Vaishali Sharda is the CEO and second in command of Mellow. She quit her treaded and secured path of being a lawyer to become a full-time entrepreneur. At Mellow, she is the brain behind the strategy and marketing of the brand. Her vision is to make Ayurveda accessible to all, inculcate social values to the brand and contribute to society in positive ways. Vaishali is also big on animal rights and absolutely adores dogs. She is a trained classical singer and a graduate in vocal singing.
An extremely welcome and long-awaited shift in the beauty industry, and especially in the skincare market has been one towards sustainable practices. The cause of this boom in interest could be attributed to the growing awareness among consumers. With the boom of the internet, people have access to information, data, reviews, research and even clinical trials that they perhaps didn’t have even a decade ago. Today a consumer before buying a beauty product or putting some chemicals on their skin, checks the brand, the ingredients, the certifications, reviews, experiences of other users which is a welcome change.
Also with rapid urbanisation, pollution, round the clock stressful lifestyle, as a society in general there is a hunger in people to move towards mother nature. There is a shift towards moving closer to our roots, to Ayurveda, to herbal products or products that are made of natural ingredients and gentle on the skin. People are saying no to harmful chemicals in their food, in their lifestyle and in their beauty regime.
Not only consumers are aware of the ingredients of the beauty products they use and how certain ingredients can adversely affect their skin, but they are also aware of how the manufacturing of such ingredients might adversely affect the world. Today consumers are aware of the impact of climate change as well as global warming, and now wants to be conscious about their consumption pattern.
Thanks to Ayurveda, and herbal products. Consumers no longer feel the need to make a trade-off between their ethics and their lifestyle, as the production, manufacture, and use of Ayurvedic products is not just sustainable but also free from harmful harsh chemicals. It produces a much less carbon footprint as compared to other industries.
If we look at Ayurveda, it teaches us to preserve life and living: on one level by providing knowledge of healing to people and on the other to society and the world through sustainable practices. Unlike other industries, all Ayurvedic practices and products are mostly free from harsh chemicals and follow sustainable manufacturing practices.
At Mellow, Ayurveda is at the heart of everything we do. The wisdom of Ayurveda is our inspiration and guiding principle. We have been at this for many years, and have put their effort in Ayurveda from the very beginning (Mellow started in 2008), even when it was not trendy. We have always put customers at the forefront.
Mellow was founded in 2008 in the kitchen, of my mother, Sujata Sharda, and it started with simple home remedies to treat ailments of near and dear ones. Mellow is her brainchild. She believes that nature is the ultimate solution to all problems. Her vision is to bring Ayurveda to the masses at an affordable price range.
To bring the best of Ayurveda to the society, we have a strong Research and Development team. Our R&D specialises in solving concerns for our hair, skin, and bodies. Our drive since the inception of the brand has been to provide completely natural and herbal products and to bring the best and purest Ayurvedic products at an affordable price point.
Mellow is completely cruelty free and doesn’t use animals for testing. All our products are completely free from harsh chemicals and are gentle on the skin. We try our best to follow sustainable manufacturing practices in all that we do. We also support and help local communities by providing them with vocational training. The value of social responsibility and sustainability is deeply embedded in our culture in all that we do. We aim to go completely green in the near future.
The road ahead for the beauty industry is incorporating sustainable practices in everything they do from manufacturing, research and development to packaging of the products. It needs to be about the holistic approach for an individual, environment and society at large.
However, sustainable manufacturing is expensive, which is why most Ayurvedic brands and products are so expensive. No wonder only a few can afford it. This is where Mellow comes in. We want to revolutionise the beauty industry. We want to bring the most authentic and purest Ayurvedic, natural product. following the best sustainable practices of the industry while keeping the price point at an affordable range so that more people can reap the benefits of Ayurveda. Our products are intentionally kept at an affordable price range so that everybody harnesses the goodness of Ayurveda. Our vision is to make Ayurveda accessible – to bring the best and purest Ayurvedic products at an affordable price for everybody.
As we look at the future, sustainability will become a core of not only beauty industry but society as a whole. The challenge is to not compromise on sustainable practices while keeping the prices of products minimal. Is it challenging? Yes. Will we succeed? We are quite confident and will let time decide. From where we stand, the future of the beauty and skin care industry is bright and promising.