Kashmir is not only known for its scenic beauty, the treasure of herbs makes the place even more precious with potential for herbal innovations.
Madiha Talat who owns Ruposh, an organic skincare brand, is making the most from the topography of aromatic and botanical paragon.
Having found that people are getting skin conscious and there is an emerging trend of organic products across the world, she got the idea of starting her own brand.
After doing her master’s degree from National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar in Technology, Innovations and Entrepreneurship, she did her diploma course in Organic Formulation from Institute of Personal Care Science, Australia and soon after launched her brand Ruposh, meaning soul of the flower.
The brand offers products of face care including oils, toners, serums, anti-acne gel and similar products.
“Currently, we are on business-to-business sales focusing on creating brand awareness through exhibitions. We currently have 15 products and want to expand the range to 50,” she said.
With collaborations from other manufacturers of Jammu and Kashmir, the brand also has perfumery items like air fresheners, diffusers and incense sticks which they get from the partner company.
She has participated in various exhibitions in Delhi and Srinagar where she not only showcased her products but also imparted awareness about her brand and developed a good clientele. She said that her top-rated products are vitamin C and Vitamin E serums added with lavender essential oil and rosehip oil.
While talking about the ingredients of her products, she said, “Rosehip oil removes hyperpigmentation and cures the skin damage caused by sun and pollution. Lavender essential oils fights acne and keeps skin toned. Vitamin C brightens your skin and vitamin E boosts collagen.”
Kashmir has a rich source of lavender and lavender essential oil is used in a number of skincare products for its antioxidant and aromatic properties. One of the products of Ruposh is handcrafted saffron and lavender soap.
While taking us through the process of making the soap, she said the lavender is harvested from the field followed by extracting lavender essential oil through the steam-distillation process. Then through the cold process method, the soaps are made. The final product is then topped with saffron.
“Lavender has a number of properties. It cures anxiety, insomnia and depression. We have customized lavender pouches as well,” she said, adding that in future, she is venturing into hair care, body care and perfumery.
Sharing the inputs from her research, she said that people of Kashmir have good skin but lack self-care. “People don’t tend to get involved in skin care. Some years back, people were not aware of using sunscreen daily which causeshyperpigmentationand the issue is common in Kashmir. They should incorporate sunscreen in their daily routine. Due to harsh weather in winters, skin becomes dry and one should go for intense moisturization. Skin care needs to be done regularly and should be invested in.”
In Kashmir, many women are stepping into entrepreneurship, building their own startups and flourishing in their careers.
Few months back, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha in his speech acclaimed Madiha and mentioned her brand’s name as well among three others for self-reliance, women entrepreneurship and empowerment.
To foster the ecosystem of innovations and entrepreneurship, she calls for collaborative entrepreneurship. “Start-ups are a game changer for economic growth and development. We should have a community of self-reliant people from different sectors who are be willing to help others. We have to give back to our community,” she added.
