South Asian women are upping the ante in terms of making the case for wellness and beauty with their innovative range of products.
We profile six women who are shaking things up in the space of grooming, wellness and cosmetics as they bring their South Asian sensibilities to the forefront.
Pritika Swarup, founder, Prakti Beauty
Growing up in Virginia Beach, Pritika Swarup’s memories of India happened during family trips to Lucknow. A former ramp model, she merged her American and Indian sensibilities, she started her brand Prakti when she was doing her financial economics at Columbia University. It helped that the interest in skincare was sown early as she grew up using homemade face masks that her mother made for her. Merging the concepts of Ayurveda with the clinical and science driven Western sensibilities she soft launched the brand in 2021 with Daria Myers, who had about 40 years of experience working at Estée Lauder. The product range includes Face Cleansers, Instant Glow Exfoliators, hydrating moisturizers, serums and more.
Sarah Sophy Thomas, founder, Bili Beauty
When she was just two years old, Sarah Sophy Thomas, founder, Bili Beauty used to sneak into her parent’s room to wear her mother’s makeup. While that started her initial fascination, as she grew up, she discovered that there were not many products that catered to brown skin in America. For someone with South Indian roots in Kerala, she was born and raised in California, she started Bili Beauty to celebrate the art of makeup inspired by India. Her makeup line includes Creamy Matte Lipsticks in shades like Gutsy Gudiya and Adventurous Akka, among many others and an ‘Eyes of India eyeshadow palette’ that has ten pigmented colorful shades, an ode to the country’s vibrancy. The brand makes a compelling case for inclusivity and is a nod to her roots.
Deepica Mutyala, founder, Live Tinted
Exemplifying the concept of idea to impact, Deepica Mutyala, founder, Live Tinted started her beauty career in 2015 when she started inclusive makeup tutorials on YouTube. She went viral for a video where she used lipstick below her eyes to cover dark circles and proverbially there has been no looking back from then. She then went on to launch her first beauty product, Huestick that can be used for the eyes, lips, and cheeks for color and even as a color corrector when used gently on dark circles, hyperpigmentation, and dark spots. The product works both as a skincare and makeup option as it has hyaluronic acid, squalene, and Vitamin C and Vitamin E. As a beauty influencer, Mutyala, has been able to make the case for representation and inclusivity of the South Asian diaspora.
Taran and Bunny Ghatrora of Blume
The sister duo that started an organization that is all about ski, body and period care, Taran and Bunny Ghatrora of Blume have managed to start a conversation around normalizing acne and redefining skin care. With a mission to provide clean skincare solutions, the sisters are on a mission to destigmatize women’s health. Learning from their own skincare mistakes, they decided to take things in their hands. They launched a slew of products that aim to make the case for healthy skin rather than perfect skin. From Acne oil, Mineral SPF sunscreen, Milky fade serum, Meltdown Gel cream with ceramides, face wash, cramp oil, and period patches they have a range of products that are for women to feel good about themselves.
Priyanka Ganjoo, founder Kulfi Beauty
Armed with a computer engineering major degree, Priyanka Ganjoo, founder Kulfi Beauty knew that her calling was elsewhere. Her turning point came when she decided to pursue an MBA and was bitten by the entrepreneurship bug. And for someone who did not even wear makeup till she was in her late 20s, she started Kulfi, which celebrates her Indian heritage. The name itself comes from an Indian dessert and the ethos stemmed from making makeup all things fun and playful. From concealers, brow gels, eyeshadows, blushes and lipsticks, the brand has a whole range of products that are high performance, long lasting and inclusive.
Michelle Ranavat, founder, Ranavat
Michelle Ranavat, founder, Ranavat grew up in Wisconsin and started her eponymous beauty brand that uses ingredients from her roots in India as well as those locally sourced from across the world. A first generation South Asian American, Ranavat wanted to showcase a line of beauty products rooted in Indian traditions. She believes in unleashing the power of each ingredient in her products and her science background helps her do this right. Her line of vegan and organic products include a brightening saffron serum (a product she swears by), hair serums, masques, creams, cleansers, facial polish and face mists.
