PORTFOLIO.YVR: Zahoor Hassan | Wythyn Beauty

In Vancouver, there is a growing woman-led brand that values efficacy, safety, quality, and sustainability. This brand believes in clean and gentle ingredients that nourish from the inside out because beauty starts from “Wythyn.”

Founded by Zahoor Hassan, daughter of Somalian immigrant parents, she is a graduate of Blanche Macdonald Centre, an entrepreneur and a certified plant-based formulator. Wythyn Beauty is the recipient of a placement in the coveted 2023 BC Business 30 Under 30 list. Alongside others, like Lauren Gillespie (House Concepts and House iD), Melody Lim (Mala the Brand), and Arnav Mishra (DYNE Technologies), Zahoor is actively creating innovation as part of the beauty lexicon.

WYTHYN’S ETHOS

During the process of building Wythyn, she realized the importance of switching to a more sustainable and plant-based beauty ritual is prioritized in a different way than switching to a plant-based diet or vegan lifestyle. Zahoor feels what is put on your body is just as important as what is put in it.

Additionally, Zahoor wants to change the narrative when it comes to marketing beauty products. She wants everyone to feel represented and to fall in love with their unique hair journey. She shares, “Wythyns foundation is built on the importance of inclusivity. I noticed the need for more representation within the clean beauty space. I’m happy now to be that representation I didn’t see growing up.”

Zahoor’s product goal was to ensure all formulations were clean, vegan, cruelty-free, and free-from. All products are formulated, designed and handmade locally. Raw ingredients are sourced from a USDA organic-certified company just five hours from Vancouver, and labels and designs are made by a local women-owned business to reduce our carbon footprint. Wythyn products have a 20-ingredient list and are produced in small batches to ensure the highest quality level and avoid unnecessary waste.

Currently, her team is also her family, which she counts as a blessing. “You have people in your corner who you know you can count on and have your best interest at heart. To move into the next phase for Wythyn, we will definitely begin to outsource and hire a couple of positions to help with our busy but very rewarding day-to-day tasks.”

IN HER WORDS

“My inspiration to create Wythyn can be traced to my upbringing. Being born and raised in Vancouver, BC, nature was a huge part of my childhood. We would spend winters up in the mountains and summers out by the lake. I understood at a very young age that the essence of Mother Nature was a strong yet fragile force that needed to be protected and treated with care.

“When it came to hair care, clean beauty was lacking transparency. About five years ago, I consciously chose to purchase only clean beauty products, but for some reason, nothing I used worked, and over time, my hair felt deprived of nutrients. With extensive research, I realized that almost all products were made with filler ingredients that did little for the health of your hair.

“I decided to bridge the gap between science and nature, becoming certified in Plant Based Formulation and developing Wythyn. Our formulas are 100% plant-based, and everything is made in Vancouver from start to finish. Wythyn is here to simplify your switch to a healthier hair ritual; I truly believe in the healing power of plants and a future of plant-based beauty being the norm.

“From building a beauty brand from scratch to working towards signing one of the largest international retailers and as a business born during the pandemic, I genuinely value the lessons I learned during those times. My parents have always been examples of resiliency and devotion throughout my life. I’m grateful to have picked up those qualities and skills to help me throughout my journey of creating Wythyn.

“The beauty industry, for a very long time, has always been profit over people. A prime example is the recent recall of over 1 million hair products on the shelves of retail stores in Canada alone due to cancer-causing ingredients. Consumers need to be more ingredient conscious with what they are purchasing and remember a lot of beauty brands greenwash when it comes to marketing. Unfortunately, building a cleaner beauty brand will always be more costly, and many more prominent brands are unwilling to take that route.”

Follow Zahoor Hassan and her business Wythyn via Instagram!

Read the original story on Zahoor Hassan in PORTFOLIO.YVR: Volume 1 | Issue 1 here.

Author Profile

Helen Siwak, Luxury Lifestyle Observer: Helen Siwak is the founder of EcoLuxLuv Marketing & Communications Inc and publisher of Folio.YVR Luxury Lifestyle Magazine, PORTFOLIOY.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine, and digital women's lifestyle magazine EcoLuxLifestyle.co. She is a prolific content creator, consultant, and marketing and media strategist within the ecoluxury lifestyle niche. Post-pandemic, she has worked with many small to mid-sized plant-based/vegan brands to build their digital foundations and strategize content creation and business development. Helen is the west coast correspondent to Canada’s top-read industry magazine Retail-Insider, holds a vast freelance portfolio, and consults with many of the world’s luxury heritage brands. Always seeking new opportunities and challenges, you can email her at helen@ecoluxluv.com.