The made-in-Dubai brand

Already finding its foothold headlining on the menu of Fairmont Fujairah’s Willow Stream Spa, newly-launched Emirates-inspired spa brand Hammamii is aiming to introduce the natural benefits of UAE-sourced ingredients to the world.

‘I’ve been passionate about the beauty industry for a long time; I started as a therapist, then became trainer, spa director and a cosmetic scientist. Hammamii is a culmination of those years of knowledge,’ Shawna says. She started Hammamii because she noticed a gap in the market for something with a local touch.

‘It bothered me as a consumer that I would go to different spas and have different treatments, and not be able to have something that was actually made fresh locally.

‘Hammamii aims to use as many local ingredients as possible. It’s 100 per cent halal, natural, fragrance-free, and made in Dubai. While at the heart of Hammamii is celebrating the hammam – we have eight hammam rituals on our spa menu – we wanted to create something that can be sold and used anywhere in the world, but still pay tribute to the beautiful traditions of the UAE, with our take-home products.’

Shawna’s top local ingredient is camel’s milk. ‘It has lots of lactic acids and a higher count of trace minerals and protein.’

The brand also uses dried lemons from Fujairah and salts from the Arabian Gulf. ‘We have sumac, coffee from Coffee Planet in Al Quoz, and of course, za’atar, which is an amazing anti-inflammatory.

‘We’re working on a soap right now inspired by the Emirati marriage ritual, based on neal, a rock that produces a beautiful indigo dye when crushed.’ The company is located in Dubai Design District (D3), which Shawna says is the perfect space for her lab. ‘It’s young, vibrant and creative with a bit of a buzz about it. It’s also in a free zone with an all-in-one permit that allows us to create, produce and distribute, so we have a product that’s truly made in the UAE.’