Even though these three sisters had different professional pursuits in life, their love for nature brought them together to launch a vegan, plant-based skincare business that went on to become a success.
SkinYoga is the brainchild of the Choudhary sisters – Radhika, Jagriti, and Deepika – who are inspiring people to adopt a natural lifestyle and, in turn, beautify their skin and mind.
Since they’ve got so much ‘skin’ involved in the game *literally*, we decided to speak to the sister-entrepreneurs about their business strategies, differences of opinion, and even some go-to skincare tips straight from their granny’s kitchen.
Excerpts below:
What was the moment before the creation of Skinyoga like?
We have grown up with the philosophies which are all now a part of Skinyoga, so the birth of this brand is somewhat gradual. However, the day we decided to convert our lifestyle into a business was when we three were sitting together after dinner. This was the time when each one of us was working in different sectors – Deepika was managing her Photography firm, Radhika was working on her designer label, and Jagriti was working in the family business with our father. That day, one of us said, why don’t we work on a venture together? The criteria were to pick something that we were passionate about and at the same time had knowledge of the industry. Clean beauty was something we all agreed on, and Skinyoga was born that very day!
Share one story from childhood that explains your connection with nature.
It’s hard to pick one since our entire childhood was spent on a farm. But a daily habit we can remember very clearly is our morning ritual of walking on the grass to improve our eyesight, drinking Neera, and taking flowers from our garden for our school teacher.
We’re guessing the brainstorming sessions among the three sisters are absolute fun!
There is an inevitable change in the relationship when it comes to talking business. We are less like sisters and more like a powerful computer thinking towards the same goal but bringing different perspectives. We all sit down in our cabin, with our favourite beverages in hand. It starts with Jagriti bringing in a serious topic which later moves to Radhika feeling hungry and by the end of 20 minutes, we are all snacking until one of our colleagues reminds us to go back to the purpose of the meeting (laughs).
Does your personal beauty routine choice of veggies and fruits change with seasons?
Yes. We stick to eating only seasonal fruits and vegetables. If there is a season for oranges, we eat oranges, and when the season is for bitter gourd, we eat those. We can get the maximum nutrients from our food when we eat something that grows naturally in their season. Eating unseasonal produce or frozen food is useless and hardly gives our body any nutrients. Except for water, we drink plenty of water all year round.
Talking about business, what are the entrepreneurial challenges in the skin-care market?
One of the challenges we face is ironically the lack of education amongst the people about natural lifestyle. If people and the government were more aware of what the term ‘natural’ actually means, our skincare industry would be a lot cleaner and purer than it is today.
Share some simple tips to switch to a chemical-free life.
A desire to switch to a chemical-free life is the first step in itself. Pick any product from your vanity case and look for a natural replacement in the market. Again, remember to educate yourself about the term ‘natural.’ If you can read, pronounce and understand the ingredients on the label, you can apply it on your skin.
Are you, in any way, contributing to boost organic farming and empower farmers?
We grew up growing our own vegetables and consuming our own produce. We understand the quality and differences in organic produce and ingredients grown with pesticides. All the ingredients we use are sourced directly from the farms and the producers, and we try to procure it from organic farms as much as possible.
How and where do you source your ingredients from? Also, take us inside the laboratory of Skin Yoga.
Skinyoga procures its ingredients from the place of origin. For example, Saffron comes from Spain, Green Tea comes from Assam, Almonds comes from the Middle-East, and so on. The reason being the soil in these regions is the most potent for the respective ingredients and hence our products, in spite of being natural, show results instantly. All our formulations are based on ancient Ayurvedic rituals, and other ancient beauty rituals followed across the globe. Before working in the laboratory, we already have a rough idea of the product we would like to develop. We provide them with the ingredients and the rough draft, which later goes into the R&D stage. In a couple of months, we have several formulations to pick from. It usually takes about six months from ideation to final productions for any new item.
What is your market distribution strategy to reach the masses?
Skinyoga has 80% repeat customers, and so far, it has been through word of mouth. We do have our presence in the international markets and are selling in USA, UAE, UK through retailers and distributors. We would like to have more distributors in different regions of the world. At the same time, we would like to create more awareness about natural beauty and skincare through educating girls in schools, especially in India.
How does your Yoga routine complement your beauty routine?
Yoga is a lot about the state of meditation and the art of being in the present. There is a certain sense of meditation and calmness required while applying Skinyoga products. All we want is for people to take out two minutes of their busy day and focus on themselves.
It’s time we do some quick questions. Which is that one food that you love to feed to your tummy and skin together?
Green Tea (Matcha). Can’t get enough of it.
What beauty lessons did you learn from grandmother and mother?
There are a few:
– Replacing cleanser with milk, this acts as a cleanser and a moisturizer.
– Applying pure coconut oil on a clean scalp and keeping it overnight.
– Taking a facial steam with natural herbs.
Were you also informed about raw natural ingredients which are brilliant individually but aren’t good when blended together?
Yes, there are few such combinations like Lemon and Milk, Curd and Sea Salt, and Fruits and Veggies.
Lastly, suggest the natural skincare regime for different age brackets:
20-30: If you haven’t had a breakout yet, you should be ready. Exfoliate at least two to three times a week so you don’t have to visit a dermatologist later. Also, develop a habit of using sunscreen every day without fail.
30-40: Although you might see signs of aging, embrace it. But take care of it and start investing in products that hydrate your skin from within. This is a period your collagen will start to break.
40-50: Pigmentation is something you probably would need to take care of which comes due to aging and sun damage. Again, moisturise well and keep using your sunscreen.
50+: Voila! You have surpassed all skin-related problems. Keep your skin hydrated.
Do you have any question for the sisters? Write to us in the comments section!