Dubai-based entrepreneur Ollia Tzarina went from styling celebrities to making organic products after receiving a backlash for her faux-fur clothing line.
Also fueled by a frustration to find truly organic products, Tzarina launched Bio Lab Exotique.
And with top stars such as Beyonce, Cardi B, Ariana Grande, and the Kardashian clan all showing an interest in her products, she revealed that the biggest obstacle to success in the industry isn’t consumer demand, but that beauty brands need to figure out how to source, manufacture, and scale clean products.
She speaks to Arabian Business about the idea behind her company and what the future holds for the company.
Ollia Tzarina.
When did you come up with the idea of Bio Lab Exotique or realise there was a gap in the market for the business?
It came naturally. I got hyped up by the whole ‘organic skincare is so good for you’ movement, so I went to a well-known brand to look for some products, and I was a little disappointed to find out that there is literally no purely organic product, and this is backed by a one-year study that we did.
They are all mixed with chemicals. It’s not organic, it’s a marketing trick.
So I got myself a business partner – a prominent entrepreneur, Asghar Akhtar Khan – and we jetted off to Morocco to assess Argan tree plantations, and we hired a team and selected a factory. This was the conception of Bio Lab Exotique and how we turned it from an idea into a reality.
What is your business plan?
We do not overproduce; we have a limited stock. The demand exceeds the supply and that’s the way we want to keep it. We selectively place Bio Lab Exotique into the stores and we sell online, just on our own website.
And as we are ready to expand globally, I cannot rule out the option of potentially seeking venture capital investment.
Is the company bootstrapped or have you raised capital from investors? Can you take us through your funding journey?
We have done everything using our own money. We get a lot of investors who want to work with us but we are super selective.
Where would you like to see the company in the next five years?
In Sephora for sure. My personal goal is Sephora globally. We currently have an opportunity to place Bio Lab Exotique into every private jet in Europe, so we will see how that goes.
What is your vision for the company?
My vision is for the company to correct all the wrong ideas people knew about Argan oil. I want to start an awareness campaign to create an accessible Argan oil product for everyone.
I have discovered that most people don’t see a difference between our oils and the cheap versions that are sold in pharmacies for $5. That comes from the lack of education and consumers believing that what they have access to is authentic. It’s not. It’s all mixed with mineral oils, that’s why it’s cheap.
They pour three drops of Argan and tell you it’s organic. The result? Instead of glowy, beautiful skin, without outbreaks, you get no results, or you get acne because the product was really mineral oil.
Argan oil is expensive by default, but for consumers who try pure Argan oil, they can see the difference.
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