Vogue features Forest Essentials Body Butter with Mishti Doi

Forest Essentials is saying no to preservatives with fresh, made-for-you skincare

In a world where skincare companies conventionally work on larger volumes, how does this move impact heir business model? Kulkarni concedes, “Offering produces with little shelf life and in need of controlled temperatures that cannot be transported easily brings its own set of issues.
But twenty years ago, Forest Essentials was the first brand in the market to revolutionize traditional Ayurveda into luxurious Ayurveda, a segment that did not exist earlier. Made to order skincare is much kinder to the environment but realistically, this only works in a smaller format with seasonal products, short expiry dates and storage guidelines at a certain temperature for the produce not to spoil without any preservatives.
However, the payoff for taking on the logistical issues comes in the form of delivering botanicals and ingredients, such as buransh flower, onion juice, malai, mishti doi, aamras, sugarcane juice and bael sherbet, in their most potent form. Dr Taruna Yadav, senior Ayurveda doctor at Forest Essentials, explains, “The products are made without adding any preservatives and have a limited shelf life of 2 to 4 weeks. These unique products are directed to be stored in cold temperatures to prevent any contamination, hereby providing maximum efficacy. Afterwards, these are sealed and packed in airtight containers.” In order to ensure minimal wastage, the products are only available in 50ml and 100ml units to ensure that they can be used within 2-4 weeks. “To maintain the requisite efficacy, the products are only available online, not at our retail stores as that would require time for the supply chain process. By keeping this collection available for domestic orders only, we have strived to maintain the efficacy and integrity of the fresh ingredients.” She concludes.