Do founders of beauty brands use their own products?

While the makers of beauty products leave no stone unturned to acquaint their brand’s products with consumers, how much space do they occupy on their own shelves?

When you think about globally booming industries, beauty is undeniably having a moment in the sun. In the last two years alone, the industry has expanded monumentally. According to a report by Avendus Capital, out of the 800-plus D2C (direct-to-consumer) brands launched in India between 2021 and 2022, over 80 fall under the category of beauty and personal care, largely seen as a snowball effect of the importance self-care gained during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, it doesn’t come as a surprise that advertisements of multifarious beauty products—from head to toe, from homegrown ones to global bestsellers—throng our social media applications.

If cutting-edge technology, elevated user-friendliness and affordability weren’t enough factors to encourage a purchase, we now have a bunch of our favourite Bollywood celebrities slathering face creams and hair oils from their own beauty lines to promote their products. Whether it’s Katrina Kaif using an eye pencil from Kay Beauty or Priyanka Chopra Jonas opting for a quick dry-shampoo fix from Anomaly, or Deepika Padukone’s frequent Instagram Live sessions announcing a new drop from 82°E where the actor shares her experience with the product, celebrities have managed to redefine the yardstick for every founder. With more and more A-listers championing their products as the best marketing ambassadors, we are compelled to think about the founders’ extent of indulgence in the products fabricated in their own beauty houses, not just online—for the world to know—but offline too, in their day-to-day lives.

The perks of a routine 

Founders of most brands swear by maintaining a beauty routine, whether it’s minimal or an elaborate, multi-step one. As creators and curators of beauty products, they press on being consistent, even if it’s just the basics for your skin, hair and body. “To me, having a routine is really about the discipline of following good habits. Morning meditation, skincare and/or make-up routines and taking some time to read every day, help me feel sane,” says Aanam Chashmawala, beauty content creator and founder, Wearified. Meanwhile, Megha Asher, co-founder of Juicy Chemistry, follows a basic cleanse-tone-moisturise skincare regimen. “I believe that simplicity is the best way to have good skin instead of cluttering [your skincare routine] and trying to expect skincare to do miracles for you,” she shares. 

Shubhika Jain, co-founder of homegrown beauty brand RAS Luxury Oils, believes that the earlier you begin to follow a routine, the better it is. “I firmly believe that a good skincare regimen promotes skin cell regeneration and builds a healthy skin barrier, keeping your skin looking and feeling its best throughout your life,” says the farm-to-face advocate. “I think the stress of having, or not having, a routine is unnecessary. If you are someone that works well when you have a routine, go ahead. If you are not, that’s alright too. Just listen to what your skin is telling you,” says Prasanthy Gurugubelli, founder, Daughter Earth, who believes that the little time invested in skincare should be the best time of your day.

Frank and honest

All four founders are of the opinion that if a product doesn’t work for them, it can’t be placed on online or offline shelves for sale to consumers. “If it doesn’t suit me, it’s not going into the market. In fact, if it doesn’t suit even one person at Daughter Earth or in our families, it doesn’t go into the market,” shares Gurugubelli. Asher, on the other hand, admits, some products are created for specific skin types, which may not necessarily be universally flattering, “I am a soap person, so I prefer them over liquid face washes—even if they’re from Juicy Chemistry. Also, I cannot use all kinds of serums on my skin; there are some that don’t particularly suit my skin type.” 

For Chashmawala—who has toyed with a plethora of beauty products before launching her own brand—experience is paramount. “As a brand founder, and more so an influencer , I’ve found it very important to create products that are on point for me.” Jain, on the other hand, relishes the versatility of her products and believes that to be one of the brand’s key USPs. “Each product at RAS is made to be gentle on the skin and have multiple advantages; for instance, Ultra Hydrate and Deep Nourish Butter Balm can be used on the skin, hair and nails.We achieved this by perfecting the products’ formulation, their compatibility with various skin types and by sharing varied usage instructions.”

Picking favourites

Talking about her favourites, Chashmawala says, “It’s the Butter To Matte Longwear Lipsticks, our launch product, for me. I also recommend our bestselling IRL Paris Filter Airbrush Powder, a luxurious powder that can be used with or without make-up, to give your skin a velvet matte finish; it was the first time we sold out [a product] in under four hours.” Jain loves the multipurpose UltraHydrate from her brand. “I can use this gel from head-to-toe; it delivers multiple benefits—it hydrates, moisturises, smoothens and plumps the skin while providing nourishing after-sun care and protection against free radicals as it is enriched with hydrating aloe vera and coconut water,” she says.

“I know it sounds very narcissistic but I only use Juicy Chemistry products,” claims Asher, who swears by the soap bars and Marula Argan Hair oil from her brand. “I did not feel the need to use something other than my own product range. While there are some products we have co-manufactured with other units, the formulation has been mine,” she shares. Elaborating on why she loves the oil, Asher adds, “It was the first product that we manufactured and was the first formulation that I personally developed; we’ve upgraded it over the years and I personally love it. It’s very calming and offers an aromatherapy benefit. I follow it with a nice shampoo.”

According to Gurugubelli, Daughter Earth’s make-up is seen through the lens of skincare and hence, every formula is a multitasker. “Almost all of what I use is from Daughter Earth. I do try a bunch from other brands once or twice, to understand what my customers are using and what’s available in the industry, but my everyday AM and PM usage is from my own brand,” confesses the founder. “I also keep it super simple. I have hypersensitive skin, so I stick to what we formulate most of the time,” she says. The brand’s award-winning Rejuvenating Serum and Snowdust Setting Powder are Gurugubelli’s favourites.

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