We are looking at expanding our offline stores in phased manner PAN India: Divya Dinesh

Although Ayurveda products have reinvented itself and the demand is fairly large, thanks to the increasing awareness among buyers, aromatherapy, and essential oil-based products have a long way to go in India when compared with international markets tells Divya Dinesh, co-founder of Vedaearth. Her products have a unique combination of Ayurveda and aromatherapy and are completely free of harsh chemicals. She shares her journey with Shwetha Satyanarayan.

Tell us about your brand journey.
As a consumer, I had faced several issues when finding the right product for my sensitive skin. Though there were specific products to cater to my skin type, nothing helped. That’s when I learnt about aromatherapy and started making skin products using essential oils for personal use. However, the products became a hit among my friends and relatives and soon I was inspired to launch my own brand. Since I was determined to reduce the use of harsh chemicals and be cruelty-free, and not test the products on animals, the products were launched as a combination of all these factors. In 2016, we launched our range of products on e-commerce channels.

How does aromatherapy and Ayurveda help people? Elaborate.
Not many may be aware but aromatherapy is the usage of oils to treat ailments based on a particular skin type, while Ayurveda suggests products in common based on three common types of bodies. Most of the Ayurveda products are made as per these three types. Vedaearth products are a combination of both and we have balanced the formulae for our products in order to suit the needs of all types of skin and are more problem specific.

Ayurveda products have reinvented themselves in the last couple of years in the India market. How is the market for products like Vedaearth which brings therapeutic essence along?
The market for Ayurveda products has been very good as there is more awareness among buyers now. People have come to understand and accept that cosmetics have short-term benefits while Ayurveda products have long-term benefits. The surging demand for Ayurveda products and the increasing number of brands entering the market are indications that there is high demand for Ayurveda products. We too have received good responses from our customers who most often buy multiple products at once.

Therapeutic oils and products are a big hit in international markets. Do you think Indian brands have a long way to go or are the brands in the right direction already?
The Indian brands have a long way to go as there are very limited numbers of brands available in the market. There are nearly 300 different types of essential oils but the most common names heard in the market are Rosemary, Tea Tree and maybe Lemongrass. Also, there is less awareness among consumers and they often end up buying just one type of essential oils. The Indian brands still have a very long way to go but the silver lining is that there is more awareness now.

How is the awareness and response to aromatherapy products? 
Although the awareness is less among buyers, now everyone makes an effort to read up on Google before buying a product. However, many consumers are well travelled and are aware of the benefits of aromatherapy. The response has been very good and more customers are now open to use aromatherapy products.

Tell us about your brand presence.
We are present on all the major e-commerce sites and mostly deliver in and around Bangalore. We have 1 retail store which is an extension of our online presence, which is also our luxury saloon and aromatherapy spa. We are looking at expanding our offline stores in a phased manner in Bangalore and eventually in other parts of the country. Presently, we are looking at expanding into international markets, especially in America and Australia as the demand has been high and we are receiving a lot of queries from foreign customers. We are working towards launching international shipping.