Handcrafted Soaps by Kadambari work wonders for skin and hair

In her bid to reduce plastic consumption, Mumbai-based Kadambari Gupte is creating artisanal bars for body and hair
Lather up with doughnuts and hearts!
Lather up with doughnuts and hearts!

Homemade remedies weren’t new for Mumbai-based Kadambari Gupte whose mother and grandmother always found a solution in their kitchen whenever they needed something for their skin or hair. In her pursuit to use more eco-friendly and natural products, Kadambari too started creating her own concoctions whenever she needed a mask or scrub. But, once the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown were announced, she took a brief hiatus from her day job. To make the most of it, she enrolled herself in soapmaking classes and started making soap bars at home using the products that were at her disposal — spices, essential oils, fruits, vegetables and their peels. To get a certain shape, she started using her baking moulds. A couple of months and several experiments later, Kadambari started retailing through Instagram and eventually started making shampoo and conditioner bars.

“I wanted to eliminate the dependence on plastic bottles for our skin and hair care. Plus, I wanted to use only natural products which are free from parabens, sulphates and artificial fragrances so I started creating these bars for myself and once the feedback was good, I started retailing. In the past year, I have found customers in places as far off as Tripura. It is all through word of mouth,” shares 32-year-old Kadambari who offers soaps made from two bases — naturally transparent bars for regular skin and shea butter-based bars for dry skin.

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While most of her offerings are artisanal handmade soaps, like turmeric, lemongrass, coffee, charcoal, and rosemary among others, she recently branched out with peppermint shampoo and an argan conditioner bar. “I made a small batch and sent it to immediate family and friends and although it wasn’t intentional, both these products worked well on all types of hair. I myself have coloured hair and they work very well,” shares Kadambari.

Rs 150 onwards. Available online.

heena@newindianexpress.com
Twitter/Instagram: @heenakhandlwal

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