How would you like a Spiced Wine handcrafted soap that has organic botanicals, therapeutic essential oils, deep moisturising butters and the fruity goodness of pomegranate? I know I would love it, as it also promises to heal, protect and moisturise mature skin. The brand new Juicy Chemistry (JC) store in R.S. Puram holds out many more tantalising temptations for those who have a thing for skin and hair products. More so if they are looking for organic, eco-friendly and responsibly created products.
Megha and Pritesh Asher say they have scoured the land and beyond for the best raw materials for their skincare products. Strolling around their shop is fun. Do I take the papaya, mandarin and lemon soap, or the tomato, basil and lemon...? There are lip balms and hair care unguents, conditioners and serums to tame frizzy hair or protect one from the sun.
As it is Diwali time, Megha says she has many requests for hampers. She is happy to help you pick and choose for a basket of goodies for your loved ones. “The body scrub, body butter and essential oil combo is popular,” she says. That would cost around Rs. 500 and the cost goes up depending what else you choose. You could add a lip butter, a hand-and-foot care kit. They also have a unisex combo afor a man and woman. They have a limited number of soap caddys carrying 15 assorted beauty products.
Pritesh takes pains to point out how the best of natural products goes into the making of the Juicy Chemistry range. Essential oils like carrot seed , chamomile, patchouli, lemon are full of good health and nutrition for skin and hair. “We try as far as possible to source ingredients from our own country. But sometimes we have to get it from outside,” he says. Pritesh is happy to explain the goodness of the oils and extracts of the soaps, lotions and creams that occupy the shelves. And he also has some horror stories about some of the big brands in the cosmetic industry. “Many of the claims are misleading,” he says.
Cosmetics that go on for months and even years sometimes are no good,” cautions Pritesh and says that, the world over, a campaign for safe cosmetics is gaining momentum. The movement highlights brands that use unsafe ingredients and lays bare false claims made by big brands that claim to be ‘clean’ but in fact are far from it. Ambiguous labelling, vague descriptions and technical descriptions are often used to mislead consumers, he says.
In fact, many of the JC products have a short shelf-life because they contain no preservatives. Megha and Pritesh constantly remind their clients about that. “We believe in using the freshest ingredients and we want our clients to use them when they are still in that mint condition. Megha emphatically reiterates that their products are 100 per cent organic. “No chemicals, no preservatives, no synthetics,” she declares. “So if you are going to travel and wrap up the soap to take along, ensure it is dry. If you are using our face scrubs, we provide a wooden spoon. Please use that and ensure that is dry as well. Our products use a lot of vegetables, flowers and fruits and so they have to be treated in the same way. Wet fingers dipped into them can spoil them.”
Packed in eco-friendly packaging Photo: S. Siva Saravanan
Megha wishes she could use glass jars, but the costs are huge not to speak of their fragility. They often get damaged during shipping, she says. But ecology, environment and sustainable factors are never far from their thoughts. They are constantly innovating to see how they can reduce if not actively do away with the huge carbon footprint that each one of us leaves.
Juicy Chemistry
Where: 106, Ramalingam Road West (next to Ramalingam Sowdeshwari Kalyana Mandapam), R.S. Puram, Coimbatore.
When: The store is open Monday to Saturday from 11.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m.
Contact: Visit www.juicychemistry.com or mail them at hello@juicychemistry.com or call 09655663566
Brownie points
You can return empty Juicy Chemistry jars once you are done with them to the shop. The empty plastic containers are recycled. A big plus.
A lot of the packaging is made of bamboo and cane. Gift hampers come in cane baskets that are locally made through SHGs and local cane weavers. Sometimes coconut shells are used as packaging. This makes it not just biodegradable, but also provides employment opportunities to local craftspeople. JC has also initiated programmes to empower women financially through self-employment and gives them the wherewithal to educate their children.
JC always recommends their clients first buy a convenient sample-sized product from before going for their bigger jars of creams and lotions.
