On the Line with ABI AMÉ
an interview with the founder who builds products with her customers, Yasmin Zeinab
Welcome to On the Line! A new series from Hotline Skin, bringing you exclusive interviews with founders, formulators, strategists and other key players in beauty. I’ll ask the first round of questions and then turn it over to you. Missed one? Read them all here.
A few months ago, my friend Roya told me there was a new-ish player on the body care scene that I had to check out. She set up an intro call with the founder, Yasmin Zeinab, and it only took about 2 minutes to understand what Roya had been on about.
To be honest, I’ve become pretty annoyed with founder stories that claim they “couldn’t find a product that did XX,” so they created their own. In the year 2025, this is almost never true. Do your research! I don’t expect skincare brands to reinvent the wheel entirely, but they can’t expect anyone to believe that nothing else exists. Instead, a brand should highlight what differentiates them from other products in the same category. What does your version offer that others don’t?
This type of problem solving is the bread and butter of ABI AMÉ. It all starts with Yasmin doing the research to validate her ideas (or be told that they are, in her words, shit). Using feedback from thousands of interviews she conducted herself, ABI AMÉ launched with 2 products (I love a limited line, it shows intention!) to solve problems within the body care space that fill gaps where they actually exist.
ABI AMÉ’s products will get you ready to show off more skin this summer. Plus, they’re excellent for prepping and preserving spray tans ;)
As part of this series, you also get the opportunity to ask your own questions! Ask Yasmin anything in the comments and she’ll pop in over the next few days to answer.
Tell us a bit about you, before founding ABI AMÉ! Where did you grow up, where do you live now, what were you doing in the finance world, any fun facts…introduce us to Yasmin!
I’ll confess: she’s a bit of a nerd and a skincare junkie!
I’m Jordanian, Palestinian and I grew up in Australia. I was a finance lawyer before I started ABI AMÉ so that’s how I ended up in Paris. I also wrote a few books about the city (where to eat, drink, sleep!)
What was your initial inspiration for entering the skincare industry?.
I was 3 steps deep into a 6-step Korean skincare routine for my face when I realized I hadn’t used body lotion in months! I thought to myself (1) I can’t be the only person with this problem and (2) there has to be a better way. How is it that skincare for the face is so advanced but we’re still lathering clunky, sticky formulas all over our bodies?
So I set a task for myself to speak to 1,000 women 1:1 about their body care routines. It took me 6 months but it was worth every minute of time. A truly enriching experience, speaking to women from all over the world. I walked away with a long list of body care problems and set out to solve them and started ABI AMÉ.
You describe yourself as a “real data geek” and 1000 calls demonstrates that perfectly. How did you come up with that goal and go about achieving it?
I wanted to speak to as many people as possible to understand if they also had a discrepancy between how they were taking care of their faces vs their bodies. Surely, I can’t be the only one?! I set 1,000 people as an arbitrary number and after 500 calls the data was very clear but it was such an enriching experience and I was learning so much about how women view body care that I wanted to keep going. It was during the pandemic so I was lucky in that sense because it was easy to get people to join zoom calls with a stranger!
You didn’t stop at 1000 calls, though. I don’t understand how, but you’re somehow still scheduling 25 calls a week, right? Who do you talk to? How can someone schedule a call with you?
Yes, I’ve made the commitment to continue my 1,000 calls every year as a founder. I’m talking to our customers and community, anyone can book in with me, I truly mean it when I say my door is always open and everyone is welcome. My diary is on our website!
Describe ABI AMÉ in 5 words.
Kind. Innovative. Fun. Effective. Wait, that's only four. Curious.
How did you translate what you learned in those first 1000 calls into your current two products? What pain points did you look to address with Soft-Touch Exfoliating Body Mask and Summer Skin Hydrating Serum + Lotion?
I set out to solve two problems with Summer Skin—(1) no one likes the sensory ick of lotion and (2) simplifying the routine, because not 1 person out of 1,000 wanted to do more than one step for their body! My original idea was actually a body retinol serum, but the feedback I got was a resounding no. People can hardly apply lotion, they’re not doing 2 steps. So I set out to create a 1 step serum+lotion hybrid that delivers the benefits of both serum and lotion that offers lasting hydration and suppleness, but feels invisible on the skin.
Exfoliation is a chore. That’s the next problem I set out to solve with Soft-Touch. Minimal effort with maximum output was the motto for this product. How can we create an effective, easy way to get rid of all the dead skin on our bodies and clear out pores?
We’ve moved away from physical scrubs for our faces (because we know that can be damaging) in favor of chemical exfoliants but we’re still scrubbing harsh products neck down. Chemical exfoliants need time to sit on the skin to do their thing so we created a pre-shower mask!
Not only did you convince one of the best labs in France to help formulate your products, but you also didn’t even give them a formal brief! Instead, you just told them the pain points you wanted to find solutions for. How did you make this partnership happen and what’s it like working with them?
They still laugh about this to this day. I was SO persistent the first time they told me no, so I wrote to them every month without a response. I then found a way to get in the door through a mutual connection and they finally said yes. In our first meeting, they asked for the product brief, I said I don’t have one! They were shocked.
I explained that I wanted to do things differently. I didn’t want to make products. I wanted to solve the problems that I know my community (those first 1,000 women) experience. I didn’t have a product brief, but I had set out problems to solve. The idea resonated with them and they’ve been my biggest cheerleaders ever since!
Soft-Touch is a pre-shower exfoliating mask. The first time I used it, I felt like I was doing arts & crafts on myself–it’s a deep purple color and you basically paint it on yourself. Beyond the enjoyable user experience (a huge challenge in body care!), tell us what makes this formula stand out and who it’s best for.
It’s fun and effective without being too serious — my dream combo! It’s a very rare formula for body care (one of the only products of its kind in the market). Soft Touch delivers a 30% AHA + 2% BHA acid treatment (that’s the same level of actives you’d find in a facial peel) but it’s buffered with humectants and barrier-supportive ingredients like saccharide isomerate, so it exfoliates without compromising your skin.
Most body exfoliators rely on scrubs or lower concentrations of acids that don’t do much beyond the surface. This is for someone who wants real results — smoother skin, fewer ingrown hairs, unclogged pores — without irritation. We tested it on keratosis pilaris, post-shave bumps, chest breakouts, all of it. It’s fast, effective, and surprisingly gentle. And yes — it’s really fun to use.
(Fun fact: the formula contains milberry extract, which has a dull purple color and was enhanced so you could see exactly where you apply the product!)
So I’ll be honest that after our chat, I had extremely high expectations for Summer Skin. You basically pitched it as a true hybrid body lotion-serum that absorbs in seconds and isn’t greasy whatsoever…ok, sold. The email I sent you after trying it for the first time pretty much sums up my thoughts: Initial thoughts: holy shit lol. By the time I finished applying it on my arms, my legs were fully absorbed. How did you do that?!
Your email is one of my favorite responses to someone trying the product.
We obsessed over this formula for two years!
Summer Skin is formulated with smaller oil droplets and smart structuring agents that help it melt in on contact, without any greasy film. The blend of active ingredients deliver long-last hydration and nourishment that improves the quality of your skin over time.
Think of it like this: most body lotions are like putting a raincoat over dry skin — they sit on top, feel heavy, and do nothing long-term. Summer Skin is more like giving your skin a tall glass of water and teaching it how to stay hydrated. It actually improves your skin barrier over time, so you need less product, not more.
One of the more surprising and unrelatable things about me is that I’ve never had a TikTok account, but I’m obviously very aware of the impact TikTok Shop has had in the beauty world, ABI AMÉ in particular. Can you talk about why it’s been so successful for you and the unique opportunity TikTok Shop offers new brands?
It’s been a game changer. TikTok Shop in particular has been a game changer because it collapses the funnel — discovery, education, and purchase all happen in one place, in real time.
What makes it so unique is that it doesn’t reward polish — it rewards authenticity. For us, that means we can show up as we are, we don’t need to have an overly curated aesthetic or marketing plan. It’s just me with an iPhone talking to my community.
It’s especially powerful for new brands because it removes the gatekeepers. You don’t need a big ad budget or retail partner — just a strong POV, a great product, and a clear way to tell your story.
Anything else you want to share about you, the brand or the product line? What body care innovations can we expect in 2025?
I think what’s most exciting is that we’re still just getting started. Body care has been stuck in this loop of low expectations — the same basic formulas and clunky experience— and we’ve been really intentional about breaking that cycle. Every product we create exists because it solves a real problem we hear about again and against in my 1,000 + conversations.
Speaking of products, we’re launching a new product in September. Think: silky soft hands without the greasiness of hand cream!
Final questions I ask everyone. Favorite socks, favorite sandwich, favorite tv show, favorite toothpaste?
Love this.
Socks: anything from Happy Socks because they’re, well, happy.
Sandwich: Fresh baguette, salted butter, slices of ComtéTV Show: Oh I’m the worst person to answer this, sorry to be that annoying person that says I’m not into TV! Podcasts on the other hand, obsessed. Diary of a CEO + Female Startup Club are high on my current rotation.
Toothpaste: Marvis, forever and always.
Use code HOTLINESKINxAA for 15% off through July 17th.
The first 10 people to use code HOTLINESKINGIFT will also get a free terry towel shell bag GWP.
HAVE A QUESTION?
Your turn! Ask Yasmin about her product development process, give her an idea for a body care solution, get recs for Paris or anything else! She will be answering directly over the next few days.
Thank you for stopping by, Yasmin!
xx,
Jolie
Today’s interview is part of Hotline Skin’s Summer Skin School. Catch up with the class!
Wow. I love shopping but I’d like to think of myself as not easily sold on something. I have never hit purchase so fast. What a relatable, authentic premise for a company/product. Can’t wait to try.
WHAT AN HONOR!!!!