India has a rich legacy of beauty traditions and rituals documented in our Vedic texts – some of which have also been passed on through generations. For while we were growing up, grandmothers would slip seamlessly into the role of beauty therapists, whipping up herbal potions and lotions for many ailments of the skin – like sandalwood paste to soothe the skin, mint and neem decoction to calm the acne, turmeric to enhance the complexion, milk and cream to soften the skin and cucumber juice as a cooling toner.

Back to nature: As the global beauty trade embraced values of holistic well-being, the search is on for effective formulations where not only the active ingredients, but the preservatives are also derived from nature. It has been established beyond doubt that indiscriminate use of certain chemicals in cosmetics could be toxic, causing skin problems and even cancer as they easily penetrate the skin.

This is where the treasure trove of ancient Indian beauty rituals, sourced from nature’s treasury, is gaining global recognition. Consider the neem patent controversy, where after a 10-year-long battle, India won the landmark patent, despite the US multinational’s appeal claiming that information about the product had never been published in a scientific journal. That was a sure sign that Indian Vedic texts are being accepted by and sometimes inspiring the western world. Take for instance ila, a well renowned holistic skincare brand founded by Denise Leicester, that has its roots in India. Besides its key ingredients being sourced from the foothills of the Himalayas, ila’s custom of hand blending products using sacred geometry (yantras) and chanting (sound being the purest form of energy) to instil positive energy have been inspired by Ayurveda.

Brand Ayurveda: Credit also goes to entrepreneurs who took up the challenge of giving mundane kitchen remedies and grim medicinal formulations a glamorous avatar, making ‘Brand Ayurveda’ an appealingly exotic concept. Having used these preparations since childhood, entrepreneurs like Mira Kulkarni (founder Forest Essentials), Divita Kanoria (founder Tatha) and Natasha Shah (founder Nature’s Co.) were really curious to know what made them work from a bio-chemical modern standpoint. This knowledge required many years of research and understanding of ancient Indian beauty traditions rooted in Ayurvedic philosophy, which believes in healing from inside out.

Kanoria elaborates, “In ancient times beauty was skin, body and soul deep. Women were conscious about pure food, pure environment. They shirked bad habits, lived a disciplined life, meditated, did pranayams and encouraged positive thoughts.” In modern times, it might be the case of old wine in a new bottle, but the age-old strategy seems to be working. Clever packaging backed by in depth scientific research is making au naturel a glamorous choice.

Even the conservative Indian consumer, who is adept at making her own kitchen beauty potions, welcomes the ease of ready-to-use natural products. If you can’t sun dry, grind, peel and chop fresh ingredients everyday, the next best option is to go for completely pure, natural, hand-ground, pressed ready-to-use and lightly preserved ingredients.

Whatever was your grandma’s beauty mantra, chances are that you will find the same recipe, with purer ingredients in measured scientific proportions, in its off-the-shelf modern day avatar. Take for instance how the classic sandalwood and turmeric uptan gets prettily packed as Sandalwood and Turmeric Body Polisher by Forest Essentials loaded with mineral-rich sea salts, potent herbs for silken scented skin. Clarifying mint juice gets a modern interpretation in Iraya’s Basil & Mint Balancing Face Wash meant to remove excess sebum and impurities. A few decades ago, sun drying orange peels was a common, though cumbersome, beauty ritual. Indian women swore by its lightening and softening properties. Now you can get a similar experience by using Tatha’s Orange n Rice Body Scrub. Hibiscus flowers have been famed as miracle workers for the hair. No wonder they were carefully hand picked and dried and added to hair oils. Today in Nature’s Co. Hibiscus Anti-Dandruff Shampoo you get the goodness of hibiscus extracts.

Pampering rituals: The ladies’ chambers at royal palaces all had their beauty secrets. To have sensually scented locks, the princesses’ hair was dried over coals sprinkled with sandalwood powder. Indian princesses were also famed to have enjoyed rose-infused milk baths and pampering scrubs made of gramflour, milk cream, sandalwood, turmeric, saffron, and rose. Beauty rituals consisting of precious herbal extracts, at one time enjoyed only by Indian royalty also find themselves luxuriating in pretty, chic jars and bottles. Take your pick from the rose body butters, milk bath powders, saffron creams and sandalwood face packs. Some of the royal treatments have been revived by Jiva Spa of Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces. Bina Patel, vice-president, spa operations and development, explains the idea behind creating treatment and rituals based on ancient Indian wellness traditions: “Being an Indian hotel company in a land rich in culture and tradition, we decided to capitalise on an untapped market idea and hence created the Jiva Spa Concept, which quintessentially packaged Indian wellness and showcased the same both in India and abroad. The exquisite traditional and royal Indian ethos of Jiva Spas is accentuated through holistic spa experiences.”

Treading foreign shores: That beauty giant Estée Lauder took a minority stake in Forest Essentials, company founded by Kulkarni, was the first clear indication that Indian beauty brands had come of age. The stake gave Estée Lauder a strong presence in the top end of the rapidly expanding beauty business in India, while Forest Essentials was able to spread its wings into markets other than India with help from its strategic partner. “The western consumer has been more discerning of cosmetic formulations and ingredients used. Since natural beauty products don’t have any negative side effects, they are in demand,” explains Rahul Kale who first successfully launched Iraya, a line of wellness products, in Switzerland, France, Russia, Italy, America and Mauritius, before entering the Indian market.

Kanoria points out, “Many have consciously made a lifestyle switch to a more eco-friendly way of life. Tatha gives them a reliable but affordable option. We are in talks with strategic partners to set base in United Kingdom, Italy and Netherlands.”

Shah, who founded Nature’s Co. three years back, shares similar expansion plans, “We will start by opening a store in Dubai in the near future.” While mentioning Indian beauty secrets, it will be a sacrilege to not mention Shahnaz Husain, the grand dame of herbal beauty. Her products may not be sitting on the haute beauty counters but they certainly seeped into the popular psyche.

As they gain impetus from the ‘green’ beauty revolution, it seems certain that Indian beauty secrets are climbing the popularity charts.

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