Women With GRITT: San Lueur Founder Diana Shenouda On Marrying Technology And Aesthetics

Gritty Pretty: Diana! Thank you so much for speaking with us today. Before we discuss San Lueur, we would love to learn a little more about what inspired you to start your own beauty business? How did the earlier years of adulthood and your career push you into entrepreneurship?

Diana Shenouda: I have a background in medical science, dentistry, laser safety and laser in cosmetic practice and I come from a family of entrepreneurs. I was able to take all of that learning, experience and knowledge and apply it to my own business. My first experience in the world of beauty and cosmetic practice came when I was much younger. I had a hereditary condition where I had superficial broken capillaries all over my face and it made my complexion look red and blotchy. It really affected my confidence and I would cover my skin with thick makeup. So, I was prescribed a series of vascular laser treatments that completely cleared my skin and that sense of liberation of being comfortable and confident in my skin was something I always wanted to recreate at home.

GP: Where did the name San Lueur come from?

DS: From the get go, I always knew that I wanted the word ‘glow’ in the name because, for me, healthy skin has this beautiful radiant glow to it and glowing skin exudes health. So that’s where ‘Lueur’ came from as it means ‘glow’ in French. Then I came across the word ‘San’ which means ‘health’ in Latin and SAN LUEUR  just rolled off the tongue. I immediately loved it and then went to check domains and trademark registries and the name wasn’t taken so I took that as a sign it was meant to be.

GP: When you decided you wanted to create your own LED mask—and one that is a leader in the category, no less—what were the steps you took to bring it to fruition?

DS: In the beginning, it was just like, I have this amazing idea and I want to get this done. But the journey really showed me that it can be a difficult one. It all started in 2018 when I set out to find an LED mask for myself that I could use at home but there were none out there that met my evidence-based criteria and also had all the requirements I wanted in an LED mask. I had done so much research and then before lockdown my sister-in-law had approached me and wanted me to do laser treatments in her clinic. I gained even more knowledge about LED light therapy. So, then in lockdown, I just had ample time. And I know lockdown was such a hard time for so many people. But for me, I just had this blessing of time. So I just thought, why not utilise this? And it was just crazy. My husband would see me working on the laptop, doing things to build the business and the brand from like, eight in the morning to eight o’clock at night. We had such a clear vision of what I wanted this brand to be from a business perspective and from a consumer perspective. We went about building the brand from the ground up: getting the branding done, getting trademarked, finding a manufacturer that met my ethos for the brand and a packaging manufacturer as well as getting the product safety tested and cleared based on International and Australia’s stringent safety standards. We just went step by step. In saying that, I didn’t know everything that I needed to do. I didn’t always know what the next steps were one by one, but we had a pretty good plan. And sometimes it’s just good to start with the plan, dive in, and the next steps will just naturally present themselves.

GP: What makes the San Lueur LED Mask unique compared to other LED masks on the market?

DS: I’m so proud of the technology behind the mask. I wanted something that ticked so many boxes. There are so many factors that make it unique. First of all, it’s flexible. So, you don’t have that issue of a hard mask that doesn’t fit your face or is uncomfortable to wear. With its flat, flexible and portable design, it adapts to all face shapes and you can also just pop it in your suitcase which is super convenient. We’ve had so many beauty editors try it and we’ve had clinic owners who have had other flexible masks stocked in their clinic and they just said the quality and comfort of ours is incomparable. 

But in terms of the features, which of course are so important, I always say whenever you’re looking for an LED mask, you have to know what you’re buying. So, the three key parameters that I always advocate and I’m so transparent about are one, the wavelengths—how deeply the light penetrates into your skin at the right levels—two, the irradiance, which is the light intensity, and three, the energy or power output. With our mask, the three wavelengths are the same as the in-clinic wavelengths so you know you are getting optimal depths. The blue light is great for breakouts for hormonal breakouts. The thing that I also love is the red and the near-infrared, which have been engineered with dual-core technology. So these lights actually light up at the same time and research has shown that when they’re lit up together, you get a better result. The red light is great for reducing the appearance of redness and pigmentation, it good for blood circulation, and just overall glowing skin. The near-infrared light, which is an invisible light on the spectrum, is great for stimulating collagen and elastin so you end up with a more refined skin tone and skin texture and a reduction in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. With the irradiance and energy output levels, the SAN LUEUR mask has the world’s highest optimised irradiance and energy output in an LED mask, ensuring you get great results.

Another unique feature of our mask is the controller is customisable; you can choose your treatment wavelength, your light intensity, and the duration of your treatment. So, it’s made for everyone. And something that I’m also so proud of about our brand is that one of our core values is sustainability. There is no single-use plastic used at all. All our packaging is completely recyclable from the outer box to the inserts to the tissue paper and logo stickers. We also donate proceeds from every purchase to tree-planting projects. This mask is good for your skin and good for the environment..

GP: When it comes to scaling your business, how have you gone about expanding in a way that is both personally and financially viable?

DS: Financially, a lot of founders want to start their brand and then just quit their day job but you just have to make sure that this is financially viable before you to do that. So that’s one tip I would give. And thankfully, I love what I do. So it was easy for me to keep doing that. The other thing is a lot of people told me to only get a warehouse or a third party fulfilment and logistics centre once you’re a year in or so. But even though this advice might work for some people, for us, it actually was financially viable to start with a third party logistics warehouse and fulfilment centre from the beginning. And the reason for that is one, it allowed me to keep working in dentistry and two, it just made the process for the consumer completely seamless. 

GP: It definitely shows in how luxurious your brand is. To finish, what is your personal beauty philosophy?

DS: My personal beauty philosophy is to always take a methodical evidence based and a holistic approach to skincare. You want to know what’s going on your skin, but also know what’s going in your body as well. Eat good food, drink water, exercise, wear sunscreen, work on your skin from the inside out with the SAN LUEUR Advanced LED Facial Mask, and then from the outside in with great skincare. You’ll be glowing.