Dermasuri is a women owned, award-winning, cruelty free skincare company. Their unique collection of exfoliating products are inspired by ancient beauty rituals from the East. Because of their amazing physical and mental health benefits, these cleansing practices from centuries ago are making a major comeback today. I had the opportunity to interview Co-Founder and President of Dermasuri, Melody Akhavan to learn about her life and how her company came to be.
EE: Briefly walk us through your life story.
Melody – “I am the first generation born in Southern California. My family is Iranian, descended from Turkey. I went to public schools in Los Angeles. I went to college at UCSD, and then later attended USC for my MBA. In 2021, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and have now come out stronger, physically and mentally; with a renewed perspective on life.”
EE: How, When and Why did you start Dermasuri?
Melody – “In 2012, together, with my lifelong friend of Japanese descent, Sus, we studied the remarkable benefits of Eastern skincare and the extraordinary exfoliation traditions of our respective ancestries—rituals passed down from one generation to the next. We were fascinated by how this sort of exfoliation was not experienced by our Western friends. They were just used to using a loofah or pumice. These exfoliation tools didn’t exfoliate well. We identified physically and spiritually with the purifying characteristics of our traditions in order to share them with the Western world.
Dermasuri blends the best of both ancient cultures and brings it to the modern age. “Derma” means skin in Western culture. “Suri” means “rose” in Arabic—the color skin turns when nurtured by blood circulation and it means “scrub” in Japanese. Dermasuri’s exfoliating products are made with a unique fabric texture dedicated to premium deep exfoliation—created with care for people who value luxury skincare with the simplistic and holistic approach of Eastern skincare traditions.
Eastern cleansing and skincare rituals have long been a mystery to outsiders. The hammam (Turkish and Arabic), jjimjilbang (Korean), and onsens (Japanese) traditions are centuries old, involving a shower or bath steam, followed by a deep exfoliation with a mitt made with a unique woven fabric — during which one can see dry, dead skin sloughing off the body instantly. In each tradition, the body and skin are cleansed and purified from toxins, the blood circulation increases, and the immune system is stimulated so that the physical and mental systems are better supported.”
EE: How do the products work and Where are Dermsuri products made?
Melody – “Similar to how our Body, Back, and Face scrubs provide instant and visible results, we felt the need to provide an effective, instant treatment for feet — specifically to treat cracked heels, dry skin, and calluses. Our goal was to create a clean and safe way to both hydrate and beautify feet without the use of harsh peels. The Polish + Glow Foot Scrub set consists of a foot spray, made of clean ingredients, and a high quality, dual sided foot file. It is made in the United States.”
EE: Is your company sustainable in any other ways?
Melody – “Our Body, Back, and Face scrubs are reusable and made from plant-based materials.”
EE: What are you most proud of and what do you hope to achieve through your brand?
Melody – “I am so proud that I can share the beautiful rituals of my ancestry and bring them to the West. This exfoliation has been available for centuries in Eastern countries – like Turkey, Morocco, Iran, Japan, and Korea. I am also proud that you can visibly see instant results with our products – which you can’t say about most beauty companies.
We received thousands of customer comments via social media, Amazon, Target, and other retailers. I take pride in listening to our customers and taking their feedback to improve our products. I’ve learned to appreciate all candid feedback and use it as an opportunity to ideate and create better products. I am most proud that I have been able to improve everything from the way our products are manufactured and packaged to the way we explain how our products are different from other exfoliation products — thanks to our customers!
It’s our dream to bring Beauty Secrets of the East to the West.”
You can find Dermasuri products on Amazon
at Target or shop the full collection directly on Dermasuri.com
Be sure to follow them on instagram @dermasuri
If you like cruelty free beauty, you might love The Fox Tan too!
Until next time…
Erin-Elizabeth
xoxo
Note: This article contains affiliate links or codes, this means if you make a purchase I may get a small percentage of the sale (at no extra cost to you). As always, I only recommend products that I have tried and truly love.
