#4: The GADIS GILA Guide To... shopping in a time of genocide: The "Support" list (international beauty edition)
Need to stock up your bathroom shelves and cabinets? Bookmark this guide, updated regularly.
Research by Atia Shahana & Hidayah Salamat.
This article is the third of the multi-part series #DecolonisingTheWorld, an exercise in helping us reclaim our sense of humanity—one hefty piece of research, reporting and writing at a time.
In the first GADIS GILA Guide to… shopping in a time of genocide, we listed international beauty brands and conglomerates to boycott and more importantly, why.
BDS platforms are super-helpful but they don’t all align and most—being acts of goodwill—don’t have the capacity to explain the whys. We complement this work by providing mostly primary evidence in our recommendations.
Here we go.
SUPPORT LIST (in alphabetical order)
The companies and brands below are classified as “support” for the following reasons: 1) The company and/or its founder openly speaks up against genocide and exploitation. 2) There is evidence of the company and/or its founder initiating and/or contributing to humanitarian efforts.
DR BRONNER’S
Dr Bronner’s range of products, including bar and liquid soaps, hand sanitisers and lip balms, is available in most grocers, pharmacies and supermarkets worldwide.
Its Pure-Castile multi-use liquid soap is safe to use in the shower (not just for you; your pets too), for washing the dishes and laundry, and mopping the house, and is available in seven organic scents, each with its own set of benefits.
The German-Jewish family-owned company is very vocal against Israel’s war on Palestinians, with its CEO, David Bronner—the grandson of the company’s founder Emanuel Bronner—regularly writing blog posts like this one.
“It must be understood that the historical necessity of Israel’s founding and the centuries of antisemitism that preceded it does not justify the way Israel treats Palestinians as second-class citizens and interlopers on their own lands,” Bronner had written back in May 2023, before the Oct 7 incident.
In the same post, Bronner clarified that the company has sourced approximately 90 per cent of the olive oil it uses annually from Canaan Fair Trade, which works closely with regenerative organic and fair trade Palestinian farmers in Palestinian’s West Bank.
Through these relationships, the Bronner family leadership “has seen the harassment and violence against farmers by settlers that makes life incredibly difficult for Palestinians”.
Again, this was before Oct 7.
He clarified further that Dr Bronner sources the balance of its olive oil equally from a Jewish family farm and from Palestinian Christian farmers in the Nazareth region.
“Blending Muslim, Jewish and Christian-produced olive oil in our soap, from Palestinian and Israeli farmers, is a powerful symbolic resonance to my grandfather’s vision of a united peaceful world living in respect of each other.
“And we hope—at least in a small way—our approach to sourcing olive oil and our business relationships in the region can contribute to a future vision of peace in the region,” he said.
Where to buy: Lazada, Watsons and the Dr Bronner’s website
DIRTY LAMB
Founded in 2016 by American-Palestinian Ahlam Khan, Dirty Lamb is a gender-inclusive brand that makes plant-based skincare products such as cleansers, toners, moisturisers, acne and dark spot treatments, masks and scrubs.
The brand identifies its products as unisex, vegan, and free from sulphates and parabens.
Growing up in a Palestinian household, Khan developed a love for cooking and after quitting her job as a nurse, she decided to channel that passion into creating skin care that incorporates ingredients she often saw and used in the kitchen.
The result? Delicious-sounding products like apricot oil, mint coffee scrub, Turkish coffee mask and mint mocha eye serum. Healing plants like copaiba and tea tree are also used.
Where to buy: Dirty Lamb website
FARSÁLI
A confluence of the names of married power couple Farah Dhukai and Sal Ali, Farsali describes itself as a “family-owned company” that is “committed to safe, cruelty-free and ethically sourced ingredients”.
It sells a small (there were only five listings on the website at the time of writing, including a replacement pump dispenser), but highly admired (just look at those ratings and reviews) range of skincare products.
Its Unicorn Essence, a hydrating serum “loaded with superstar Resveratrol and critical antioxidants to visibly improve dullness and neutralise free radicals”, appears to be a clear winner, with more than 1,000 five-star ratings.
In an interview with CEW Daily, Sal said: “I noticed a lot of packages arriving from Sephora and wondered why my wife needed so many beauty products.
“So I began asking my wife questions about the products, as only someone who is not fluent in beauty can. I soon realized that skin care is a very important part of beauty, and wanted to create a brand that bridges both. And Farsali was born.”
On the Farsali website, the brand explained how it stopped production and withdrew from more than 2,500 Sephora stores in over 35 countries so that its founders could focus on their fertility journey. (They now have a baby girl.)
In 2023, Sal uploaded an Instagram video, in which he delivered a measured response to a hateful comment, and strongly condemned Islamophobia. Until today, Sal continues to boldly speak up against genocide and cruel capitalism, and is an advocate for applying humanist, culturally sensitive values to business.
Farsali has also announced that with every product sold, the company would (attempt to) donate a day’s worth of nutritious food to a child in Gaza.
Where to buy: Farsali website
Read previous issues of the #DecolonisingTheWorld series:
#2: The impact of and etiquette for boycotting in a time of genocide
#3: The GADIS GILA Guide To... shopping in a time of genocide: "Don't buy" list (international beauty edition)
HUDA BEAUTY
Huda Kattan, the American-Iraqi founder of the Huda Beauty empire, has been and continues to be extremely vocal against Zionism on her personal Instagram page.
Following the impact of the events of Oct 7 in 2023, Kattan spoke of how she was willing to risk her entire business for the sake of truth and justice, and would not be intimidated into silence.
“I am speaking on behalf of humanity, and I will not be intimidated,” Kattan said in the video. “I am willing to risk my entire business, everything that I have on that, in search of the truth and justice.”
“I am more afraid to not speak my truth and to become a coward and a tool of the disgusting system that has allowed too many people to be oppressed for too long.
“And anybody who tries to get people to be silent for doing good work, you are pro-genocide and you are pro the killing of innocent people,” the 40-year-old added.
That month, she announced that she—in collaboration with her world-renowned company—would donate US$1,000,000 last year towards humanitarian organisations executing aid in Gaza. More recently, in October 2024, Kattan announced an additional US$500,000 donation cut from Huda Beauty’s and Kayali’s (literally her sister company—see below) sales proceeds towards Doctors Without Borders and the Lebanese Red Cross.
She also put the launch of her podcast, Huda Hotline, on hold, saying it “feels unimportant in times like these” and reaffirmed the use of her personal platforms to raise awareness and as “a voice for the unheard”.
Huda Beauty sells everything you could ever need in your make-up kit—loose powder, blush, concealer, lipstick—and the brand’s range of options and messaging are clearly aligned with the values of diversity and inclusivity.
Where to buy: Huda Beauty website
KAYALI
Kayali was created by Mona Kattan, Huda’s sister, and is owned by Huda Beauty.
The brand makes the most delicious, addicting fragrances. I bought two miniature bottles (their signature Vanilla 28, and Lovefest Burning Cherry) about two years ago and not only are they long-lasting (I’m only halfway through them despite regular use), they’re also addicting. I’ve received many compliments on them—last year beauty influencer Aimee Song asked what I was wearing (the latter) at a Revolve event and said it smelled “amazing”. It does.
Where to buy: Kayali website
OREBELLA
Orebella is a brand of “intentional skin parfum” developed by Palestinian-American model and entrepreneur Bella Hadid, who, like Huda Kattan, has been very vocal about the genocide.
Its range, while limited (the brand was launched in 2024), promises to be hydrating, alcohol-free and “elevated with essential oils”.
I’d love to try SaltedMuse (sea salt, olive tree and cedarwood) and Window2Soul (jasmine, rose and tonka bean)! 💚
Where to buy: Orebella website
ROOK PERFUMES
Founded by British-Jordanian perfumer Nadeem Crowe, who’s not only a perfumer but also a trained actor and physician, the brand is itself a proud advocate against the genocide in Gaza.
Its Instagram profile photo is a recreation of its logo using the Palestinian colours.
Rook Perfumes has also created and dedicated a whole product to Gaza: The Faqqua Iris, with all profits going towards humanitarian efforts in Palestine.
In a LinkedPost in early 2024, Crowe announced the brand had raised more than £10,000 to various charities.
“Our scent Faqqua Iris is based on the Palestinian national flower, the iris, which symbolises resilience and never giving up even in the face of adversity
“We are proud to honour this symbol and support the people of Gaza through our donations,” he wrote.
(Disclaimer: I’m not a fan of LinkedIn. That this post got only 19 positive reactions barely scratches the surface when it comes to why.)
Born in London, Rook Perfumes sells products that are cruelty-free and unisex—I’m getting myself a sample box the moment I hit my income goals.
Where to buy: Rook Perfumes website
TOPICALS
Oh how I love heart-centred mission-led businesses.
Topicals is an American skincare brand that aims to “transforms the way you feel about your skin through effective science-backed products and mental health advocacy”.
And it delivers.
Just have a look at the About page:
And delivers: Check out Topicals’ range of products.
Topicals’ CEO Olamide Olowe is known to participate in marches calling for ceasefire and has posted on social media declaring her stand on Israel’s war on Gaza.
Where to buy: Topicals is available at some Sephora outlets, which is strictly on the boycott list, but you can purchase directly from the Topicals website
WISHFUL
A gender-inclusive skincare brand founded by (but of course) Huda Kattan, Wishful offers cleansers, toners, moisturisers and masks advocating for #NoFilter skin, classified according to specific skin concerns like breakouts and congestion, dryness, and hyperpigmentation and dark spots.
Where to buy: Wishful website
This is a developing article and will be updated regularly. If you have evidence of companies and brands directly complicit in genocide, hit that reply button and send us your recommendations with the header: “BeeDeeAss suggestion”. This helps us decide which requests to prioritise and/how to categorise them.
UPDATE: This issue was last updated on Oct 26, 2024 to include the latest developments from the featured brands.
Make sure you don’t miss future parts of the #DecolonisingTheWorld series—as well as other essays by founder Hidayah Salamat and other women born, raised or living in the Nusantara—by subscribing to the GADIS GILA newsletter.
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