An East London analyst-turned-entrepreneur is using her passion for self-care to create a range of luxury candles.

Zannath Khan, the founder of ZEMK Care London, is currently working in biotechnology – specialising in neuroscience. Her experience in this area has shown her the importance of self-care and taking care of her mind.

“Self-care is about taking the time for yourself, nurturing your mind just as much as you nurture your body,” Zannath, 29, said. “We want everyone to recognise the power of self-care and understand that every single life matters.

“Since the first lockdown, what became apparent was the lack of self-care we all instilled in our lives as the pandemic had just started – the fear of the unknown was at an all-time high. With the world coming to a halt and so much time being on our side, I found myself in a unique position to look within and ready to navigate a new path.

“I decided to take the plunge and use the knowledge I had gained to create a business that helps others to take care of their minds and bring zen into their everyday lives, all whilst being earth-conscious.”

Wanting to create a brand that would have a domino effect on self-care and caring for others, Zannath said: “Being brought up in an entrepreneurial and generous household, I saw this as an opportunity to pass it on and help others.

“So I decided to partner up with The Brain Charity and become an ambassador for the Brain and Spine Foundation. I pledged to raise awareness for neurological diseases and donate 10% of sales to the aforementioned charities.

“Recently, my own mother was hospitalised for a month and diagnosed with encephalitis – a brain infection that is rare but very serious. It causes the brain to be inflamed and in many cases has lifelong symptoms like many other neurological disorders. This was an illness that we didn’t know existed and completely blinded us and is super tough for our family and friends.”

Zannath said she has learned and researched so much that needs to be shared. She added: “I intend to use our platform to raise awareness around neurological diseases. I don’t want another family to experience what we did, bringing a little awareness will go a long way!

“As such, it was important to find a charity that covered all of the above and I am so happy to be an ambassador for the Brain and Spine Foundation as without education we will be lost!”