ABOUT SAGAL JAMA

Sagal’s passion for creating the perfect blends of botanicals and clays began when she was a young girl. Born in the city of Burao to a businessmen and a wonderful mother, Sagal was introduced to the wonders of the Qasil leaf by her grandmother, it was used to heal any problem skin ailments. When Sagal was 3yrs old civil war broke out and her family were forced to evacuate to Ethiopia. Sagal was lucky and then had an idyllic childhood, fondly remembering climbing trees, playing with marbles in the gardens and going for spa days with her mother and sister. It was on these days that she experienced the wonders of skin rejuvenation using natural plants and minerals. Her mother taught her to cook using Ethiopian spices, which she uses today this day. She remembers being treated to a fizzy orange pop that came in small glass bottles and the colour of them remains in her memory to this day. Sagal loves vibrant colour’s and enjoys injecting them into the brand that she has built.

As a young girl, Sagal remembers living with her aunts and cousins and watching them applying their makeup and creating different hairstyles on each other. It was during this time that she watched them applying a yellow face mask, which she now knows contained turmeric, and used to ask if she could try it. Her grandfather would always say “you are beautiful enough”, to which Sagal would reply “I want to be more beautiful”, which made everyone laugh. Seeing the results of the face masks on her family, Sagal’s desire to learn about skincare grew and grew. Sagal’s family taught her how to hand make everything that they needed. She learnt how to weave and watched her mother with admiration when she would travel to Djibouti to buy goods and then sell them in Ethiopia. Although sad when her mother had to leave to work she would know that she would return soon and would most likely bring her a new doll.

In 1993 Sagal and her family moved to London. She recalls not being able to go outside alone, the cold weather, and not speaking any English. She remembers watching Scooby Doo and eating baked beans, which she hated. At her new primary school in London, Sagal met another girl from Somaliland and they soon became great friends. On weekends the two girls would experiment with making skincare preparations and would test them on each other, friends, family, anyone that would oblige.

Over the years that followed Sagal would visit Somaliland with her family. On one trip her grandmother re-introduced Sagal to the Somali grown Qasil leaf. Sagal had terrible spots on her face and her grandmother showed her how to apply a Qasil mask. The spots started to clear and Sagal remembers feeling that she was no longer a child and had become a young woman. It was in this very moment that Sagal knew she wanted to help others by passing on her Grandmothers wisdom by learning more about skincare herself.

“I had discovered my secret weapon against unruly skin breakouts, thanks to my Grandmother. I came from a family of strong women who were opinionated and fearless and I knew it came from her. She was an amazing cook and could literally make something out of nothing. She would tell us stories of when she was younger, she lost both her parents at a young age and raised her siblings single-handed. She would make curtains out of old materials and somehow make it look brand new. She loved animals and had numerous sheep, goats and even cows which were challenging when we would visit. You would go to the garden and my grandmother would be milking a cow very casually. I wouldn't dare go anywhere near them. She had a number of very noisy chickens and cats. If I went shopping she would make a list of foods to get for the animals… which, was always longer than the food list for the household.”
 

At the age of 19 Sagal became a mother, and went on to have 5 children. Now living in London, Sagal raises her children and feels that now is the time to pass on her skincare knowledge, her brand sagaljama.com will launch in 2019. Her determination and commitment to bringing women all over the world the most effective, natural and pure skincare items is unwavering.

Sagal has a passion for providing, the best advice, the highest quality products, excellent value and ensuring that everyone can try before they buy. All of the products that she sells are available in tester sizes at less than cost price. She has worked tirelessly to source the finest ingredients from across the world and to formulate the perfect blends to make real lasting change for people of all ages, with all skin types and conditions. She is a devoted vegan and a true ambassador for anything plant-based, her fascination for utilizing the power of natural ingredients, using carbon neutral sustainable packaging and seeing the results of her work transforming her customer’s skin is what drives her.

“Becoming a mother at the age of 19 didn't worry or scare me, I knew the true strength of women from a young age. Now, after having 5 kids, I always remember the Somali saying dhexda xido, which translates to “tie your waist and get on with it”. This resilience that no matter what happens, you keep your head up and carry on, has made me the person I am today”.