As a Beauty Editor, much of my time is spent trying products, discovering new brands and separating the ones worth writing about and the ones that aren’t. With skincare launches popping up left, right and centre, there’s a lot of fluff amongst the good stuff, and countless bogus claims and meh products that really don’t do anything to benefit your beauty routine. So, when a brand comes along that leaves a lasting impression, not just because of its incredible products, but also because of its amazing story, it’s rare to say the least.
Last month, I received an invitation to India to discover the story behind the world’s leading luxury Ayurvedic brand, and I got goosebumps. Which, I appreciate, might seem like a rather strange response to a press trip invite, but hear me out. Over 13 years ago, I went backpacking around India for two months, and my last stop was Delhi. When I say backpacking, I really mean backpacking. Hostels, washing my underwear in sinks, living on a shoestring budget, the lot. As a last hurrah, we paid a visit to Khan Market, one of the capital’s chicest shopping spots. It was here, amongst the bougie homeware boutiques and cool cafés, that I stumbled across the Forest Essentials store. Mainly thanks to its alluring scent of flowers that wafted into the street.
It was love at first whiff. From the moment I walked through those doors and discovered the decadent products packed with Ayurvedic herbs and botanicals, I knew I’d discovered something different. This wasn’t just “another skincare brand”, this was a brand that had heritage, heart and a whole lot of goodness inside each gorgeous glass vessel. So yes, I flew home with my backpack stuffed to the brim with body mists, face creams and handmade soaps, and for years, I asked anyone I knew traveling to India to bring me back my Forest Essentials essentials. But now, I don’t have to, because Forest Essentials has finally opened its doors internationally, including right here in Dubai Hills Mall.
Things came full circle, and the invite that landed on my desk took me back to India to experience the brand in a way I never thought possible. I learned the story behind how it started, how and why each ingredient has been chosen just so, and the incredible difference it’s making to communities across India. These aren’t just products for your skin, they’re products for your soul. This is what I discovered on my journey from the chic Delhi boutique to the remote mountain tops of Uttarakhand.
From a Delhi garage to a global stage
Yes, you read that right. The story of Forest Essentials began back in 2000 in the garage of Mira Kulkarni, who suddenly found herself a single mum of two. With little to her name, she began making candles in her garage, and soon, she added soap to her repertoire. Friends and family couldn’t get enough, and the rest is history. Fast forward to today, and the brand has stores all across India, has opened in London and now – of course – it’s here in Dubai. Watch this space, because although currently the only store is in Dubai Hills Mall, I may have been let in on a little secret – the new Dubai Mall store isn’t far off…
AYURVEDA MADE LUXURY
Inspired by the herbs and medicinal plants found in India’s Ayurvedic hub, the Tehri Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, Mira didn’t want to just create products using Indian ingredients, but a brand that would have a lasting impact on both the people making them and those using them. Ayurvedic skincare draws inspiration from the ancient Indian healing system known as Ayurveda, which translates to “knowledge of life”. It’s a holistic approach to health that originated over 6,000 years ago and emphasises the balance between mind, body and spirit to promote overall well-being.
Ayurveda categorises us all into three doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Each dosha represents different energy types and has unique skincare needs, which is exactly where Forest Essentials comes in. Fresh off a flight from Dubai, I was met by one of the brand’s Ayurvedic specialists who, after going through a thorough questionnaire about everything from how well I sleep to how I cope under stress, my digestion and what my skin is prone to, I was given lifestyle and product recommendations tailored to my dosha. As my skin is prone to dryness, she advised I use a nourishing, hydrating blend of products, from the Mashobra Honey, Lemon and Rose Water Facial Cleanser to the Transformative Soundarya Night Cream (one word: obsessed) to take my face from dehydrated to dreamy. Needless to say, it worked (but more on that later…). Forest Essentials uses ancient recipes and techniques with decadent textures that are a real treat to use. The entire process is a sensory experience, from entering the floral-fragranced store and sipping on your sweet jaggery tea to experiencing the feel of the products on your skin. It’s about a moment just for you – a rare thing in today’s crazy world. A seemingly small thing that can make such a big difference.
Courtesy of Frankie Jabarkhyl
Food for the face
The Forest Essentials ethos is simple and effective. “If You Cannot Eat It, Do Not Use It On Your Skin”. Ingredients are worthy of a morning super smoothie, with everything from turmeric and coconut milk to dates and ghee making up each delicious lotion and potion. Speaking of ghee, I got to meet Sumati Devi, who has been with the brand for over 20 years tending to the cows who produce the milk and ghee for the products. Watching her dote over the animals, who roam freely along the stunning terrain at the foothills of the Himalayas, and seeing the pride and joy the work brings her, was an amazing thing. The brand has done so much for women and local communities, but again, I’m getting ahead of myself…
Everything is sourced from the brand’s own organic farms or from local farmers, artisans and rural co-operatives. This doesn’t just give back to the community, but it reduces transport costs and generates less waste, which is key for sustainability efforts. In the Lodsi workshop, sacks and jars of the most beautiful and fragrant ingredients line the shelves, and it’s incredible to see that everything is done by hand. That luscious soap that lathers so blissfully against the skin? That’s been hand-churned, hand wrapped, and labelled by dedicated workers who treat each product like a precious piece of art. Every rose petal inside the soothing rose water face mist has been hand-picked, sorted and dried and the lipsticks filled with creamy pigment are carefully assembled by hand. In a world dominated by mass-made, machine-filled factories, this in itself was a thing of beauty to see.
SKINCARE FOR THE SOUL
I need to say that when I say Lodsi workshop, it couldn’t be further from what I expected. It’s all sunlight-filled space, exposed wooden beams and stone walls. All with breathtaking mountain views to boot. It could easily be a luxury boutique hotel. Powered by solar energy and built using local materials and indigenous techniques of the region, it’s been awarded for its zero carbon footprint approach and green manufacturing capabilities.
As we drove up the windy, mountain roads about an hour outside of India’s spiritual hub of Rishikesh, passing not a single other car or human (other than a goatherder or two), I was confused. How can a beauty brand create its products in the middle of nowhere? I soon learned that their dedication to giving back was so prevalent, that they worked alongside local authorities to pave the road up the mountain – providing safe, easy access to its inhabitants and allowing for products and goods to be transported to a tiny village that had been the definition of remote. They also provided jobs to a community of people who, until then, hadn’t been given much thought. They gave jobs to women, which was unheard of in that area until Forest Essentials came and convinced the village elders that women can – and should – be able to make their own money. They helped build schools to provide an education for local children, and they even supply workers and their families with essential hygiene supplies and teach them how to live healthy, happy lives.
I was also told about a recent campaign they did with a remarkable, beautiful girl called Maleesha Kharwa. Born into extreme poverty, Maleesha lives in Mumbia’s Dharavi slum, one of the biggest slums in the world. Her dream has always been to be a model, and Forest Essentials helped make that happen. She’s now the face of the brand’s Yuvati initiative, with 10% of all proceeds from the collection going to help children from underprivileged backgrounds get access to education. Her face can be seen beaming down on posters in stores, not only because this has changed her life in ways we can never understand, but also because of the hope she is giving to countless other girls who dream of becoming something. Like I said, skincare for the soul.
Powerhouse Products
Of course, I know what you really want to know. Do the products actually work? The fact I used to ask my friends to mule back products from Delhi is a testament to how much I would say umm, yes. They’re an absolute joy to apply, with their sensual textures and herbaceous, floral fragrances, and my skin has definitely felt softer, smoother and plumper since I switched to my dosa-tailored routine. I also love that everything is 100% natural, cruelty-free, Ayurvedic recipe inspired and formulated with only superfoods, herbs and extracts that you’d be happy putting in your body as well as on it. Not to mention knowing the huge difference to people’s lives the production of each product provides. And that’s exactly what beauty should be – so much more than skin deep.
Shop my Forest Essentials essentials below
