When she gave birth to her first child, Hend Ksiaa said she “actually gave birth to two babies: my daughter and Sourire aux Anges (‘Smile to the Angels’ in French)”. The natural care and hygiene brand for babies and children was born out of her desire to offer healthy, affordable and natural products which “preserve the health of the little ones and the environment in which they will live”. “It really started when I discovered I had an endocrine disease during my pregnancy, which made me re-evaluate everything in my life,” recalls Hend. She quit her successful job as a pharmaceutical representative and decided to go back to her “true roots”: science. She spent months developing a viable business model for her bio certified and minimalist endeavour, in a way that would allow for a wide outreach “to democratise bio and allow more women to have access to high quality products”.

“It is still difficult for young mothers in Tunisia to accept that bio can be for everyone, or even that it can be beneficial for their babies. Too often, they are still used to products full of chemicals and artificial scents, because they were taught by society that it is the way to go.”    With Sourire aux Anges, Hend is therefore also on an educational mission, whereby she seeks to inform and raise awareness of endocrine disruptors and ways to best protect women and children’s health.

“It has not always been easy, especially as I am alone in this entrepreneurial fight. But I genuinely believe that if we chose a scientific path by passion, we will take pleasure in each discovery and fight to realise our dream.”