For thousands of years, nature has served our every need - food, health and even beauty. Traditional Indian Ayurvedic System of Medicine and even Traditional Chinese Medicine are over 3000 years old, and these systems have drawn therapeutic remedies from Nature itself. However, for many decades now, humans have circumvented this ready-made beauty lab (i.e. Nature) to create cosmetics where the focus is purely on how it feels, the fragrance and the convenience factor. It’s only over these last few years that we are waking up to the extent of the chemical load because of the toxins used in makeup, beauty and even baby skin care products.
The journey
Prakrta – a proud home-grown Indian brand started by two sisters, Rupam and Anupam Singh. They explain that the brand’s name, just like the brand philosophy, is rooted in nature. Prakrta is derived from the Sanskrit word “Prakrut”, which means nature.
It was a personal need that motivated them to switch to a natural way of life. Rupam’s 6-month-old baby had pediatric eczema. Advised by a fine dermatologist to shift to a natural routine for the baby’s skincare, they experienced a magical improvement in the baby’s eczema.
This started years of research and product development. For almost 4 years, they tested these products on themselves and their family, and even developed customized products for their friends, family, and neighbours and improved the formulations based on constant feedback.
Both sisters wanted to use their years of research and knowledge to develop a completely new category in beauty which they say is not just skincare but is in fact ‘skin-nutrition’. Every ingredient that goes in the product is super nourishing and safe for the skin. Needless to say, all products are free from toxins and harmful chemicals, with baby products being 100% edible-grade (so natural you can eat them). They are India’s first and one of the few brands globally to do this.
Prakrta - 100% natural skin-nutrition brand
Skin-nutrition sounds like an interesting product philosophy but what does it mean? It means that – apart from the fact that every ingredient is natural or nature-derived, it must also have a skin benefit. This ensures that the entire formulation has active ingredients vs many or most products in the market that are 70-90% fillers (like just purified water, or an inexpensive base oil).
The founders reiterate that skin-nutrition through skin application is crucial for our overall health and immunity. Because, even though we have all learnt it in school but have somehow forgotten that the skin is the largest organ in our body. It is also our first line of defence against many pathogens. Ironically, it is the last organ to get nutrition from the food we eat.
Unfortunately, instead of giving it the care and nourishment it deserves from topical application, we unwittingly feed our skin with products loaded with chemicals. Just as we have chosen to eat healthier organic food, we need to choose healthier and nourishing skin products too. This is the main driver behind the brand to make not just skin care but in fact skin nutritious products
What are the brand’s offerings?
Today, every Prakrta product is made with therapeutic ingredients that nature offers in eco-friendly packaging to preserve Mother Nature in the long run.
Their products are suitable for all age groups and skin types, especially sensitive skin. The ingredients are made in a way that ensures optimal nutrient retention and maximum skin benefit, like cold-pressed oils, steam-distilled hydrosols, herb extracts, botanically infused oils and raw butters. All its products are free from parabens, sulphates, silicones, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, PEGs, TEA/DEA/MEA or any other toxin
The brand has expanded its product range and offers nourishing skin products under the hair, body, face and baby skin category. They have baby oil and butter, stretch mark oil for moms and moms-to-be, vitamin-rich face oil and serums, body oils, face cleansers, spa hair oil. They are also working to bring in natural, toxin-free, shampoo bars and even some healthier home cleaning products in 100% plastic-free packaging
The brand believes that nature is the greatest gift we have been granted. It makes us richer in ways we often are not aware of. Since ancient times, ingredients for skincare have always come from nature, and it is this timeless tradition that the brand wants to keep alive through its products.
