Mood rings used to be all the rage when I was a teenager and I remember clearly the stone changing to pearly white, or murky brown, peacock green or inky blue, depending on my ‘mood’. Of course, it was responding to my body heat and not how angst-y I was that minute.
But what if the reverse could happen — a colour could change our mood? That’s just what a mother-daughter team from Kuwait are trying to achieve with their brand Prismologie.
In 2013, Shaikhas Intisar Al Sabah and Fatima Al Sabah started working on the luxury body care brand that centred around the concept of colour therapy.
Prismologie, made in the UK, offers all-natural products such as a shower gels, body oils and massage candles, all with different shades. Each range also supposedly contains a gemstone crushed into the formulation. Fancy, right?
“Colours have the power to impact our moods and feelings,” Fatima said in an email interview with Gulf News tabloid!. “People react to colours naturally and intuitively… that is because we interact with colours daily, whether through the clothes we wear, or the views we enjoy, or the food we eat.”
Fatima tells us more about the brand and how to keep negative vibes at bay using different colours. Interview has been edited for brevity.
What are your favourite colours and why?
It all depends on my mood; if I’m looking for more energy and confidence I find myself going for yellow, whereas when I need some clarity I subconsciously reach for white and prefer everything white that day. I choose green when I am yearning for some balance, and blue is such a deepening and quietening colour that it always helps me become more mindful.
What is the relevance of colour to wellbeing and mood?
Everyone knows that being in a forest is green and it always makes us feel better because it is the colour of balance, or when we see red it makes us alert and active... We feel more tender when we see the colour pink.
When everything we see is coloured, why not use that power actively to change the way you feel? And so we created a body care line that translates the effects of colours into products that we use daily.
How did you first find out about colour being used in this way?
I used to organise workshops in Kuwait to bring international teachers who taught courses about wellbeing and personal development and one of the courses was colour therapy. The response of the people who attended was fantastic because it was natural and instinctive for us to respond to colours because we use them and see colours everywhere.
So we started looking for a way to make colour therapy [a] part of our daily personal care rituals and we didn’t find anything that would give us that wellbeing and therapeutic effect. So we decided to create a brand that would [translate] the power of colour therapy onto the skin but without actually colouring the skin. We infused the formulations with gemstones because they enhance and amplify the mood-enhancing experience.
What are your favourite products from the range?
This usually depends on how I’m feeling and what I need on that day. Sometimes, I find myself reaching for the green bath oil when I feel the need for some balance and centre in my life; but when I’m feeling a bit sluggish I opt for red to give me that extra push of power and energy. For the days when I feel a bit stressed, I use my three-second rule and it always works, almost instantly. All [I do is] apply some of our Rose Hand Cream, and I let the calming and soothing fragrance and the comforting effects of rose quartz work their magic and then I can go back to whatever I was doing. This always works like a charm.
Your products are sodium lauryl sulphate (a commonly used detergent) and paraben (preservative) free, which reflects a growing interest in more natural beauty products. What is your own philosophy about natural products?
Our philosophy for Prismologie is natural, ethical [and] joyful. Natural because we believe in natural products and we find that our bodies are healthier and brighter when they don’t have to fight even more dangerous chemicals on our skin.
Ethical because we do not believe that the land, or the animals should suffer for our wellbeing. Therefore, we made sure all our products are not tested on animals and that all our packaging is recyclable or reusable and that all our cardboard is certified by the FSC and the World Land Trust, which make sure those natural habitats around the world are preserved and not destroyed for paper production.
Joyful because taking care of our body and mind are directly linked and we want to make sure that taking care of our skin will make our mind and emotions feel better.
We live very stressful lives as it is and we want to make sure that we always take the time to care for our wellbeing. Having a small experience of joy while applying a cream [or taking] a three second break from your daily stresses to feel better is very important.
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Which Prismologie product for which mood?
Prismologie has selected six distinctive hues that attribute to various moods. Fatima explains which colour to use for what purpose.
- White is the colour of clarity and focus, so a woman can wear or look at the colour white to feel more focused or clear. Of course she can also apply or shower in our Diamond and Neroli collection because both our Rich Body Cream and our Shower Cream contain ingredients like cotton seed extract, porcelain flower and bamboo water that cleanse and purify the skin. These products also contain crushed diamonds that help focus the mind and clear it of tiredness and negativity.
- Citrine, a yellow gemstone, is known for increasing happiness. You know that happy feeling when you see the sun shining and you know your day is going to be absolutely magnificent? Those are the feelings that Citrine helps give you. We use Citrine in all of our Citrine and Bergamot products. We currently have a Shower Gel and a Body Lotion. Imagine choosing to make a gloomy day sunnier, by choosing to put yourself in that state of mind where anything is?
- Rose Quartz is known as the stone of unconditional love, and pink is the colour of softness and comfort, so we wanted to capture that feeling in our Rose Quartz and Rose collection, which includes a hydrating Hand and Cuticle Cream and a silky luxurious Body Balm. We want women to feel loved and nurtured because we don’t always have time for ourselves and we need to give back to ourselves before we can continue caring for others
- Jade is known as the gemstone of serenity and prosperity, and green is actually the most balanced colour in the visible spectrum and has a very balancing effect on our eyes and minds because its wavelength is equal.
- Ruby is the stone of vigour and vitality; its blood pumping effects match the effects of red.
- Sapphire is the stone of stillness, and indigo is a deepening and quietening colour that helps you become more mindful.
Go get yours
Prismologie products are available at Tryano in Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi, and online at prismologie.com.
