Podcast 107: Naughty Alchemist – graduate & indie brand story

If you have arrived here, it is likely you are passionate about natural, organic skincare and are keen to discover more about the beauty – and business – of formulating plant-based cosmetics. At Formula Botanica, we have over 15,000 students studying to become organic cosmetic formulators with us and many have already launched their own cosmetics brand in parallel with their studies – and day jobs.

If you are considering bringing natural formulation into your life, then this episode is a must-listen for you. Formula Botanica CEO and podcast host Lorraine Dallmeier interviews a school graduate and brand owner who has taken her love of botanical beauty to new heights, expanding and diversifying her original business along the way.

Copenhagen-based Stella Nisreen Kanaan, a lifelong learner, beauty salon owner and cosmetic brand entrepreneur, talks about her passion, drive and determination to make plants and nature the foundation of not only her personal journey, but also that of her entire business. Stella infused her new, organic beauty product business into her salon practice. Unstoppable and certain of the business sense of botanicals, Stella talks us through her entrepreneurial journey, and shows just how possible it is to make a dream reality if you really believe in your mission.

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In this episode with Stella, you will hear:

• That while Stella already had a background as a beauty salon owner, and in aromatherapy and herbalism, she found the world of botanical cosmetic formulation was new to her and that she needed to study it to realise its potential in her business.
• That with the unusual brand name of the Naughty Alchemist, Stella played to her risk-taking nature and decided to buck the trend by launching her product business with a name that would demand attention and stand out.
• How Stella was approached by private label cosmetic manufacturers who offered to make a product line for her salon business. But Stella refused to go down that route, preferring to study with Formula Botanica so she could understand what went into her products, formulate them herself and be able to educate her customers about the benefits of natural ingredients.
• Stella started in the beauty business over 20 years ago running a salon by herself from a small flat. Now, she operates salon and product brand from a large Copenhagen house and has 28 employees. Stella says that it takes time, vision, investment and determination to build a successful business, but that the start-up years were a vital foundation and learning curve for her success today.

Key takeouts include:

• Dare to do things differently if you want to get noticed. Stella took the bold decision to make her lab the centre of her premises. By giving it glass walls, she could literally demonstrate the transparency and honesty of her cosmetic formulations to salon guests who stop by to see how things are made.
• Stella was a natural-born entrepreneur but still learned on the job along the way adding further skills to her original training as a beautician. With her Formula Botanica courses, Stella was able to diversify into cosmetic products and now sees this becoming a main thrust of her business and personal career.
• You do need to plan investment to grow a beauty brand and business. Stella started out small and made the growth steps she could at strategic junctures. Getting to know her customers first before deciding on her product range was paramount to Naughty Alchemist’s success.
• Stella ends her interview saying that natural formulation is pure joy every day thanks to the limitless creative possibilities it unleashes. She is now using her creativity further by seeing how she can work with a local farm to grow her own herbs to incorporate into her cosmetics.

Meet our guest:
Stella Nisreen Kanaan

Stella Nisreen Kanaan is the founder and alchemist in chief of Naughty Alchemist, a cosmetic brand that formulates, produces and sells organic skincare and lifestyle products from its own apothecary lab situated in the heart of Copenhagen, Denmark. From the same building, Stella also runs Beauty Avenue, a leading beauty salon & spa in green beauty in the city.

Stella created Naughty Alchemist from a deep passion for natural, plant-based, beauty care, and her own personal desire to live and interact with nature. Through her work, she wishes to empower people to demand higher standards for their cosmetics in the belief that the route to better, safer and more skin-nutritious cosmetic products lie in the natural ingredients they are made of.

Find Stella and Naughty Alchemist at:
Website: Naughty Alchemist
Instagram: @naughtyalchemist & @Stella.Nisreen.Kanaan

Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed listening, please share, subscribe and review this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Youtube so that more people can enjoy the show. Don’t forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Lorraine Dallmeier

Lorraine Dallmeier is a Biologist, Chartered Environmentalist and the CEO of Formula Botanica, the award-winning online organic cosmetic science school. Read more about Lorraine and the Formula Botanica Team.