Our 2021 Roundup: How Two Sisters Used TikTok To Launch Glow Away SKIN During The Pandemic

Sisters Umama & Urusa Ahmed were both busy with their respective career and academic journey — then the pandemic hit. They’ve both dreamed of launching a skincare line and just like life does, the COVID curve ball gave them an opportunity to do exactly that. Thanks to their TikTok video going viral, they managed to take that traction and launch Glow Away SKIN. I chatted with the the entrepreneurial duo about how trifecta of social media, their vision, and the pandemic made them global beauty sensations. 

Umama 28, and Urusa  26, are sisters both born in Montreal who then made Toronto their home in 1990. Their love for travel was fuelled by their family’s passion to explore the world beyond their doorstep. After completing their respective academic journeys, establishing their name in the workforce was the natural next step with Umama becoming a flight attendant and Urusa an accountant. But these sisters’ dreams of creating a skincare line has always been in the back of their minds thanks to their mom who worked for a major beauty company so entering that world wasn’t seen as a foreign concept. When the pandemic hit, Umama’s high flying career was grounded and that created a space for her to really take a look at entrepreneurship seriously. Fast forward to October 2020, when Glow Away SKIN was born. The Ahmed sisters tell us how it all came to be. Starting with one viral TikTok video.

HPA: So both of you were all settled with your respective successful careers. Then COVID hit. What happened? 

Umama: When COVID began I was on layover in Dubai in March 2020 and received a phone call stating we were scheduled to return home immediately due to the virus outbreak. I had no idea it would be my very last flight for a long time, and while everything happens for a reason, in the moment I was confused, upset, and terrified. But I also felt a sense of calm, relief, and optimism for what may come next as my career taught me you have to be prepared for anything. As I waited in hopes to be recalled back to my dream job, I decided to start my second dream of having my own skincare line alongside my sister, Urusa. My time off was the perfect opportunity to begin as it allowed me to spend time and research into the ancient beauty tools that I discovered from around the world. The time just felt right. Before working as a flight attendant, I had worked various jobs in retail in the beauty industry and gained a lot of experience as well. On my visits to all the different countries I was lucky enough to explore, I learned so much about different beauty customs and knew that this was a perfect opportunity for me to put it to use.

Urusa: In the beginning, I was fortunate enough to get some time off of work. It was definitely a break that I needed. It gave me an opportunity to sort of focus on small passion projects as well as start Glow Away SKIN. I was able to learn A LOT of new skills, something that I probably would not have had time for pre-COVID.

HPA: What propelled you to start making TikTok videos. Tell me about your first one. Who thought the idea? How was it fostered?

Umama: I would go for my flights my little brother would talk to me about it and show me videos. He would always tell me “You should make a Tiktok of all your flights and layovers”, but at that time, I was so busy and I didn’t want to add an extra social media app on my phone. When COVID hit, I started seeing on a lot of TikTok ads and pop ups, so I finally downloaded the app to check it out for myself. Since everyone was under lockdown, I guess a lot of people were starting to use the app and figure out exactly what it was. There were lots of videos I came across, but I kept seeing the same trends over and over and so I started to bother my siblings daily to create fun silly videos to try out the app. Once I understood how the app worked, I told Urusa we should start a TikTok profile for our business and share skincare secrets, DIYs and recipes until our official launch of Glow Away SKIN.

Urusa: When the pandemic first started, I guess a lot of people had a lot of free time, and TikTok all of a sudden was everywhere. There were so many different trends going on especially early 2020. Umama was more obsessed with TikTok and every single day that she would see me, the first thing she would ask was “Wanna make a TikTok?”.  We made several just for fun as siblings to pass time, and then once we decided that we were going to go through with our business idea, Umama pushed us to put it on TikTok.  I am a big fan of herbal teas, and DIY masks — I think this is something that’s common in most South Asian households, so we decided, while we were working on our business, we should start sharing our beauty secrets with the world.

HPA: Why TikTok?

Umama & Urusa: We saw how there was a potential to reach an audience of millions overnight, which was very rare in comparison to other social media apps. One thing that we noticed was the outpour of love and support from complete strangers in comparison to the feedback that we were getting on Instagram. It sorts of motivated us to step out of our comfort zone and put more content out.

HPA: What was the message you wanted to convey?

Umama & Urusa: When we first started, it was just about helping and educating individuals about natural remedies for skincare. We think roots are so important, so in addition to providing advice on skincare, we wanted to put an emphasis on the cultural significance of each beauty hack that we used or discovered.

HPA: Tell me about that your TikTok video which changed your world?

Umama & Urusa: Our first video that had gone viral: Why you should exfoliate. We couldn’t believe our eyes when our following began to grow, and we were both looking at each other thinking, “OMG this is really happening”. Since then, we tried to make to make videos like the viral video and most have been a great success.

HPA: What was your first reaction when you saw the view count?

Umama & Urusa: We were in disbelief. We could not stop laughing and crying every time the number went up. We kept asking each other if this was really happening. How is it possible for this to reach over a million people?! The number at that time was so big and something we honestly did not imagine reaching so soon.

HPA: Starting a company with a family member can be challenging. Tell me about why you two make for a perfect business partners.

Umama: At first, I thought Urusa was too busy with work and school and that I should do it alone or with a friend, but I don’t think there was anyone that was able to see and understand my vision as best as Urusa did. We were perfect for each other since we shared similar interest growing up, as well as had the opportunity to travel the world together and share experiences. At times it is challenging as I am very laid back and I take life and everything as it comes, whereas Urusa must have everything organized and meet deadlines, but I think our we definitely balance each other out.

Urusa: It’s definitely challenging. We have opposite personalities and backgrounds. I am more fast paced and always moving on to the next thing, while Umama is more laid back. But in some ways, I think our personalities complement each other. Also, because we’re comfortable with each other and family, a lot can be said without a filter — which can be a good or bad thing.

Was launching a beauty company something you both had in mind from before? Or is this a complete lane change for you both?

Umama: Urusa and I always wanted to start a skincare brand, but with our busy lifestyle, we just never got the time to really sit down and plan it through. When COVID hit and we were both home together, it gave us the opportunity to start something new. Even during COVID, we talked about it and we were hesitant, but I thought if not now, then when? So, we decided to take the risk and see where it would take us and I am beyond grateful that we finally did.

Urusa: The idea was something we talked about for years. On our travels we’d spend hours at local beauty shops or going on spa dates, however, life gets so busy and you often put what your truly passionate about behind and focus on just getting by and never start working on your dreams.  The pandemic was in some ways sort of a blessing for us, it gave us more time and an opportunity to slow down and focus on our dreams. We sat down and decided we we’re going to take a risk and changed “one day” into “day one”.

HPA: Launching a company during the pandemic could have been a risky move. In hindsight yes, it makes sense but at that time, did you feel that maybe you guys are taking too big of a risk?

Umama: This is something Urusa and I have been wanting to do for a very long time, but we just never had the time to start. The pandemic was perfect as it really allowed us the time to brainstorm and bring Glow Away SKIN to life. I think both Urusa and I are risk takers and go by the motto “you only live once” – LIFE IS SHORT. We believe anything in life is a risk and if you don’t do it, you’ll never know what could have been. When starting Glow Away SKIN, we both understood that this could go either way and it could succeed and open doors or it could fail and if it did then at least we tried.

Urusa: We definitely did and, honestly, we really weren’t sure. However, we kept telling ourselves if it’s meant to be, it will grow. Otherwise we take it as a learning experience and do better next time.

HPA: What were the reaction of your peers/family when you decided to launch Glow Away SKIN?

Umama & Urusa: It was honestly a mix reaction. While there were some individuals that showed no support, we had a lot of support from immediate family and friends. They continue to help and support us and encourage us.  One of our first customers was actually a cousin of ours, and when we got the notification we were so happy we looked at each other and cried. When we see a familiar name (a family member or friend) that purchases on their own, we get so happy for having their support.

HPA: What were the hurdles you had to overcome when launching a company during lockdown?

Umama: COVID-19 is changing our lives in ways and at a scale we could never have imagined. The business plan we had when we started at the start of COVID isn’t what it is today. We have had to plan, adapt and reconfigure our business for each stage of this crisis. As we have received an overwhelming response and have been constantly selling out and experiencing challenges such as delays with stock/shipping, we are committed to fulfilling all orders as promised, and are always looking for more efficient ways to improve our processes.

Urusa: Shipping was the biggest challenge. There was such a large time delay. Also, not having the opportunity to travel and meet with our partners due to restrictions.

HPA: Did you do any marketing/focus groups etc? If so tell me about it. If not, tell me about it.

Umama: We did not do any focus groups as Urusa and I wanted to have the experience of launching the business and marketing our products ourselves. The only sort of marketing we did was send products to our family and friends and on TikTok

Urusa: We didn’t do a formal focus group. Prior to launching we provided our product to several family and friends to get their honest feedback. They all loved it.

HPA: What was your first 100 day goal?

Umama & Urusa: We were focused on growing our social media following, getting our name out there and gaining the trust of our customers with honest feedback. I guess the benefit of being a small business is the interaction with customers. There are some who we now frequently come across, and names that we recognize as they are always showing support.

HPA: Was there anything you realized you didn’t need when building your business?

Umama & Urusa: We tried to do a lot ourselves and minimized the need to outsource. It was honestly a fun learning opportunity for us. There was so much we needed to learn, from coding to website building, social media marketing, etc.

What was the most surprising thing you have discovered when building your business during these times?

Umama & Urusa: The amount of support we received mostly from strangers. TikTok has really helped in the growth of Glow Away SKIN.

HPA: Tell me about Glow Away SKIN’s mission statement and target market.

Umama & Urusa: Our mission is to provide ancient natural solutions to skincare from our experiences from around the world. We want to make skincare a daily ritual that one enjoys. Our target market is focused towards women, or honestly anyone that enjoys learning about culture and different practices related to skincare, and is looking for an effective solution to common skin issues.

If you take a look at the overall scenario closely, do you think your business launched successfully as it did because of the pandemic?

Umama & Urusa: It gave us more time to work on our business, however, there are a lot of opportunities we were not able to experience because of the pandemic such as attending beauty events, tradeshows, in person pop ups, etc., which would definitely help our brand.

Tell me about the reach of social media when it comes to beauty companies finding their consumer.

Umama & Urusa: TikTok has really helped us to reach our consumers from all around the world and all ages. A lot of people were amazed by the product as to most it was a product never seen before, so we had a really good response.

What is the hero product that Glow Away SKIN sells?

Umama & Urusa: Face & Body 100% Pure Turkish Silk Body Exfoliating Mitts

HPA: What was the consumer feedback?

Umama & Urusa: Amazing reviews and feedbacks! Consumers were amazed as to how easy the products were to use and that it only requires water and the silk exfoliating mitt to remove dead skin in seconds

HPA: There’s an element of storytelling that’s evident on your site. Tell me about that.

Umama & Urusa: At Glow Away SKIN, we believe that beauty is skin deep and starts from nurturing what’s within. We’ve made it our mission to help Glow Babes across the globe discover the healthy glow of their skin the natural way while paying homage to the cultures that have discovered and used these rituals for centuries. We’re on a constant mission to discover the world’s best kept ancient beauty secrets and educate our audience on these rituals. We also hope to be able to give back in a meaningful way in the near future.  As a women owned, POC business we also want to encourage and empower others like us to take risks and live out their dreams and just start pursuing their goals!

HPA: What is Glow Away SKIN’s next plan?

Umama & Urusa: We want to delve deeper into skincare and focus on ancient ingredients that worked for us and provide others with natural remedies that deliver results. A big part of our mission is also giving back to the communities and people that we’ve interacted with on our trips, so we’re in the process of setting something up.

HPA: Will you be shipping internationally? (ie: outside of North America)

Umama & Urusa: Due to TikTok, we had the opportunity to share Glow Away SKIN worldwide. We have shipped all across North America, Middle East, Africa, Europe, Australia, Greenland, Maldives, and so many more countries.

HPA: What advise would you give to entrepreneurs who are also looking to carve their own space in this world, during this time?

Umama & Urusa: JUST START! Take the risk as you never know what doors it may open for you!

Main Image Photo Credit: Glow Away SKIN