Vaibhavi Joshi launched Vachsa Organics in October last year in the middle of the pandemic. Through word of mouth and social media, the young organic skincare brand has garnered many loyal customers within a year.
The brand offers a variety of handmade products like organic lip scrub, soap bars, hair oil, under-eye cream, face oil, sunscreen, bath salt, and face masks all envisaged and created by Vaibhavi. “I was doing masters in Canada. After spending years in Kerala, when I was suddenly living in a new climate, especially in the biting cold, my skin got very dry. I tried many products available in the market.
However, nothing suited me. So, I set out to make my skincare products,” says Vaibhavi. “I attended some workshops to learn about hair care and skincare products. Then I started making my own. I combined rose clay, aloe vera, rose water etc and created a face mask since my face was a combination of both oily and dry skin. It worked for me. So, my friends and family also started using it,” she says.
That’s how she came up with a wide range of products. By experimenting on herself. Initially, her line of products stayed within her close circle. In 2020, a year after she made her first line of products, she set up her brand Vachsa Organics in Kochi. “I came back from Canada due to the pandemic. So, I thought of developing it into a brand. Initially, it was tough to get many orders. However as I started attending flea markets, people started learning about the brand. And customers started contacting me to buy the same products again. Social media also helped,” she says.
The brand offers a wide variety of organic products. According to Vaibhavi, beetroot lip scrub, pink clay face mask, chemical-free sunscreen etc are some of the most popular products offered by the brand. “It wasn’t too difficult for me to acquire the organic ingredients, as my father is a spice exporter. So, through him, I was able to collect ingredients like shea butter and marula etc from African countries. I bought shea butter from Ghana,” she adds. Customers can order products suitable for their skin type after discussing personally with Vaibhavi on social media or phone. She even helps customers choose products that will be suitable for them.
Vaibhavi operated the brand, from making the products to packing them up for delivery and marketing all were done by herself for a year.Now, she has started hiring staff for the brand, which she runs from an outhouse at her home in Mattanchery. She will launch her new product, a green clay mask next week.
Instagram: @vachsa_organics