Jolie Maroc is a sustainable and vegan, moroccan inspired beauty and skincare brand. The name “Jolie Maroc” is French for Beautiful Morocco and it was founded by a husband and wife team, Youness and Gems Ouziad. Their unique life experiences helped them create the perfect natural beauty brand together.
Youness being from Morocco and Gems being an esthetician who focused on natural skincare. Jolie Maroc was a way for Youness to bring a piece of his rich culture back to the United States and a way for Gems to share naturally effective skincare that’s free from harmful and toxic ingredients.
Roots in Moroccan Culture…
Youness was born in Marrakech, Morocco. His mother was an herbalist from a small rural village and his grandmother was Berber. As a child, they would take him on trips to the coast of Morocco to purchase Argan directly from the women of the region.
These trips were usually in areas that could only be reached by foot. In doing this, Youness quickly learned the best oil had to come direct from the source, no matter how far the journey. Upon his arrival to the United States he was surprised at the popularity of Argan oil products but couldn’t help but notice thier serious lack of quality and purity.
Gems is originally from the United States. However, she also fell in love with Moroccan skincare while living in Morocco. She especially loves its ability to effectively transform skin and hair while being completely natural and sustainable.
Jolie Maroc Today…
Today, Youness and Gems visit Morocco regularly. They have cultivated relationship with various artisans and women’s cooperatives in the area. Many of their products, like their lip stain and perfume bars, are actually made in Youness’ home city of Marrakech.
Their signature Argan oil and clay masks are straight from the heart of the Argan region, made in a women’s cooperative near Agadir. The cooperative helps support the women and their families. They come from long lines of families that have been making argan oil for centuries.
This cooperative gives them independence, protects them from being unfairly exploited and makes sure they are fairly paid for their work. It even helped them open a school for their children (something that many rural villages in Morocco, do not have access to). The cooperative is also certified by European Standards of Organic and Sustainability (ecocert).
The Future of Moroccan Beauty…
Jolie Maroc sincerely cares about the women they support in Morocco and the integrity and efficacy of their products. Youness and Gems have truly enjoyed introducing these unfamiliar beauty products to Americans for the first time, as well as educating them about the numerous benefits of different Moroccan botanicals. The team is constantly learning more and exploring more ways of outreach for women in Morocco in the future.
This special Moroccan and American duo gives this company a unique, inside knowledge to these products and their place in Moroccan traditions, as well as a personal relationship with the makers, that non-Darija speakers could not accomplish.
Additionally, with Gems Esthetician experience she understands how each product truly effects the skin and how to get the most benefits by using certain, powerful ingredients.
Sustainability & the Ultimate Goal
Jolie Maroc cares about sustainability too. The majority of their packaging, from the labels, boxes and bottles, are all made from recycled materials. They also use only recycled or compostable shipping materials.
They hope to show that the world that amazing results can be found in pure, plant-based ingredients, that are sustainably sourced and free from harmful chemicals, parabens, or animal testing. For Jolie Maroc, their ultimate goal is to bring a little bit of Moroccan culture to Americans and to help those using their products, as well as those who make them.
Check out all the Moroccan inspired beauty products on JolieMaroc.com
and be sure to follow them on instagram @joliemaroc
If you like all natural beauty, you’ll love Clove + Hallow too!
Until next time…
Erin-Elizabeth
xoxo
