While beauty products help to ensure good hygiene, they also play a vital role in people’s self-esteem. Hence the need for associations to enable people in precarious situations to have access to them. The Agence du Don en Nature (ADN) has invited CosmeticOBS to take part in a beauty workshop (Wednesday, July 26, 2023) on the premises of one of its partner associations, to highlight the importance of beauty in underprivileged environments.
Just off Jean Jaurès Street in Saint-Denis, you’ll find the Marhaba association (which means welcome in Arabic). And when you push open the front door, you realize that the structure lives up to its name: flowers on the wall, pretty furniture, soft colors… everything is done to make you feel good. For Sauhade Ezbati, President and founder of the facility, these decorating choices are not the result of an aesthetic whim, but of a desire to welcome beneficiaries in dignified conditions. “My primary objective is to restore the confidence of the people who come to see us. It’s essential to welcome them in a pleasant, standardized environment.”
The association has two distinct areas: a social grocery store (featuring a rich selection of hygiene and beauty products) and a room dedicated to workshops. “We offer cooking and beauty sessions… the program is varied. These moments are invaluable, as they enable us to regain our self-esteem and feel better equipped to deal with life’s ups and downs. Today, for example, we’ll be welcoming five people. The aim is to teach them how to recognize their skin type and how to take good care of it.”
At 2.30pm, the participants arrive. Ranging in …
