Rituparna Som
I spent a large part of my teens yearning—sea monkeys on the back of Archie’s comics, and bubblegum-flavoured lip balm advertised in Seventeen. The former, I understood quickly, was a scam. The latter took a while—but I’m currently in the throes of adulting. I enjoy makeup, but I’m now trying to be intentional about it—cherry-picking handcrafted skincare products, created in small batches. The ingredients usually are fresher and of better quality, often sourced from smaller farms or specialty suppliers. They veer towards responsible production methods and—a true click-bait feature for me—the product might be niche.
New homegrown beauty brands are emerging by the minute in our country. But there is a distinction in the ‘nature’ of these independent brands—some are massively successful ventures, becoming unicorns valued in billions. But it’s the others I find myself being most attracted to. It’s their emphasis on using high-quality ingredients, often sourced from smaller farms or speciality suppliers, allowing for more control over quality. They’re defined through their unique business models, where they operate independently and sell directly through their websites or a limited number of retailers.
For example, Korean skincare brands are renowned for their aloe gels but I consistently opt for the aloe vera gel from The Dearist. I recall the owner sharing her experiences in Jodhpur, where she explored aloe vera fields to source the purest juice. Their product is scentless, has a slightly tacky texture compared to other popular brands, and blends seamlessly with my facial oils. These small-batch beauty brands come at a higher cost than a mass-produced serum or cream. They may not always be available exactly when you want them, and you have to be more demanding to check their testing and process. Interestingly, today’s behemoths like Tata Harper, Drunk Elephant, The Body Shop, Kiehl’s, and Burt’s Bees started off as small-batch.
So why would I intentionally choose an aloe gel from a small brand that will take much longer to arrive and is more expensive? Because I’m sold on the story. Take D’you for example. The brand excels in being vulnerable and sharing their experiences, which earns loyal followers. They recently changed the packaging of their cleansing balm from a tube to a tub, based on feedback from users. And I’ve already ordered two.