More than 20 years ago, during an interview in Bahrain, Shahnaz Husain, the ‘Herbal Queen of India’ moaned over the increasing reliance of people on products that eventually did the opposite of skincare, hair care and beauty.
“Nature has given us the bounty of herbs, plants and other treasures and we must learn to use them. I hope to bring the best of what Nature offers to enhance the beauty of women all over the world,” she said.
Shahnaz had in fact started this campaign almost 15 years before our meeting and had embarked on success.
Over these years, hundreds of thousands of women throughout the world (including queens, princesses and celebrities) have reaped the benefits of her treatment, products, and most importantly, hundreds of women have become her franchisees and beauty ambassadors, promoting her concept and care.
Among them is Bindu Grover, who owns and operates two clinics, one each in West (40 Lincoln Road, Henderson) and East (4/2 Bishop Dunn Place, Botany) Auckland.
Qualified specialist
A postgraduate in Business & Economics, her passion in hair care and skin care encouraged her to obtain professional qualifications.
These include Diploma in Beauty Therapy from Elite International Beauty Therapy College of New Zealand (NZQA), Diploma from the Confederation of International Beauty Therapy & Cosmetology, Diploma from Shahnaz Husain and an advanced course in Makeup Artistry (MAC).
Launching her business on a modest scale at her home, Bindu realised that while the demand for quality beauty therapy through qualified therapists was growing, there was a shortfall in supply. This was also true of products to enhance beauty without harmful effects.
“There are several international brands in the market, each with its own claims. However, my detailed study enabled me to determine that Shahnaz Husain meets all my benchmarks since the brand is based on Ayurvedic products, with proven results for more than 40 years,” Bindu said.
She bought Shahnaz Husain’s Sole Distribution rights in early 2010 and acquired the Master Franchise for the brand in New Zealand.
The first signature salon of Shahnaz Husain opened in August 2010 in Henderson, while a similar salon was established recently in Botany in Auckland.
Common factors
According to Bindu, while each person is different, there were some common factors attributable to New Zealanders. Among these factors are Pigmentation, acne, pimples, sun damage, uneven skin tone, hair fall, dry and damaged hair.
These problems are prevalent not only among South Asian origin but also other nationalities.
“Our products are effective on any kind of skin, as these are made according to the New Zealand weather and skin conditions. They are therefore not limited to any particular skin colour,” she said.
Her growing list of clients includes Indians, Kiwis, South Africans, Europeans, Pacific Islanders, Maori, Indo-Fijians, Filipinos, Malaysians and Chinese.
As well as taking personal interest in her clients, she holds the national franchise for a comprehensive range of Shahnaz Husain products and makes them available to authorised dealers.
Unauthorised products
Indian Newslink understands that some unscrupulous people bring Shahnaz Husain products from India and sell them as parallel imports.
“These products are for sale within India and those bringing them to New Zealand are not only breaching the rules in force but also putting people at great risk. Many of these unofficial items tend to be duplicates which would have harmful effects on the skin and hair of the users,” she said.
We have heard of a few women who suffered the after-effects of using unauthorised products. They would do well to seek professional advice on 0800-474246; by Email (info@shahnaz.co.nz) or online (www.shahnaz.co.nz).
Customer response
The best option would of course be to meet Bindu or her staff and go through the person-to-person consultation and appropriate treatment thereafter.
Theresa, one of her customers, wrote about her experience at one of her clinics. “You have great customer service. You made my wedding a great success.”
Bindu Grover’s Beauty Tips
Skincare: Use sun screen 365 days a year, whether you are inside a house or office or outside. Drink lot of water.
Hair Care: Avoid head bath in hot water; use lukewarm water and protect your hair from sun by using hair sun screens (not very common but available in our Shahnaz Husain range)
Many people would find the weather in New Zealand harsh because of the absence of ozone layer. The Sun could be harsh on the skin especially during summer.
Shahnaz Husain has more than 350 products for skincare, hair care, cosmetics, homecare, professional clinical use products, which are comparable to the best known international products
