Designing beyond fashion: Sujata Keshavan’s slow, quiet expansion into herbal cosmetics

Sujata Keshavan  launched the Indian-made, London-born sustainable luxury fashion brand Varana at London’s tony neighbourhood Dover Street in 2017. The brand soon became a favourite of the rich and the powerful, such as Hollywood celebrities Sharon Stone, Robin Wright, Olvia Colman and Indian actors Alia Bhat and Sonam Kapoor, to name a few. After having successfully established the brand, which now is being transitioned into a global luxury online platform, the Bengaluru-based Keshavan has come up with a high-end herbal cosmetics brand called Almora Botanica, that is manufactured in France and the UK and is poised to launch its latest range of ayurveda-based menopause skincare range.

But what made Keshavan, a design maverick, to come up with two global brands in a span of less than 10 years? “I spent 25 years with my company Ray + Keshavan helping industry leaders in India create breakthrough brands. While I was closely involved with several amazingly successful brands within India, I noticed that there were very few Indian brands out in the world catering to a global audience,” says Keshavan. “Of course, we had exceptional B2B businesses in the tech and other sectors. But overall, very few Indian brand names are recognised by consumers across the world. When walking down a high street in Europe or the US, all the brands one can see are European or American, and on occasion, Japanese. I believe that India has a lot to offer the world with our traditional systems of yoga, Ayurveda, our fabulous food, our extraordinary textiles. These have, for the most part, stayed within our country. There are great untapped opportunities to take these unique areas of soft power to global audiences.”

When Keshavan, along with co-founders—Ravi Prasad, former executive chairman of Himalaya Herbal Healthcare and Deeleep Rout, Almora Botanica’s CTO, who used to head skincare research at L’Oreal, Japan—set out to create Almora Botanica, their aim was to build on the deep knowledge of Ayurveda that India provided and take it out to the world. Not through average products, or products bought due to low prices, but through exceptional products that could hold their own with the world’s best. “While my work at Ray + Keshavan and Varana was very design led, in the case of an Ayurveda brand like Almora Botanica, many other competencies are required. The brand has three founders with clearly defined roles. Both my co-founders have a wealth of domain expertise. Ravi has decades of knowledge about natural and Ayurvedic botanicals and formulations, as well as the skincare market and Deeleep is the author of several global patents and heads a team of scientists at the Almora Botanica Research Centre in Bengaluru. My role is to help create the Almora Botanica brand, across all brand channels and geographies.”

According to Keshavan, Almora Botanica starts with the knowledge of ayurvedic and adaptogenic botanicals that have been known in India for centuries. “What’s different is that we translate this knowledge using advanced science into highly effective formulations that have been clinically tested and approved by dermatologists… We call this… ‘Researched Ayurveda’,” she says. “Almora Botanica formulations are also unique in that they are close to 100% natural. Most of the ‘natural’ products in the global market use commercial synthetic bases to which herbal ingredients are added as actives. Almora’s scientists have created a breakthrough (patent pending) delivery system called SAPTA COMPLEX.”

What makes the complex so special? According to Keshavan, it is 10 times lighter than most oils making it almost as light as water. SAPTA COMPLEX, which is 100% natural, is a blend of seven natural cold pressed oils which serve as the chassis or base supporting multiple high-potency botanical actives, she says. It penetrates deep into skin cells very much faster than other oils, enabling optimal delivery of benefits to the skin, while supporting hydration, skin renewal and rejuvenation. “Another unique fact is that Almora sources the purest, sustainably grown ingredients available on the planet. All ingredients and manufacturing processes have been tested and certified by COSMOS, the world’s most stringent certification body that examines and validates all our claims,” she says. 

Keshavan says that every aspect of the process—from green chemistry formulations to ingredient sourcing from soil to seed to herb to extract, manufacturing process, packaging, storage, and warehousing—has been checked and certified by COSMOS Natural, Europe’s leading authority recognized globally as the gold standard in certification. “It’s a very thorough and extensive process. COSMOS Natural certification validates our use of natural ingredients, no harmful chemicals, sustainable and ethical practices across the board, transparency that allows consumers to make informed choices and rigorous assessment of all our claims,” she says.

Keshavan says that the company has identified four pillars as foundational to the brand—the wisdom of ayurveda, green science innovation, clean and sustainable beauty, and yoga.” Facial yoga is a facial fitness regimen that is part of the enormous repository of practices which comprise the world of yoga. The goal is to enhance strength, tone, flexibility, and relaxation, while focussing specifically on the face and neck. It is now confirmed that facial yoga routines boost blood flow, providing essential nutrients to skin cells, which promotes skin cell regeneration. “Almora incorporates both facial yoga techniques for self-care at home as well as through face yoga treatments that are administered by professionals in partnering spas. For example, we have at present a treatment room at Harrods in London where one can experience our therapist-administered face yoga treatments,” she adds.

Almora Botanica was launched last year with 12 products across two skincare ranges. The first was a prevent & preserve range of products for all skin types. These included nourishing face oils, cleansers that preserve the skin microbiome, and other hydrating lotions and creams. The second was a repair & restore range for specific skin concerns, mainly addressing mature skin. These include high-performance treatments like serums addressing fine lines and wrinkles, age spots and pigmentation, under eye puffiness, etc. “This year we intend to launch a new of products for menopause, through both ingestible supplements as well as topical treatments,” she says. Product prices range from £49 for a cleanser to £119 for a treatment serum. 

Keshavan and her co-founders are currently trying to create a global footprint for their brand. Almora Botanica was first launched in the UK a year ago at the iconic John, Bell & Croyden pharmacy, and soon after, at Harrods, selling both in-store and online. “In Singapore we recently opened a concession at the Isetan department store. Select products are also available in-flight duty-free on several airlines including Singapore and China Airlines. Several of our products have won awards for excellence in the countries they are present in,” says Keshavan. “This year we are taking the brand to the Middle East through an exclusive distribution arrangement with the exclusive Faces chain of pharmacies in the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. We’ll also soon be in Vietnam at some premium department stores. We are preparing to enter the U.S. market this year through online sales from our website as well as be present in some specialty skincare stores. Next month we have a pop-up planned at the Printemps department store in New York where we will feature customised Almora Botanica treatments as well as the full range of products.”

According to Keshavan, in India the brand is already available online where the products are being shipped from London. However, she hopes that in the next two months, the company will be able to ship locally to the Indian consumer.