What inspired your desire to create a skincare line?
I grew up in the most beautiful place – a resort called Cortina d’Ampezzo at the foot of the Dolomites in Italy. I had a wonderful childhood – sometimes I call it an “Alice in Wonderland” childhood because it was in so many ways magical – and I was always outdoors. This region is so beautiful and nature was a part of our everyday lives. My mother used many herbal remedies for health and beauty made from herbs from our region like chamomile and elderberry. It was here that I was first exposed to the idea of healing the body through the use of herbal recipes—but these were not made with the same Ayurvedic plants that we now would later incorporate into Bhaktiveda – but the concept is similar. Ayurveda was something it was easy for me to be open to because the use of herbs for health was something I had grown up with.
When I got older and came to the US to pursue my studies, I longed to find natural beauty products that were also affordable to me on my salary as a young woman. I had a hard time finding something I loved that was also within my budget – this is why it was so important to me to keep Bhaktiveda at a reasonable price point.
You spend your life creating products to help others feel good about themselves, how do you pamper yourself after a long week? – I am a mother of two in addition to being an entrepreneur, so I don’t have a lot of spare time to pamper myself, but the one thing I do make sure to do is care for my feet! I will create a foot soak at home with our Bhaktiveda Aromatic Bath Salts which feature Ashwagandha which is an Ayurvedic herb used to help reduce stress and promote relaxation along with Indian Rose Essential oil – which not only smells wonderful, but also has been used in India for centuries for its relaxing effect on mind and body. After this I use our Bhaktiveda Neem Hand & Foot Cream which is not only super rich and moisturizing, but features a high percentage of Neem, which is had antibacterial properties.
(Photo courtesy of sxc.hu)
What is your beauty product must have? – Mascara! I don’t really favor one brand over the other but I really love mascara. I prefer to use natural makeup brands but I do try lots of different things.
What spa/salon service can you not live without and where do you have this service done? – This is probably not the answer you are expecting to hear from the founder of an Ayurvedic skincare company – but I really love getting my hair done! I’m somewhat addicted to my hair stylist.
Who is your beauty icon? – Audrey Hepburn. Not only because I love her elegance and style, but because she was as beautiful inside as outside. She did so much to help children around the world with her work with UNICEF. She was such a truly beautiful person in every way.
What is your definition of Beauty? In a word, simplicity – that and being in tune with nature. You can bring nature into your everyday life even if you live in a big city like New York, as I did for many years, by incorporating natural solutions into your daily routine. I love to use natural beauty products but also, I have always kept an herb garden everywhere I have lived. That makes me feel beautiful too – being able to grow my own herbs to cook with.
Learning about Ayurveda has truly had a powerful effect on my life. I would encourage others to explore this healing modality if they have even asmall interest in it – it’s fascinating. One thing I hope to do with Bhaktiveda is use it as a vehicle to help people experience Ayurveda in a way that is easy and doesn’t require them to devote a huge amount of money or time. All that is needed to enjoy the Ayurvedic benefits of Bhaktiveda is the desire to use natural products created and produced with the utmost care, in-line with an ancient discipline that has the highest respect for the human, body, spirit and soul.
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contain naturally beneficial beautifying plant based ingredients used in traditional Ayurvedic practice which are picked at the foothills of the Himalayas, purified and blended in India.
