Naturally Beautiful

A new crop of luxe natural skincare companies are making a dent in India’s beauty marketplace.

- Neeti Mehra

In an age where ‘healthy’ and ‘strong’ matter as much as brains, there has been a spurt in products that cater to building a better you. There is no reason why skincare would lag behind, especially in an age where Instagram is the most valuable social currency and your image is your brand. With growing awareness about the harmful effects of chemicals on our skin, the demand for elixirs which serve up our grandmother’s secret natural skincare and beauty recipes in a modern receptacle is growing. While luxe Ayurveda labels Forest Essentials and Kama Ayurveda have established themselves as leaders in the market, there are many other companies which are making waves with their exotic beauty butters and fragrant oils.

A billowing market

On a recent trip to Andaz Delhi, I came across Ma Earth Botanicals, a brand founded by the mother-daughter duo Swarn and Anaisha Sukh. Swarn, an architect, learnt homeopathy, yoga, aromatherapy and holistic nature-based therapies, and encouraged her daughter to do the same. Starting as an experiment, the brand, whose journey started as an idea around four decades ago in Lagos, finally came to fruition in 2013. “The market for natural cosmetics in India alone is approximately $20 billion and is rising. As more people become aware of the hidden dangers of using over-the-counter chemical intensive products and gain knowledge about the alternatives in the market, the demand will skyrocket,” says Anaisha, who is also its CEO.