We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Zareen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
A couple of things:

From the moment I started Ishq, I knew I wanted it to stay true to the values I grew up with – sustainable healing comes when your community benefits from you:
  • Community first – Keeping community at the heart of every decision. Everything I do in Ishq gives back to the community, locally & globally. From the ingredients that are either grown by Portland farmers or sourced from local companies, to the social & racial justice causes I support. At Ishq our small business community is very important. Highlighting the wonderful products my peers make is one of things I really enjoy doing on social media
  • Standing up for what you believe in – Keeping silent in the face of injustice is one of the things our elders taught us NOT to do. Ishq clients & friends align with our values of reparations & Land Back for Indigenous communities locally & globally, inherently believe that Black Lives Matter. We do not tolerate Islamophobia, Xenophobia, Trans & Homophobia. Our IG account is proof of our stance on these very important issues.
  • Collaboration – community success is individual success. There is no point in happiness & success if your community is not part of it. Ishq has been a LLC for the past 4 years, and we are so proud to have collaborated with – local Portland makers on joint products & giveaways, Trans Women artists, traditional toy makers, Tribal folks in India
  • Purity of Products – There is no compromise in the quality of the ingredients I use in Ishq Skincare & Haircare products. It was important that they be pure & nontoxic, and that the people I buy from align with Ishq values

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

Ishq (ee-shuh-quh) in Urdu means Love.

I come from a long line of healers in Southern India. One half of the family have been gifted “yunani” (greek medicine) healers and the other half were renowned Sufis-spiritual advisors to kings, and spiritual guides to the people who became their disciples. I have grown up absorbing the wisdom from both branches that was passed on to us in little and big ways.

Ishq provides organic, non-toxic, and phthalate-free skin & hair care products. We source our ingredients from local Oregon farms and companies. It makes us so happy to help small businesses grow as we bring you sustainable and accessible products.

Ishq is rooted in the ancient values of my family. These values are practiced by Indigenous people all over the world – buying local, eating food that’s in season, rotating your skincare with the change in seasons, making sure people growing & making your goods are being paid a fair living wage. It is this combination of ancestral recipes and hyper local, pure ingredients that make your Ishq Skincare & Haircare products magical. You have found healing in them when all else has failed.

I absolutely LOVE what I do. Sharing my heritage, the love of my family with you is a deep honor. May Ishq envelop you with all the love and goodness that’s put in it

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is a tough question. There’s so much to do in Portland & the greater Portland area. If I had to pick, these are the few things I would do with my BFF:

– Sauvie Island: one of my go to places to feel at peace. I’d start by getting the cilantro Popsicle from Topaz Farm. Maybe grab a mix of fresh fruits & veggies, some hummus & chips and eat it on the grass. Then drive to Sweet Delilah Farm and spend some time amongst the flowers
– Visit my vendor friends! If not their stores ( Amity Artisan Goods, Coral Story Beauty, Nomadic Vintage), then have them meet us for lunch ( Mestizo/Mama Dut/Friendship Kitchen/White Elephant) or coffee (Nossa Familia/Tov Coffee Bus/Bison Coffee House)
– Drive along the coast, and stop where ever calls to us. Definitely getting some fresh oysters or hike Silver Falls/Mt.Hood/Forest Park
– Dinner at Kann

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

  • The biggest shout out would be to my family – my forever supporters and loudest cheer leaders. My parents, brother, husband, cousins, aunts & uncles– it’s their prayers that keep me going.
  • The wonderful small business community in Portland. Vendors who became friends, who generously share their knowledge and love with me.

Website: https://www.ishqskincare.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ishqskincare/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ishqskincare/

Image Credits
Everything Bagel Productions Irina Negrean Photography Malaina Kinne Photography

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.