and that my clients will just fall in love with their skin again.