Move over, K-beauty – Ayurvedic skincare is the latest trend to hit the high street, with traditional Indian ingredients like saffron, turmeric, neem and ashwagandha married to modern formulations
- Farida Irani’s Subtle Energies uses ingredients such as amla, brahmi and mograsells in products stocked at high-end spas and five-star hotels worldwide
- Among the upstarts to know are Michelle Ranavat’s hair and skincare line, and Purearth, founded by Kavita Kohsa – Christy Turlington was ahead of the curve with her defunct Sundari brand
K-beauty may have dominated shelves in the past few years, but the latest slew of must-have products appearing on social media feeds are all about A-beauty: Ayurvedic skincare.
Ayurveda has been popular in the global spa and wellness industries for years – treatments such as shirodhara are a mainstay in luxury spas – while Ayurvedic doctors are becoming more prevalent in the West, even as the lack of evidence for the system’s efficacy means modern science remains broadly unconvinced.
“Now more than ever, Western audiences are paying attention to prevention. Ayurveda focuses on the root cause rather than just treating the symptoms [which is why] we are seeing the world starting to adopt this powerful practice,” says Michelle Ranavat, founder of skincare and hair line, Ranavat.
“Ayurvedic lines tend to have a more natural focus and this falls in line with the search for clean beauty,” adds Farida Irani, founder of Subtle Energies, available worldwide at high-end spas in hotels such as the Mandarin Oriental.
Traditionally, Ayurvedic treatments are tailored to a specific person depending on their individual body constitution or dosha. As such, many skincare brands develop their formulations around these types, which is not only confusing to the uninitiated but alienating for audiences unfamiliar with Ayurvedic principles.
These newer brands, however, are giving Ayurvedic skincare an update by taking tried and tested traditional ingredients, and repackaging them into easy-to-use formulations with cutting-edge skincare advancements and technologies. Contemporary branding and fun marketing on social media have made them all the more appealing and accessible.
“After having my two sons, I experienced significant post-partum hair loss and dull skin. I turned to my South Asian roots and started to use ingredients like saffron on my skin. The results were incredible, but the only place I could purchase them was in a grocery store. I personally want to see a luxurious version of Ayurveda accessible to everyone,” says Ranavat, whose eponymous label started online and is now available in Sephora in the US.
