Meet the creators behind the latest non-toxic Indian finds that are great for both your skin and the planet.
Jhalak Shah, Diam Beauty
After living in Belgium and London and witnessing the limited cosmetic options available for diverse ethnicities, Jhalak Shah founded Diam Beauty with a particular focus on Indian women. Through a thoughtful blend of five to eight skincare elements, including Rosehip seed oil, their distinctive approach effectively targets hyperpigmentation, fine lines and common skin concerns. Alongside their commitment to inclusivity, they are a PETA-certified vegan and cruelty-free brand. “With Diam Beauty, you can embrace beauty with a clear conscience, knowing that our products align with your values. We prioritise the well-being of animals, ensuring that our products are never tested on them. By choosing our vegan and cruelty-free products, you can contribute to a more compassionate and sustainable beauty industry,” says the brand in a statement.
HELLO! Hot Picks: The Glass Tint Balm is a 3-in-1 lip hybrid that combines the benefits of a lip balm, lip plumper and gloss into one power-packed product — and we guarantee that it will be your new go-to! Diam Beauty’s Cheeky Affair Liquid Blush is another favourite of ours; it is a highly pigmented formula that adds the right amount of colour and a dewy finish to the cheeks.
Asha and Sukriti Jindal Khaitan, ASA Beauty
Hailing from the esteemed Jindal Naturecure Institute legacy, the path towards chemical-free cosmetics appears a logical evolution for Asha Jindal Khaitan. ASA is a pandemic-born collaboration with her daughter-in-law Sukriti, a certified integrative nutrition coach. Their formulations are eco-friendly, over 92% natural and ethically sourced. “With ASA, we urge the global Indian woman to choose better with a brand that reflects their own commitment to wellness, sustainability and care for the community and environment,” say Asha and Sukriti, in an interview.
HELLO! Hot Picks: While ASA’s Multi-purpose Lip and Cheek Stick adds the perfect pop of colour to your cheeks, lips and eyelids, their SPF 15 Face Stick, protects the skin. It also doubles up as a foundation and concealer with medium coverage, one you can easily blend and build on!
Harshita Rai Khetan, The Skin Diet Company
Her experience with the stress of student life abroad initiated Harshita’s personal skincare and self-care journey, ultimately inspiring her to create The Skin Diet Company (TSDC). She discovered the significance of balance and the benefits of superfoods, which her beauty brand uniquely incorporates into its ingredients and branding. The 25-year-old entrepreneur believes this sets her apart from competitors. “Upon returning to India, I realised it was the perfect market for a superfoods-based skincare brand, as consumers were becoming increasingly conscious of their choices and seeking natural, plant-based options,” she explains.
HELLO! Hot Picks: The Watermelon Face Wash is an extremely refreshing face wash enriched with hyaluronic acid and Provitamin B5 that leaves the skin feeling clean, radiant and hydrated. On the other hand, the Avocado Serum provides long lasting hydration, diminishes fine lines, wrinkles and targets hyperpigmentation.
Dr Dinyar Workingboxwalla and Queenie Singh Sethia, Beauty by BiE
Renowned dermatologist Dr Dinyar Workingboxwalla contributes five decades of expertise to the clean beauty brand he co-founded with former Miss India and jewellery designer Queenie Singh Sethia. Beauty by BiE products are FDA approved, contain natural ingredients along with modern formulations, and are free from harsh chemicals like silicones, phthalates and parabens. “As a clean beauty brand, we never compromise on the quality of the product. At every step, from manufacturing to packaging to delivery, we aim to use green practices that keep the environment protected and reduce our carbon footprint,” says Queenie.
HELLO! Hot Picks: Enriched with vital oxygen, plant-based stem cells and acai berries, the O2WOW! Oxygenating and Firming Mask instantly plumps and brightens the skin, targets hyperpigmentation and leaves the skin feeling firmer. The Eyefinity All-in-one Under Eye Gel is extremely lightweight and targets dark circles, puffiness and fine lines, leaving the under eyes looking brighter.
Colette Austin, The Skin Pantry
In 2015, a health setback led Colette, an advertising and branding professional, to create her own handcrafted skincare products using kitchen ingredients to address concerns with ‘natural’ product labels. Sharing her creations with family and friends inspired her to launch a brand, producing products fresh to order in micro-batches. Ingredients are sourced from various regions in India and beyond, including Madagascan vanilla beans, Bulgarian lavender, and Ghanian shea and cocoa butters. Despite its rewards, Colette is candid about the challenges. “The handcrafted journey is, and will always be a rocky one. A daily conflict to find a balance between fiercely protecting one’s product integrity as well as protecting profits,” she says.
HELLO! Hot Picks: Enriched with nourishing ingredients like shea and cocoa butter, jojoba and apricot oils and vanilla bean, the Vanilla Bean Drench Face Moisturiser’s warm, intoxicating formula is apt to beat the winter dryness. The Espresso Body Scrub deeply exfoliates your skin, repairs tissue, encourages skin renewal, retains moisture, increases elasticity and minimizes stretch marks, the perfect once a week caffeine fix!
Megha Asher, Juicy Chemistry
School sweethearts-turned-entrepreneurs, Megha and Pritesh Asher began Juicy Chemistry in a modest 10x10 sq ft kitchen. Their vision was to create a brand that offered skincare and make-up products from nature’s purest ingredients. Combining traditional techniques like cold press and steam distillation with innovative methods, they aim to provide organic formulations. Megha notes, “Creating awareness and acceptance for natural products was a gradual process, but people began placing their faith in the brand due to the complete transparency in our formulations and philosophy.”
HELLO! Hot Picks: The Kakadu Plum, Matcha and Blood Orange Face Mask is a clarifying face mask that effectively unclogs your pores and has anti-pigmentation properties that help reduce the appearance of scars and blemishes, leaving the skin feeling supple. We also love Juicy Chemistry’s Baobab, Rosemary and Tea Tree Organic Shampoo as it tends to ease the discomfort of an irritated scalp while controlling hair fall. Mild enough to use daily, it regulates scalp sebum production, clears dandruff and build-up keeping your tresses shiny and nourished.
Sonali Kuruvilla and Preneetha Balachandar, Sommer Beauty
Co-founded by friends Sonali Kuruvilla and Preneetha Balachandar, this brand was born from their mutual love for make-up and entrepreneurship. Catering to busy make-up enthusiasts, Sommer Beauty offers multitasking products like their pigment, the Huesicle, to simplify your beauty routine. Their products are vegan, fragrance-free, cruelty-free and suitable for diverse Indian skin tones, with skin-boosting ingredients like gotu kola (a medicinal herb), squalane and niacinamide, which caters to sensitive skin. “Having sensitive and acne-prone skin, I understand that clean ingredients and skin-friendly formulations can make a big difference,” Preneetha says.
HELLO! Hot Picks: The Huesicle, available in shades Tropic, Sunset and Palm is a multi-purpose pigment that can be used on the lips, cheeks and eyes. This creamy formula blends seamless into the skin giving you a soft diffused look.
Sumedha Sharaff, Mansi Agrawal and Pallavi Sharaff
O&O BEAUTYThree extraordinary women, spanning different life stages, unite to create the One & Only Beauty brand. Their core mission? Empowering women of all ages to embrace their authentic beauty. “I started O&O Beauty to fill a market gap with premium, everyday products that suit busy routines. As a multitasking mom of two, creating convenient, high-quality items is my goal,” says Sumedha Sharaff. Tailored for Indian skin tones and varied climates, their line champions ethics as a vegan, cruelty-free brand, free of carmine and parabens—a symbol of conscious, compassionate beauty.
HELLO! Hot Picks: The Glow Blush is a blush, bronzer and tint incorporated in one product and its weightless formula is sure to give you that sunkissed radiant look on the go. Similarly, the Complexion Stick gives you light to medium coverage, and its humidity and sweat resistant formula makes it ideal for Indian weather!
This story has been adapted for the website from a story that was originally published in Hello! India’s November 2023 issue. Get your hands on the latest issue right here!
