Going organic is quite the trend these days. We are particular about organic food and lifestyle, but what we often neglect is what we are slathering on our faces. According to Megha and Pritesh Asher, who started Juicy Chemistry, a 100 per cent natural, hand-crafted skincare line, there is a gamut of simple ingredients like organic brown sugar, rice flour, raw forest honey and turmeric that can do wonders for us.
Interestingly, Megha is a criminologist and Pritesh, a manufacturer. What then led the Coimbatore-based couple to launch their label last August? “It was genuine concern. There are chemicals in products that claim to be natural. Even kids use them — they love shower gels which consist of chemicals and plastic beads. Personally, my skin was breaking out. I searched the markets for natural products, but it was of no use. Finally, one day, Pritesh came up with something that worked for my skin. And that’s how everything started,” says Megha at Goli Soda’s Greendezvous event.
Soaps, body butter, (even mosquito repellent body butter), scrubs, cleansers, creams, foot creams, lip and hair care products are what they create. The couple believes that chemicals present in beauty products are not just bad for the skin but also affect the ecology. The microbeads are too tiny for sewage treatment plants to absorb; these then make their way to water bodies, polluting them and causing danger to the fishes. “Many of the ingredients used in cosmetics are what go into manufacturing petrochemicals. Light liquid paraffin gives one the impression of moisturising. It’s used as it’s cheaper: a litre costs around Rs. 70. If they were to use cold-pressed oils, it would cost them five to seven thousand per litre,” says Pritesh, who uses cold-pressed oils in his products. The company uses herbs and 150 varieties of oils — argan, almond, jojoba, avocado, carrot seed and ancient ones such as frankincense, helichrysum, neroli and myrrh, which is also used in mummification. These include essential and base oils that are then put together in therapeutic combinations.
“We researched for two years before setting up. During that period, we gave our products to friends and families to test. Now, we have clients who want us to put them on our testing list,” laughs Megha.
The ingredients are sourced from all over the globe. Flowers from Kashmir, green clay from France, Dead Sea salt from Israel… Since natural ingredients have the highest nutritive value when in season, the duo prefers to use them in their skincare range during that period. The production unit in Coimbatore manufactures about 4,000 jars of different products every month. They are made in small quantities as Megha and Pritesh want to ensure their clients get the freshest products. The soaps have a shelf life of two years and the rest of the line stays for six months. “People are willing to spend on a good natural product. I always tell them to look at the ingredients used. If you don’t understand it, you should not be putting it on yourself,” adds Megha.
Juicy Chemistry is available on Facebook. They are part of the Meena Bazaar exhibition that’s on till 8 p.m. tonight at Rani Meyyammai Hall, Egmore.
