Gina Dirawi grew up surrounded by bowls of olive oil around the house, long before she understood its importance. Her grandmother, Fatima, would use it for everything, from cooking to moisturising her skin and hair. “I thought [the bowls of oil with strands of hair in them] pretty disgusting back then,” says Dirwai, with a laugh. “She always would tell me ‘this heals everything’, but I never listened.” 

It was only after years spent in the entertainment industry, where Dirawi cycled through hair bleaches and treatments, that she eventually began to listen to her grandmother’s wisdom. “I got sepsis and lost most of my hair. My skin was peeling,” she tells Dazed. “I returned to Palestine and I saw everyone there had long, thick hair. When I asked them what they do they said, ‘we oil it.’” After using the oil herself, on both her skin and hair, Dirawi’s viewpoint changed. Not only did her curls begin to return, but the process of oiling shifted her relationship to her hair, which she had hated while growing up in Sweden. “I thought it took up too much space and I didn’t know what to do with it. Oiling helped me to accept a part of me that I always thought was ugly.” 

It was from this experience that she built ZËIYT, deriving the brand’s name from the Arabic world for oil (zayt) and her grandmother’s last name, Zeyab. Launched this week, the products are not just inspired by Palestinian tradition but made using hand-picked olives from ancient Palestinian trees. As Dirawi researched more into the significance of oil in her culture, she learned exactly how central it is to Palestinian heritage. “You can see it in our poetry, our music – people protect the olive trees with their life, almost like it’s a family member,” she says.

Dirawi was intent on sourcing directly from Palestine, specifically the West Bank, to support Palestinian farmers. After facing a series of setbacks, she eventually made the decision to go there herself. “I was sick of the back and forth for years. I needed to just go there and talk to people and get my oil,” she says.

On her visit, Dirawi found farmers and families who had been tending the groves for generations, and trees that stretched back centuries, some up to 3,000 years old. “I just burst into tears because it’s been such a tough and hard process, but also so meaningful.” Olive farmers in the West Bank have long been on the receiving end of violence, and this is only getting worse. The UN documented 86 attacks related to the olive harvest season in 2025 alone, which disrupted harvesting activities, injured 112 Palestinians and vandalised thousands of trees and saplings. Yet the olive tree endures as a symbol of Palestinian culture, and olive oil remains one of Palestine’s most important exports. “I think it’s more important than ever that we Palestinians can show something beautiful, when we always see so much sadness connected to our identity.”

Dirawi named products after each of her grandmothers, honouring the women whose knowledge first shaped her understanding of the oil and its healing power. More centrally, these principles are at the foundation of ZËIYT, as the brand works to honour a product that connects land, families and Palestinian identity across generations.