Asha Jindal Khaitan and Sukriti Jindal Khaitan aim to create products that are sustainable without compromising on luxury or efficacy
asa beauty’s co founders—mother and daughter-in-law team Asha Jindal Khaitan and Sukriti Jindal Khaitan—didn’t want global-minded Indian consumers like them to have to compromise on luxury or efficacy when they were shopping for sustainable, cleaner beauty products. Their goal was to create a beauty brand that worked across age groups (the two founders themselves are 20-ish years apart) but that was made for the Indian audience in mind in terms of shade ranges, textures and formulas. We spoke to the two about being uncompromising on quality while sticking to the tenets they believe in.
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asa is more than a brand, it is an ideology of “Clean Awakening”; it is the letting go of mindless consumption patterns.
When you were building asa beauty, what was your vision and what specific niche did you want to fill in the beauty market in India?
Sukriti Jindal Khaitan: My mother-in-law and I both come from a natural living and wellness background. She grew up in the nurturing environment of Jindal Naturecure Institute and I am an Integrative Health Coach, so we both wanted to create a high-quality product that was made in India, and could offer global standards of make-up to the Indian consumer.
We recognised this gap in the Indian market; and wanted our audience to not have to choose between protecting the environment and luxurious beauty. asa is more than a brand, it is an ideology of “Clean Awakening”; it is the letting go of mindless consumption patterns, a process of adapting clean and natural choices in everyday life and giving back to oneself and the planet. With a combination of naturally and ethically sourced ingredients and sustainable packaging, our intention is to offer an aesthetically pleasing luxury experience, without the guilt and compromise.
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With a combination of naturally and ethically sourced ingredients and sustainable packaging, the intention is to offer an aesthetically pleasing luxury experience, without the guilt and compromise.
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With make-up, our approach is always less is more. Having multi-use products that are easy to apply, on-the-go is the most efficient thing to have.
Originally, clean make-up was relegated to super ‘natural’ products that turned out being flaky, didn’t last long and weren’t efficient. How is asa different? Tell me about creating the products—the Lip & Cheek Tint for example.
Asha Jindal Khaitan: With make-up, our approach is always less is more. Having multi-use products that are easy to apply, on-the-go is the most efficient thing to have. With that in mind, we created the Lip & Cheek Tint as part of our product portfolio and it is our hero product! We were clear from the beginning that our products would be made with clean formulations with a whole lot of natural goodness. With the Lip & Cheek Tint, we wanted to create something that would be multi-purpose with a creamy texture and good for the skin. At asa, the ingredients used are safe, non-toxic, and all of our products are made of all-natural ingredients, sourced from across the world. The Lip & Cheek Tint is infused with a blend of natural oils (like avocado, walnut and moringa), butters (shea and cocoa seed) and waxes which seamlessly blend into your skin to give a natural, dewy look.
Sukriti Jindal Khaitan: You can layer it on your lips, use it as blush on the cheeks and even as an eyeshadow. Like with all our products, it comes in a consciously-crafted aluminum casing built for a lifetime and is also refillable. This helps in reducing the need to manufacture additional cases, thereby reducing the generation of waste and being more planet friendly.
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Our efforts continue online through our various platforms to educate them and inform them of the benefits of the products.
You are both from totally different generations. Do you find a difference in the way consumers—or your friends/peers—are shopping for beauty? Are they searching for something different?
Sukriti Jindal Khaitan: Over the last several years, consumer awareness about product formulations, ingredients and ethical practices has increased. A more conscious approach towards excess waste generated through primary, secondary and tertiary packaging and its impact on the environment is generating more interest across all audiences, thus paving the way for more sustainable living.
Consumers are spending more time online to do research and listen to reviews, and get information to make an informed decision. So as a beauty brand, it is important to have an omni-channel strategy and provide the relevant information at different touch points which caters to younger as well as older audiences. Our efforts continue online through our various platforms to educate them and inform them of the benefits of the products. To enhance the customer experience offline, we showcase our products at various curated events so our customers get a chance to touch and feel the products.
How do you build community and why do you think that’s super important?
Sukriti Jindal Khaitan: Our online community is over 19k strong and we are so grateful for their support and love over the last year and a half. It is a very engaged and active community. We make sure to have contests and giveaways to show our gratitude and also go online/live to share exciting news or milestones. It is our way of interacting with them directly.
Asha Jindal Khaitan: At the moment, our goal on social media is to educate our audience about conscious beauty and encourage consumers to choose clean make-up products that are good for you and the planet. We interact with our consumers and get their feedback about our products to continually improve the formulations and offer a high-quality product of international standards.
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