By Biljana Markova, Founder & CEO of Clean Rebel

When I founded Clean Rebel, I wasn’t just building a skincare brand – it was about starting a movement.

A movement for transparency, clean ingredients, and the idea that beauty should never come at the cost of your health or the planet. And I knew that if I wanted to do this right, I needed to do it from the ground up. That’s why I chose to build Clean Rebel right here in the UAE.

As we mark the 54^th UAE National Day, I want to share why this isn’t just where Clean Rebel was born. It’s where our values are lived, bottled, and made real.

Why Local Matters More Than Ever

There’s a common misconception in the beauty world that the best products must be imported. But that couldn’t be further from the truth - especially when it comes to clean, ethical beauty.

In the UAE, locally made cosmetics must meet strict regulatory standards. But by producing everything locally, Clean Rebel gains something even more powerful.

We gain control.

Total Control, Radical Transparency

When you manufacture your own products, in your own country, with your own partners, something transformative happens:

• You know exactly what goes into every bottle.
• You trace every ingredient from source to shelf.
• You don’t rely on third-party suppliers to maintain your standards - you set the standards.

That’s what we’ve built at Clean Rebel.

Because we formulate and package everything right here in the UAE, we have full oversight of our ingredients, production methods, testing, and packaging. No guessing. No blind trust in overseas labs. Just complete, radical transparency - exactly what clean beauty demands. 

Freshness You Can Feel

When skincare travels halfway around the world before it reaches your bathroom shelf, it’s already aging. Potent ingredients can degrade. Nutrients can lose their efficacy. But at Clean Rebel, our products go from lab to shelf in a matter of days or weeks - not months or years.

That means fresher, more effective skincare - and a significantly reduced carbon footprint. No air-freighting. No cross-continent emissions. Just high-quality formulas, made for this region, in this region.

Clean Beauty Isn’t a Trend - It’s a Standard

We believe that all beauty should be clean beauty. That means:

• No toxic ingredients
• No vague labels
• No hidden trade-offs
• And absolutely no compromising on ethics or efficacy

Clean beauty is better for your health, better for our planet, and better for the future of our industry. It’s not niche. It’s necessary. And it’s time the Middle East led the charge.

Built in the UAE. Built to Raise the Standard.

The UAE is known for doing things differently - for choosing bold visions and making them real. That spirit is exactly what inspired me to build Clean Rebel here.

From sourcing to sustainability, from traceability to transparency, this country gave us the tools to do beauty better. To flip the script. To show that local doesn’t mean “less.” It means more - more control, more responsibility, and more impact.

So this National Day, as we celebrate the extraordinary growth of the UAE, I’m proud to stand with other founders, creators, and makers who believe in doing things differently. Here’s to clean beauty made with purpose.

Here’s to a region that’s ready to lead.

Here’s to the rebels.

Happy UAE National Day!

By Biljana Markova, Founder & CEO of Clean Rebel

When I launched Clean Rebel, I set out with a mission that went beyond traditional skincare. Yes, we wanted to deliver high performance, clean, cruelty free products. But more importantly, we wanted to rethink what “skin health” really means. Because in my years in the wellness & beauty space, one truth kept rising to the top: your skin doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It mirrors what’s going on inside you. And what’s going on inside you often begins in your gut.

I want to dive into a topic that’s been gaining real scientific momentum: the gut skin axis. I’ll walk you through why your gut health influences your skin, what the latest research says, and how the Clean Rebel philosophy is built around this deeper connection.

Why Gut Health Actually Matters for Your Skin

Let’s start with the big picture: your gut is not just about digestion. It houses about 70-80 % of your immune system, produces hormones and neurotransmitters, and is home to trillions of microbes that have far reaching effects throughout your body, including your skin.

Researchers call the two way communication between your gut and your skin the gut skin axis.

What that means is: when your gut microbial ecosystem is imbalanced (dysbiosis), or your gut lining is compromised (so-called “leaky gut”), it sets off inflammation, immune shifts and metabolic ripple effects that show up on your skin. Think breakouts, redness, flare ups, dullness, and yes – premature ageing.

One striking statistic: people with the skin condition rosacea were found to be 10 × more likely to have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) compared to those without, suggesting a clear gut skin linkage.

Or consider this overview from a recent study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences:

“Gut microbiome dysbiosis is strongly associated with the development, severity, and progression of skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and acne.”

In short: the state of your gut is the state of your skin.

What the Science Is Showing Us (And Why It Matters)

Here are three key findings I’ve incorporated deeply into our brand ethos:

1. Diet → Gut microbes → Skin outcomes.
   Studies show long term dietary patterns shape the composition of the gut microbiome, which in turn influences skin health. For example, a diet high in fiber supports microbes that produce short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) - metabolites that reduce inflammation and support barrier integrity (both gut and skin).
   
   
2. Gut diversity = skin resilience.
   Lower microbial diversity in the gut has been documented in people with psoriasis, eczema and acne. Less diversity means fewer buffers against inflammation and more opportunities for problematic microbes to dominate - and this shows up on your skin.
   
   
3. Probiotics, prebiotics and gut targeted interventions = skin benefit potential.
   There are current studies that are developing microbiome targeted therapies using probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics to benefit both skin and gut health. We’re not talking about a miracle pill - that’s not how good skin works. But by supporting gut microbial balance and reducing systemic inflammation, you can begin shifting skin outcomes.

Clean Rebel’s Gut Skin Philosophy

As the founder of Clean Rebel, here’s how I translate this science into action - both for you and for our brand:

• Formulations that go beyond skin surface – We choose ingredients not just for topical effect, but for supporting skin’s ecosystem - our microbiome friendly cleansers, moisturizers and treatments are designed with barrier repair, inflammation reduction, and mindful microbial balance in mind.
  
  
• Nutrition & lifestyle as foundation, not after thought – No skincare product alone can undo the effects of a chronically inflamed gut and a high stress lifestyle. I encourage our community to prioritize plant diverse eating, good sleep, and stress management rituals, because you see that in your skin.
  
  
• Transparency and empowerment – We believe you deserve to understand why we formulated the way we did, not just what is in the bottle. We provide educational content (like this) so that you can make skin care decisions rooted in your whole body health.

Your Skin Reset Plan: 30 Day Gut Skin Tune Up

Here’s what I’d recommend if you’re committed to harnessing the gut skin axis and seeing deeper change:

1. Clean your plate. Reduce (or better yet remove) processed foods, sugar, dairy, and gluten.
   
   
2. Feed your gut. Aim for 30+ different plant foods per week. Add fermented foods, healthy fats and clean proteins, and perhaps a high-quality, broad‑spectrum probiotic.
   
   
3. Support your sleep + stress resilience. Poor sleep and chronic stress alter your gut microbiome and drive skin inflammation. Basic hygiene: 7‑9 hours sleep, screen‑free wind‑down, meditation or breath work.
   
   
4. Repair from the outside in. Remove toxic products from your environment, such as toxic cookware, household cleaners and personal care items. Clean Rebel products focus on barrier repair and gentle, microbiome‑respectful formulas.
   
   
5. Track your progress. Take skin photos now (and maybe gut health notes, such as digestive symptoms, bloating, energy levels). Revisit in 30 days. You’ll likely see changes - not just on your face, but in how you feel.

Final Thought

Your skin is telling a story and the truth is, it often begins on the inside. At Clean Rebel, we believe in skin care that reflects the wisdom of your whole body. When we support the gut, we support the skin. When we stop treating the symptom and start nurturing the source, true transformation happens.

So, if your mirror is reflecting frustration - breakouts, dullness, irritability, ageing - pause. Ask: What’s my gut microbiome doing right now?

Here’s to resilient skin, fearless self care, and the gut skin revolution we’re all part of.