eauty and skincare in India have always been about extremes. First, there are cosmetic brands that are known for their cutting-edge technology, exotic ingredients and effective chemical formulations. Then, there is your granny’s DIY mask with multani mitti and turmeric, guaranteed to make your face glow. But come 2016, slow beauty or beauty with a purpose is taking over. A few Indian brands have completely redefined skincare by mixing the best of both — effective beauty with soulful ingredients and organic ideas. Here are three homegrown brands that have been raking up great reviews.
SoulTreeAll SoulTree products are certified natural and their bases are validated by the Safe Cosmetics campaign, an international initiative that aims to eliminate dangerous chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products. These earthy-hued bottles with impeccable packaging use ingredients that are organic or forest collected without chemical contamination. Even the preservative chemical compounds used or those that enhance fragrance come from natural origins. Ethical harvesting practices encourage forest regeneration and prevent exploitation — it all adds up. The brand’s offering is screened by BDIH, the renowned German certification agency, known to recheck ingredients, production processes and the products to eliminate artificial, industrial or chemical contamination. Choose from creams, lotions, face washes and aftershaves (Rs 295 – Rs 350), even lip balms ( Rs 195). The brand progresses to an interesting array of bath products like shower gels, shampoos and hair oils (Rs 295 – Rs 450).
The brand even retails Ayurvedic cosmetics: a multitude of kohls (Rs 350) made with organic ghee and natural mineral colours and interesting lip-shades (Rs 550) that are made with sweet almond oil and rose flavours. The big pick though are the gift packs that start at over Rs 1,000 and have a good mix of bottles for those looking for a quick bite into the world of organic beauty.
www.soultree.in
Plum GoodnessThe name itself is alluring. This Indian brand entered the market in 2013 and sees itself as a company that promotes natural beauty in a borderless world. Inspired by the best global practices in natural cosmetics and beauty solutions, they want to creatively and sustainably marry science and nature, and then, seal it in a bottle for you. Plum Goodness is looking at long-term value and not short-term benefits. They want to work against the logic of shade cards and mission-oriented beauty, two-times fairer-in-five-days kind of ideas. They even maintain a list of ingredients they use and you can cherry pick them from a host of products. Their organic kajal pencils are the most sought after and at Rs 425, they are packed with a punch. The other star product is the Green Tea Face Mask (Rs 475), a jar that is supposed to be manna to acne-prone skin. Other than these, you can find face washes, night creams, toners, moisturisers, scrubs, face masks, body washes and lotions (Rs 299 - Rs 1,745). The best thing to look out for are the gift sets that are curated according to skin tones. The Sunscreen kit and Glow kit are very popular!
www.plumgoodness.com
Just HerbsThis brand uses all its power to engage with audiences through social media. Their Instagram account is super popular and abounds with reviews and short videos that showcase the story behind the brand or how a product is made. Just Herbs creatively combines Ayurveda and beauty, and as the name suggests, the brand is about luxury and safe skin care practices. They claim to use bespoke Ayurvedic formulations that are absolutely result-driven. The products are simple and pure and they try to effectively target specific skin problems. The label looks at creating blends from traditional precious herbs and fuses them with exotic essential oils used in Aromatherapy.
Plus, they’re focused on customisation. If a certain product is effective but your skin needs additional specific ingredients, you can change it to suit your needs. In varying degrees, milk, honey, lemon juice and water can be used to suit different skin types as per the principles of Ayurveda. They believe in six steps to skincare success. Hence, their kits (Rs 2,330) come with six products tackling a certain skin type and the underlying issues. The label retails everything from cleansers to toners and undereye gels along with moisturisers, mud masks and sunscreens. (Prices start at Rs 275). Additionally, Just Herbs showcases ideas for improving the quality of your skin with pore-refining products and glow boosters. Their Ayurvedic Pimple Treat Creams (Rs 1,115) are very sought-after as are their face washes: Silksplash Neem Orange Rehydrant Ayurvedic Face Wash ( Rs 325). However, the most popular fare on the website are the range of lip balms made with Coorgi coffee and Marigolds (Rs 345).
www.justherbs.in
