The Ayurveda Behind Areesa Botanicals
You’ve heard the term plenty of times, but do you truly know what Ayurveda skincare is? Based on an ancient holistic approach taken from traditional Indian medicine, Ayurveda is the practice of natural healing through balancing issues in your body. You tailor what you need through herbal remedies, various oils, and special dietary adjustments based on your individual doshas ( Vata, Pitta, Kapha) to achieve and maintain healthy skin. Common ingredients to help with inflammation and rejuvenation are turmeric, neem, sandalwood, and aloe vera. Ayurvedic skincare Detoxification, stress reduction, and enhancing the body's natural functions are key priorities in Ayurveda. The practice aims to help rebalance your entire well-being, not just cosmetic results.
Ikhlaas Magid founded Areesa Botanicals, an authentic Ayurvedic skin and hair care brand that blends the rejuvenating results of proven and traditional Indian solutions. Tapping into her Indian roots, Ikhlaas created her handcrafted collection using the secret powers of Ayurveda she grew up with in Gujarti, India. Her signature product - Vedic Wisdom Kumkumadi Saffron Serum - harnesses the power of ancient Ayurvedic adaptogens, targeting common skin concerns such as pigmentation, scarring, acne, and dark spots. This formula's heart lies Saffron, renowned for its brightening and illuminating properties. Saffron works harmoniously with other potent botanicals to deliver transformative results.
To learn more about this effective skincare practice that goes back many years and still holds true to this day, we asked Ikhlaas to share her story.
What inspired you to create your brand?
I decided to start Areesa because the use of Ayurvedic and Indian ingredients in Skincare is highly effective, but still not very popular or widespread. Ayurveda is a science, and is used widely in and around India. After being in the United States for a few years, I noticed that there was a dearth in the market for affordable Ayurveda based skin care solutions. The brands that existed were either extremely unorganized or prestige. Ayurvedic skincare deserves widespread popularity, which now I feel is just a matter of time. It was a hard step for me to get started, but I am glad that our small brand is slowly gaining popularity.
For someone who doesn’t understand what Ayurveda is, how would you describe it?
Ayurveda is a holistic system of medicine that originated in ancient India over 5,000 years ago. The term "Ayurveda" is derived from the Sanskrit words "ayur," meaning life, and "veda," meaning knowledge or science. Thus, Ayurveda can be understood as the "science of life." Central to Ayurvedic philosophy is the belief that prevention is key to maintaining health. Rather than waiting for illness to occur, Ayurveda encourages individuals to adopt healthy habits and practices to prevent disease and promote longevity.
In recent years, Ayurveda has gained popularity beyond its traditional roots in India and has become recognized as a complementary and alternative medicine system worldwide. This is mainly because Ayurveda offers a path for understanding health and disease, rooted in ancient wisdom yet relevant to modern lifestyles. Its holistic approach to health and its focus on personalized care have appealed to many seeking natural and sustainable ways to improve their well-being.
Can you share some details about growing up in India with the ingredients you formulate with today? How were they incorporated into your life?
I have the best memories of growing up in India. It was a simple life, but I learnt so much from our day to day, and that has helped me shape into the person I am. Our house was always surrounded by plants and trees which are considered to be exotic in the west like Moringa, Neem, Jasmine, Tulsi, etc. I have fond memories of the Neem tree in our house in Ahmedabad, India. It was huge, provided shade, and I used Neem leaves to soothe my teenage acne, along with our help from our Tulsi plant, and Turmeric from our kitchen. These were a big part of our daily lives, and we went to our garden for most solutions, be it food, health or our skincare and beauty needs. It was common to make Tulsi tea for a cold, rub Aloe Vera on cuts and burns, apply Neem paste on acne and use Turmeric as an antiseptic. It was common for most households to make their own hair oil in the winters as well. We didn’t consider it to be anything extraordinary, it was the norm.
What type of skin / hair issues do your products solve?
I create a product as a solution to a problem my target customers might have. I identify a problem, research Ayurvedic ingredients that work for that particular problem and then incorporate those ingredients in my product. For example Amla (Indian Gooseberry), Rosemary Bhringraj (Eclipta Alba), Nagarmoth, Coconut oil etc are some of the ingredients well known and proven to prevent hair loss, and so I included these into the Miracle hair and scalp oil I created as a solution to hair fall and nourishing your scalp. We also have our Luminous Mask for Acne, Our Vedic Wisdom Kumkumadi Face Oil for brightening and skin clarifying properties and helping with pigmentation. Our Kashmir Body Oil is a wonderful skin smoothing body oil for oil skin types with aromatherapy properties.
We’re all about transparent supply chains…how do you source your ingredients?
Since I am from India, I had some knowledge of the regional markets and ingredients. I started contacting suppliers and manufacturers there for our ingredients.. Most of the base ingredients, herbs and essential oils we use are sourced from the local growers and small manufacturers in India. Some of our products and base oils are made in small Ayurvedic facilities which have their own farms. The raw materials for the products that are made in the United States are sourced from highly reputable suppliers who are transparent about their sourcing and have a clear understanding of fair trade practices. .
What makes your saffron serum so special?
Saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world, highly valued in Ayurveda and in Indian culture. Vedic Wisdom Kumkumadi Saffron Serum is a traditional Ayurvedic facial serum, created from a 5000 year old facial oil recipe mentioned in the Vedas for healthy and radiant skin. Areesa saffron serum is also special as it is made in an Ayurvedic clinic located in the hills of Southern India, right in the middle of the sources of all its ingredients. It can be described as "farm to table" in terms of skincare. Our Kumkumadi Saffron Serum is packed with powerful Ayurvedic adaptogens, which collectively work to visibly reduce pigmentation, scarring, acne, and dark spots. The key ingredient Saffron, is known for its brightening and illuminating properties. Saffron is also rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and carotenoids, and safranal which helps combat free radicals. Our Vedic Wisdom Kumkumadi serum is so potent that you only need a few drops daily to see a visible difference in your skin.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Our brand name - AREESA translates to the word "mirror", in the language Gujarati, the local language of my native place - Gujarat. The term Love Thy Mirror emphasizes on the importance of the transformative power of self-acceptance. Choose to love what you see in the mirror, inside and out. Take care of yourself, and be confident in your skin.
