Radhika Karia-‘Herbalising’ India

Radhika Karia says, “Growing up in Madhya Pradesh, Indore I was always keen on natural beauty products and always remembered ‘ghar ke nuske’ which I added to my beauty regime. While I was working in Sydney, Australia, I developed eczema. I started looking for home remedies to fight this condition. As my father, who is a herbal products enthusiast, was experienced in the field, and we started exporting herbal ingredients to counties like the UK and USA. Gradually we gained more suppliers, and eventually, the brand ‘Prasadhak’ came into being.

We started small, in 2016, with basic ingredients like Shea butter and coconut oil. Eventually, we started exporting a lot more; the demand for Prasadhak increased. Soon, we increased our range to products like essential oils, aloe Vera gel, and bath salts.

Being a believer in aromatherapy, I researched how different essential oils affect the moods and health of different individuals, and this enabled me to come up with the idea of making customized essential oils for each zodiac sign. It took me days of intense research to narrow down the zodiacs into their four essential elements to make something more personalized and soothing that would appeal to people irrespective of their gender. I chose the ingredients accordingly.

Some of my products didn’t sell at the start but I was always trying new things. I had to concentrate hard on my b-to-b first to build up a stable financial ground to expand my brand to b-to-c. The competition is tough because of the growing demand for organic products. Getting media coverage was also difficult.

Because of my love for the organic industry, I keep reminding myself that I want to be the raw ingredient supplier for the end products. More like the IKEA of the cosmetic industry.

I truly believe that once people get aware of what’s inside their bodies, they will be more responsible for what they put on their bodies. Knowledge of ancient Ayurvedic methods would eventually enable them to take care of themselves and make an attempt to keep themselves fit. All I would say is going herbal is the need of the hour. Being confident in your own RAW skin is what we at Prasadhak encourage young women to be. Stay natural, stay you!”