Meraki, a UAE-based self-care and wellness brand, began the way many purpose-driven ventures often do, with a practical need and a founder who saw the potential in an overlooked solution. Founder Seenu Rajamohan, who grew up surrounded by the rejuvenating rituals of Ayurvedic self-care in South India, saw her friend struggle to decompress after long, demanding days. “The stress reflected on his skin, on his sleep routine, and nothing seemed to help,” Seenu shares. “That was, until I found solutions by returning to what I knew best.”

She sourced Ayurvedic oils she had grown up with, the ones she emphasizes are traditionally warmed before use, never applied cold, and introduced him to the ritual she had practiced all her life. The oil was heated, the aromas filled the room, and the scrub followed. “That night, he slept like a baby,” she recalls. Those small moments over time became the seed of a business she felt could make a difference for people living the same fast-paced life around them.

Today, Meraki, which grew from that experience, positions itself as a wellness-led venture designed for people navigating the pressures of the region, rooted in ancient ingredients that promote relaxation. “Our idea revolves around Dubai’s busy life, and that’s especially pivotal at a time when 89% of residents report feeling stressed or burnt out, and the extreme heat causes dry skin,” she says. “Meraki is not a look-good, feel-good product. It’s holistic wellness, where the side effect might result in better skin, but its purpose is far from being superficial.”

That philosophy underpins everything Meraki creates. Seenu highlights the products’ use of natural, plant-based formulas without artificial preservatives. According to her, each formula is tied to elemental principles, air, fire, water, and earth, woven into the ritual of use, reconnecting with oneself and nature. Air is expressed through aroma, fire through the warming of oils, water through the mixing of scrubs and the post-treatment shower, and earth through the herbs, spices, and botanicals that make up the plant-based blends. Meraki aims to provide products with unique formulations consisting of a blend of Ayurvedic herbs like saffron, neem, and turmeric, and plant-based oils.

According to Seenu, the wash-off oils, designed to be applied on dry skin, are generally more viscous in nature, are heated when applied onto the skin to provide deeper hydration and removed after use, while Meraki’s leave-on oils, light and moisture-locking, are intended for daily application on damp skin. Each serves a different purpose, and both were developed to encourage longer-term consistency rather than an immediate glow.

This vision materialized in Meraki’s flagship product: Spa-in-a-Box. It is a complete home spa kit designed to bring a sensory, grounded ritual into everyday life. Oils, scrubs, burners, candles, and plant-based powders come together as a single, cohesive experience. “It’s your to-go de-stress kit,” Seenu explains. “The box is an invitation to reconnect with oneself and nature without leaving home, and without relying on quick, synthetic results.”

She highlights that it aligns with the company’s sustainable values. “We use glass bottles with wooden tops, utilize recyclable packaging whenever possible, and implement measures to minimize waste across the product line,” Seenu explains.

Meraki’s products are designed for long-term usage, emphasizing that it’s through consistent, daily use that visible differences can be observed. “Customers might expect instant cosmetic effects, but our products are not positioned that way,” she states. “These are not synthetic products.” The company’s efforts to educate consumers, through social content, direct conversations, and product descriptions, aim to shift the mindset from cosmetic gratification to ongoing wellbeing.

The brand is expanding this philosophy into new categories. Upcoming tea infusions, meant to complement the spa ritual, can offer a gentle way to decompress during the day. Superfood capsules and smoothie mixes, which will be plant-based and clean, will reinforce Meraki’s belief that wellness is internal as much as topical, emphasizing the holistic approach to wellness. “Clean food can help your skin and give you health benefits, mental and physical,” Seenu says. These additions extend Meraki’s mission into a wider lifestyle, aiming to align with how people actually navigate stress in the region.

As Meraki continues to evolve, the company is focused on conveying the concept behind its products as much as the products themselves. Ultimately, Seenu Rajamohan encourages customers to invest in rituals that ground them at home, in products rooted in nature, and in habits that prioritize internal balance over surface-level change.