Anita Kaushal is the co-founder of Mauli Rituals , a British premium cosmetics brand for face and body care with ayurvedic roots. Anita was born and raised in West London, surrounded by countless Indian souvenirs brought by her father from Rajasthan. Inspired by the heritage and traditions of the East, she created her own brand of cosmetics, which can now be purchased in major stores around the world - Space NK, Net-A-Porter, The Conran Store and in the London Bulgari Spa.
Anita, why did you decide to name your brand Mauli Rituals ?
Mauli Rituals was born in September 2014. "Mauli" in Hindi language is called the red sacred thread, which is worn on the wrist. In India, it symbolizes well-being and serves as a guardian against negative energy. The one whom you trust and who wishes you well should tie it. It is believed that you need to wish another what you desire for yourself. And if you do not want someone good, then ask yourself is not right. Thus, the red thread is a sign that people are connected. I do not remember a single day that I did not wear my Mauli. Therefore, the brand name was born by itself - I just wanted to share with all that accompanies me daily.
Each of our means is tied to a Mauli with three bells. The first one means that life is not always what we want, but it is she who makes us what we are. The second symbolizes the present and reminds of how important it is to be here and now, in peace with oneself. The third bell is a belief: each of us needs to believe in the best, in that we will cope with any difficulties and become stronger.
How did you get the idea of starting your own business?
I wanted to do charity work and help organisations that are close to my heart. Therefore, we transfer 1 pound from each of the funds sold in favour of the funds. Also my work constantly charges me with positive energy and inspires. Mauli Rituals definitely has potential!
Your brand, however, has a special, positive energy! Tell us about the ingredients you use.
Natural and organic - in this combination, because 100% organic is not always a priori better. Much depends on where each particular component comes from, what its properties are. We study any substance in detail before adding it to the recipe in one form or another.
I switched to organic cosmetics over a year ago. I follow what I eat, and I think that what we apply to the skin is just as important. Therefore, it is especially valuable for me to hear these words from you. During the time that I was studying formulations, I found that sometimes 100% organic products just do not work ...
Absolutely! And all because each component has its own working concentration and its potential. Nowadays, many brands call themselves natural, but is it really so? After all, even a naturally grown component can be chemically processed so that nothing natural remains in it. Therefore, we do not say that Mauli Rituals is a 100% organic brand. We are a natural and organic brand at the same time.
So you do not use synthetic components?
No, do not use. However, in the near future we are preparing to launch a shampoo and conditioner (our oil has become a bestseller in the category of hair care products) and initially we planned to create all-natural products. But a good cleansing shampoo cannot be natural. Therefore, I say absolutely honestly that we will have to process natural ingredients to the extent that they become effective.
Can you say that your products meet the requirements of clean beauty ?
Yes, clean beauty is about us! Both shampoo and conditioner will also be natural. In their composition, we introduced rosemary extract as a natural preservative. But in order to obtain the properties of a preservative, rosemary must be processed in a special way.What we mean, how we do it and why, will be described in detail and included in the packaging of shampoo and conditioner. We have nothing to hide, and this is a guarantee of customer confidence.
Many large hotels and spas began to work on natural and organic brands. Do you think this is due to the increased demand for organic matter, or is this desire to tell more people about organic matter?
I think the last. When we started working with the London-based Bulgari Spa, the spa management asked me to conduct trainings with all their employees - from the CEO to the business assistant. I told literally everything - what we do, why, how it relates to Ayurveda.My father-in-law is an Ayurveda doctor, I also practice Ayurveda. In the end, I grew up in the tradition of Ayurveda.
I also love Ayurveda and homeopathy.
Then you understand that it is not enough to act on the body on one side only. The combination of influences at the level of consciousness, body and soul is important. And the cosmetics that we produce should work in a complex - clean, moisturize, rejuvenate and make you beautiful. Nothing compares to our serum for the face - this is my favorite product Mauli Rituals. And it really works!
Many women do not believe that natural ingredients can improve the condition of the skin, we used to trust scientific research. I think that brands are simply obliged to explain how important it is to go back to basics and use what nature gives us.
Such doubts are taking place. But according to Ayurveda, any problem can be prevented.Prevention is the key word to the traditional Indian medicine system. If it came to treatment, then you can not do without synthetics. When you eat right, lead an active lifestyle and take care of your health, Ayurveda is the best helper for maintaining all this.
Anita, are you a vegetarian ?
I am a vegetarian, but my husband and son are not. Again, in Ayurveda, we believe that there is nothing wrong with meat, but in Eastern medicine different types of meat are used for treatment, and not for gastronomic pleasure. For example, if your dosha Vata, then ...
My dosha is Vata !
Then eating beef can balance your dosha after an illness, for example. I am also a man like Vata, but I completely refused meat. This is just my choice! And I can not blame someone for eating meat. But we have the right to listen to ourselves, our body and our inner feelings. People of the West are used to getting everything from life. But is it really all we need ?!
How do you feel about meditation?
While working on new products, I always think: “How can I give my love to customers?”.When I created the Sundaram & Silence Essential Oil Candle, I thought for a long time about how to make its owner feel my warmth and my attitude to life. I did not want to make another candle out of a million of them. And then I turned to 40 manufacturers with a request to do so that after burning a candle on the glass I could see my message to a person. It was like this: “Silence is when you hear prayers.” This is the first line of the poem that motivated me to begin meditating.
I agree with you - in silence we hear prayers. Even 2 minutes of meditation per day reassure me.
This is an incredible condition! We have a tradition to meditate every day with colleagues in the office. Once an hour after the alarm call, we put off work to the side and close our eyes for a minute, mentally analyzing ourselves. Our team is small: we are only seven, but we have no vacancies. Just at this stage, we do not have enough investment for active growth and development.
Perhaps you do not need them?
Maybe. Right now we could start working with several of the world's best spas and major retailers. But something stops me and makes me wait, see what happens next. I have not yet fully decided on what path of development to choose. I want to find people who will be on the same wavelength with me in order to work together on something global. As soon as I find worthy allies, we will move on. In the meantime, I am pleased that there is.
It seems to me that the fact that you have been working with Bulgari spa for 4 years already testifies to the success of the brand.
You're right. In addition, we began to cooperate with him a year after the launch of the brand. First, we offered two procedures, then added two more. Now our products are presented in hotel rooms, and we began to produce a fragrance-spray for pillows. All our products are absolutely safe for children. One of our oils - Surrender - we suggest using it for a massage to soothe your baby before bedtime. Massage is generally an important component of Ayurveda. By the way, another reason why we decided to create Mauli Rituals is the desire to preserve the traditions of Ayurveda, which my father-in-law passed to me. He is 86 years old, he looks great and feels great, plays tennis every morning and lives in Ayurveda. We do not want knowledge of Eastern medicine to go along with it, we want to preserve it for future generations.