Interview With Hind Sebti, Co-Founder Of Luxury Skincare Brand Whind

Meet Moroccan-born entrepreneur Hind Sebti, a former beauty executive at Procter & Gamble and L’Oréal, co-founder of Waldencast, a global best in class multi-brand beauty and wellness platform that creates, nurtures and acquires the next generation of purpose driven brands and now founder of a newly-launched skincare brand whind.

3oud.com connected with Hind Sebti to learn more about the influence of her Moroccan background on her professional pursuits, her own skincare routine, and the launch of her co-founded skincare brand Whind.

1. Tell us tell us a little bit about Whind. Where did your interest in natural skincare products stem from? And what inspired you to launch the brand?

I was born and raised in Morocco, a country where beauty is way of life – from its diverse breathtaking landscape, sophisticated thousands year old architecture and craftsmanship and of course world renown beauty rituals and native natural ingredients.    

My Moroccan upbringing showed me that beauty is not only how you look but also how you feel. And that beauty starts with skin care, the ultimate anchor to that natural coveted Moroccan glow, as if kissed by light. That radiates inside and out.

My heritage taught me that skin care should be sensorial, indulgent and a ritual of self-care as well as beauty. My 20 years career at the biggest beauty houses in Paris and London taught me that when it comes to skin care science is queen.

Over the years, as an obsessed skin care user, I found myself always switching between high performance skin care products that I don’t necessarily enjoy using everyday because of their texture and scents, and natural products I love using such as rose water toner but I knew weren’t potent enough to deliver the skin results I wanted.

And I increasingly realized that I wasn’t alone but that there was a huge group of consumers like me who craved both hyper-performance and an amazing experience where underserved product wise. Products you will enjoy to use every day and thus consistently for superior results.

So this is how the seed an idea was born in my mind: creating a brand that delivers high performance science led products, dressed in the most sensorial experience with the highest naturality without compromising on performance. The science came from my extended expertise in skin care and access to the best knowledge and formulators and the sensoriality was inspired by my Moroccan roots. 

A beauty brand that would radiate the warmth and glow of Moroccan culture and beauty heritage, one that merges high performance formulas and tantalizing experience to deliver superior results for skin so healthy and happy it glows.

2. What sets Whind apart from other skincare brands?

Whind pioneers a much-needed generation of breakthrough skin care products that deliver both on performance and experience, and a unique warmer vision of beauty of view native to a part of the world that deserves to be put on the world stage.

It is evocatively potent skin care, one that transforms and transports.

For skin so healthy and happy it glows.

Powered by warm science and inspired by Morocco.

Our warm science formulation philosophy combines high performing, proven actives with sensorial scents and textures inspired by my Moroccan heritage. It is about achieving noticeable results, while delivering the most sensorial and ritualistic beauty experience to delight skin and soul, delivering a sun-glossed healthy glow every time.

Hyper Sensorial Formulas for Hyper Performance because when you enjoy something enough to use it regularly, high performance becomes hyper-performing.

Sumptuous textures – think creams that transform to oil, jelly that dissolves to milk and oil that becomes air – nourish and balance the skin. Evocative Scents have the power to transport you somewhere else entirely. whind harnesses the power of minimal fragrance to elevate the routine to ritual. Orange blossom, rosewater and amber whisk you away to sunkissed Morocco

3. You have launched your brand in April 2021, what were the top challenges you faced starting your business, especially that the world is still recovering from the pandemic, and what did you learn from them?

The biggest challenges of launching a brand during the pandemic were the various delays and other logistical challenges – which have thought us to build more agile, futureproofed supply chains.

We could have waited to launch but we decided to proceed and soft launch in our e-commerce website only because I was eager to finally reveal it to the world and get feedback on the products, the brand and see how it connects with its audience.

And I am so glad I did because we were able to proof the great appeal of the brand and products in key regions – starting with GCC. Which has then paved the way for an ambitious retail expansion in 2022.

4. What are the top ingredients used in your products which our readers might find most surprising?

Amber. Not an active ingredient within our range but a core sensorial anchor to our Marrakech glow franchise. Nothing says warmth and seductive glow like amber so I decided to infuse it in that franchise. And it makes for the dreamiest, most luxurious skin care experience.

5. If we were to buy one product from Whind, what would it be and why?

Hardest question I ever get! I would say Marrakech Light Illuminating Magic Oil – it’s Moroccan glow in a bottled for satin soft, radiant skin. A 100% natural fast absorbing lightweight luxuriously amber scented super oil packed with 9 cold pressed oils that nourish, soften and protect. And a perfect base for make up or used as a highlighter. 

6. Beyond being a brand with amazing dermatologically tested results, Whind cares about the environment with strong commitment to sustainability. Can you elaborate on that?

whind values kindness in all its forms, and cares deeply about what it does, how it’s done and what it leaves behind. All products are dermatologically tested of course but also vegan, cruelty free and carbon neutral certified; and our packaging is at least 90% recyclable, with a commitment to build towards 100%. All products are formulated without Mineral Oil, Sulphate Detergent, Parabens, Phthalates and Diethanolamine

7. What’s in store for the future of Whind? Any exiting plans you can share with us?

Since our launch, the number request from our community is to experience the brand in a retail environment. And this is exactly what we are doing starting our retail expansion so that our community can have the full immersive instore experience they desire. And we are very proud to be doing this first in the region. whind was made available on Ounass in February and more to come!

8. What beauty advice would you give to 3oud.com readers, especially those who wish to switch to all-natural skincare products?

Find what works for you. The biggest driver of skin care results is consistency – using a high-performance product(s) that works every day. Consequently, choose a skin care routine that targets your skin needs and comes in a delightful texture and scent so you would want to use them every day.

100% naturel is not always equivalent to high performance; that’s why at whind we formulate with the highest naturality without compromising on performance and results.  

10. What does your own beauty routine look like these days? How has it changed since you co-founded Whind?

I have always been skin care obsessed, an extensive routine and trying thousands of products – as a consumer and a professional.

With whind, I created the products I couldn’t find – the best performance and ingredients in the most enjoyable textures and scents. So since creating the products I am using a 100% whind routine – using existing products and others in development.

My morning routine tends to be about cleanse and glow:

• I start with Oasis Fresh Dissolving Jelly Cleanser on damp skin – to remove overnight impurities without stripping my skin whilst also waking up my skin with its orange blossom scent. I follow it up with a spray of Oasis Veil – our on-the-go serum mist that refreshes and enhances skin radiance.
• Next step is either Medina Dew Melting Rose Water cream when my skin that weightless but long-lasting hydration and leave my skin dewy and petal soft OR Marrakech Light Illuminating Magic Oil if I need more nourishment for a warm luminous glow.
• My last step is always a few drops of Ourika Sun tinting water drops for that instant boost of colour – 3 drops if I want a fresh light tan and 6 drops if I want a more Sunkissed tan.

I always carry Oasis Veil in my handbag and spray generously throughout the day for a fresh glow all day long.

My night routine is about deep cleanse, a selfcare ritual and preparing to wake up ready to glow.
- I remove the day’s make up and impurities by applying Oasis Fresh on dry skin – I massage it for a minute for a deep cleanse – it is one of my absolute favorite moments.

• If my skin needs a deeper cleanse, I apply Atlas Pure Purifying clay mask, a nourishing clay mask that deeply cleanses, clears pores and dead cells for brighter fresher skin.
• I follow up with the holy grails of night serum – Kasbah Stars Radiance renewing night serum with resurfaces the skin as it repairs it overnight to wake up to a star lit glow.
• If I need more nourishment, I layer on top our Kasbah Moonlight overnight recovery masks – a cream to oil texture that sinks fast and nourishes deeply.   

10. What would you say to consumers who haven't yet made the switch to organic skincare?

I don’t believe that organic is best and there is little data to support that – it is more down to personal preference.

I believe that consumers expect their skin care to work and our whind audience expects superior visible results – so our formulation philosophy is blending the best actives and ingredients with as high naturality (some of our products are 100%, others in the 90%).

11. What has been your proudest moment since starting your career?

Being the first Arab woman co-founder of Nasdaq listed company value at $1.2bn AND bringing to the world our unique beauty point of view with whind, a brand native it our culture and destined to represent it on the global stage.

12. Now from beauty to fashion, what are your favorite fashion brands regionally and internationally?

For evening wear, I love a dreamy Salima Chaeib dress - a modern interpretation of traditional Moroccan  craftsmanship. Also have a weakness for Taller Marmo and Bambah for long floaty dresses.

For shoes, Amina muaddi  makes the most covetable ones. And k Jacques saint tropez the most effortless ones. 

For daywear, I love Ulla Johnson and Doen - 2 different takes on a relaxed bohemian look. 

For every day essentials, CoS never lets me down.