By Rebeca Pop, Editor at The Wellness Collective

For decades, the beauty industry operated under a silent compromise: you could have high-performance results, or you could have clean ingredients, but rarely both. Today, that paradigm is shifting. As the Middle Eastern beauty market surges toward a $60 billion valuation, a new standard is emerging: one where transparency is the ultimate luxury and botanical precision rivals traditional chemistry. In this exclusive interview, we sit down with the driving force behind Avanta and Prive7 to discuss how brands like Kydra Le Salon are leveraging advanced technology to prove that ‘natural’ no longer means ‘weak.’ From the strict regulatory landscapes of the UAE and Saudi Arabia to the glass-skin innovations of Seoul, we explore the science of responsible transformative results and why the future of beauty belongs to those who refuse to compromise on performance or planet.

1 – For years, people thought “clean” meant “weak.” How does a brand like Kydra Le Salon use technology to prove that 99% natural ingredients can actually outperform traditional chemicals?

Nowadays cosmetic science has advanced significantly. And natural ingredients are not just “raw”, they are optimized and refined through technology. A lot of customers are really worried about harmful ingredients in many regular cosmetic products. This is a big question in beauty industry which is widely being discussed for the last few years. We are talking about sulfates, parabens and artificial fragrances.

So, brands like Kydra Le Salon use the synergy between science and nature, precision extraction methods, and carefully engineered plant actives. With these technologies today we can deliver results that are superior to traditional chemical systems. We can achieve a superior color performance, hair care and protection with formulas containing from 95 up to 99 natural ingredients. And what is also very important – these brands are formulated with sustainability in mind, using eco-friendly packaging.

2 – How does Avanta’s strict regulatory process for the UAE and Saudi Arabia prove to skeptics that “clean beauty” is actually backed by more science and safety than traditional brands?

 Regulation in the Gulf region is rather strict. Every cosmetic product must go through detailed safety verification, ingredient analysis, and compliance checks before it can enter the market.

For us, regulatory approval is not simply a technical step, it is a confirmation that the product meets the highest international safety and quality standards.

3 – UAE customers are very sophisticated. Are they still doubting if clean products work, or have they moved on to demanding total transparency as a standard?

Consumers in the UAE are incredibly well informed. They travel frequently, they follow global beauty trends, and they understand ingredients more than ever before.

Consumers now prioritize transparency, they are checking ingredient lists and reading product reviews. They want to understand exactly what is inside a product, where the ingredients come from, and how the formulas are developed. In many ways, transparency has become the new definition of luxury.

4 – You bring in brands from Japan and Korea. How does your research into these specific markets help you choose products that will actually succeed in the Middle East?

Japan and Korea are two of the most advanced beauty innovation hubs in the world. Their brands invest deeply in research and development and are extremely focused on product performance.

When we evaluate brands for the Middle East, we look not only at the product itself but also at the innovation behind it, key product ingredients.  If a brand has strong scientific foundations and clear performance results, it resonates very well with the Middle Eastern luxury consumer.

We are also always making research of the local market. And there is a strong tendency now among young generation to choose Korean brands. I think that it happens because social media platforms playing a huge role in consumers’ decision-making journey (it shows glass skin transformations, satisfying skincare routines, etc). And Korean premium cosmetics (as we are mainly focused on premium segment) almost perfectly aligns with UAE customers’ skin concerns, such as intense hydration and barrier protection in dry, hot climate, lightweight essences are far more wearable in hot climate, strong brightening and anti-pigmentation focus, high performance SPF formulas.

5 – People often think clean products don’t “feel” as luxurious. How do you use the Privé7 environment to show that “responsible luxury” can be just as opulent as old-school high-end brands?

In the past, luxury beauty was often defined by intense fragrances, heavy textures, or elaborate packaging. Today, consumers are looking for something more intelligent: working formulas inside the products, fast and visible results, silky textures, elegant sensory experiences.

The customers of our beauty salons “Prive 7” are mainly well-informed individuals who are following the best trends in beauty industry.

True luxury today is not only about indulgence. It is about sophistication and awareness. Our beauty specialists are well educated and experiences, so they mainly build the trust of customers, when they achieve visible results together following the specialists’ recommendations.

6 – When training salon experts, what is the biggest myth they still believe about clean products, and how do you change their minds?

The biggest misconception is that clean formulas are less powerful.

Many professionals were trained using traditional chemical systems, so they assume that removing certain ingredients will reduce performance. But once they see modern clean technologies in practice, whether it is hair color durability or scalp protection, the perception changes very quickly. Education and hands-on experience make all the difference.

7 – As the region’s beauty market hits $60 billion, do you think traditional brands that refuse to go “clean and high-performance” will eventually disappear from this market?

The market will simply become more selective.

Traditional brands will not disappear overnight, but they will need to evolve. Consumers today expect transparency, safety, sustainability, and measurable results.

The brands that will succeed are those that combine science, performance, and responsibility. Clean beauty is no longer a passing trend, it is a natural evolution of the industry.