The brand launched in January of this year with a product line including lipsticks, concealers, powders and cheek tints.
Most notably, the brand uses a smart rechargeable and reusable system to minimize waste and reduce plastic consumption.
The brand was founded by Asha Jindal Khaitan and her daughter-in-law Sukriti Jindal Khaitan.
Asha is a health and beauty industry veteran who co-founded the nutraceutical brand Pure Nutrition. The family is also closely associated with the Jindal Naturecure Institute in Bangalore.
The duo developed the brand to provide local consumers with quality products that they have experienced abroad.
“We have seen very good quality products abroad. Unfortunately, India’s regulatory standards are not that high so the product launch process is not as thorough. This is why we have decided to create a beauty brand with quality products at the height of what can be found abroad. Sukriti said.
Eco-luxury
The founders also wanted to provide beauty consumers with a sustainable product without compromising on luxury.
“Obviously, consumer behavior has changed a lot after COVID-19. People have become much more determined. It is not only a question of watching over oneself, but of being aware of the path that one takes ”, Sukriti said.
Compared to other industries like fashion, Sukriti considers the beauty industry to be lagging behind in terms of sustainability and waste management.
“[The beauty industry] is a huge contributor to plastic waste and waste management issues around the world. We wanted to take this path by combining utility, luxury and thoughtful beauty. So, for us, it was so important to make sustainability a major pillar of the brand. “
Asa Beauty packaging is made entirely from aluminum, an infinitely recyclable material. The company offers products in refill form, which can be easily charged in beautifully designed metal cases.
“Because it’s metal, it can stay with you for many years to come – and you’ll want to keep using it because it’s beautiful. All of our designs have been inspired by nature and have a luxurious feel. Sukriti said.
Retaining the prestige factor was a major consideration for the brand and mainly why the company did not choose to use post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials to develop recyclable or compostable packaging.
“We wanted to make sure that we also add a luxury feel to our products and plastic doesn’t necessarily give that feel. While aluminum is a metal and the feel in your hand, it feels and looks a lot more like a luxury item, ”Sukriti said.
A challenge worthy of the name
Asha said CosmeticsDesign-AsiaThat choosing to use refillable packaging presented many challenges during development.
“It was difficult mainly because it had never been done this way in India before. There was a lot of R&D and we had to work with different people just to do one thing. Even now, we keep changing and improving the packaging.
She added that the company persevered because it firmly believed in the concept.
“It would have been very easy to go to China and order packaging, but we wanted something different and made it in India. It was certainly not an easy path, but we weren’t in a rush to get started – it was more important to get it right.
Despite the hurdles, Asha encouraged other brands to explore sustainable packaging options. “In the end, I would say it was a lot of fun.”
