Aastha Jain’s vegan skincare brand Tvachamrit aims to share her family skincare recipes with the world

How about only putting products on your skin that you can put in your mouth? This is what Tvachamrit — a handcrafted, vegan skincare brand is all about. Founded in 2018 by Aastha Khandelwal Jain, the skincare brand was launched with an aim to share Jain’s family home-made, skincare recipes, formulated by her mother and aunts with the world. 

Growing up in a typical Indian joint family of 14, Aastha would see her mother and aunts making very effective concoctions for all their beauty needs. The last slices of orange, papaya or watermelon were always reserved for face applications. Aastha too started making great ubtans from natural ingredients for her skincare purposes. While in college, Aastha’s ubtans were highly appreciated by all her friends, and this gave her the confidence to launch Tvachamrit.

The brand has a range of body scrubs, body masks, face masks, face scrubs, body butters, body lotions and facial toners.

Aastha talks to Ivory Station about the vast universe of vegan skincare, her skincare routine and her best selling products.

What is vegan skincare?

Vegan skincare products are those in which there is no use of animal/animal-derived ingredients such as eggs, honey, beeswax, milk, animal-derived sources of glycerine, collagen, Hyaluronic acid, fats, etc. In cosmetics, it also means not using dyes that are derived from animal sources. Many lipstick brands use red coloured (carmine) dye derived from ladybugs or beetles, which vegan brands don’t.

Activated Charcoal Body Scrub

What’s the difference between cosmetics labelled as ‘Vegan’ vs. ‘Vegan-Friendly’ vs. ‘100% Vegan?

They all mean the same thing. No animal/animal-derived products are used in the manufacturing process. However, there’s a difference between vegan and cruelty-free. A cruelty-free product is one in which the final products or even the ingredients used to make the final product isn’t tested on animals. So, by that logic, a product can be cruelty-free, but not vegan or vegan but not cruelty-free.

Do you think vegan skincare is better?

If you go by the effectiveness of the products, vegan cosmetics aren’t better per se. It’s a matter of personal choice. That’s not to say that vegan cosmetics aren’t as effective or are slow in showing results as compared to products that are formulated and sythesised using animal-derived ingredients. Vegan cosmetics are better because no fauna is harmed in the process of creation. It has that feel-good factor. Personally, I’m a vegetarian and wanted to ensure that I do no harm to animals and limit my carbon footprint. Hence, I wanted to make most of my products vegan.

How do I know if a product is vegan?

There are a lot of bodies that certify vegetarian/vegan products, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is the biggest. They have cruelty free and vegan bunny certification. The bunny one is just for animal cruelty-free products and there’s a separate certification for vegan products.

Are any of your ingredients synthetic?

We don’t use any lab synthesised stabilisers to elongate the shelf life of the product or colours or fragrance, but the lotion has aqueous content in it. Body scrubs are usually used in the shower, hence, the chances of water seeping into the bottles are high. Hence, these two are lab synthesised.

What is your skincare philosophy?

I’m a firm believer that we are what we eat. It’s not only what we apply to our skin, it’s more about our lifestyle – a good sleep, healthy diet, exercising regularly, sweating it out and a balanced mind – is key to good skin and life.

I also believe in beauty being clean and minimal. I think the earth is bountiful and it has a lot to offer us. I love using rose water, glow up toner, sugar-based body scrubs, ubtans and oils on my face, hair and body. I like to keep it minimal.

What are some essential makeup tips or hacks that you swear by?

Use a highlighter below the foundation. I think it adds a very subtle yet pretty dewy glow. 

Which preservative system does Tvachamrit use?

We use a synergistic blend of a broad spectrum based preservative system that protects our products from bacteria, mold and fungus.

What makes your product unique?

Tvachamrit doesn’t use any plastic in the manufacturing and packaging process. All our products are handcrafted, and cruelty-free. They are approved by the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy (AYUSH), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and PETA. A few of our products are farm-to-face. 

What are some of your best-selling products?

Glow up toner, saffron lotion and the ubtans.

What is the future of vegan cosmetics and skincare in India?

Clean beauty products are soon going to be the norm. Our consumers are becoming increasingly aware and conscious of their choice. That’s why vegan skincare and cosmetics have become what it is today and it will only grow from here. Vegan beauty is no longer a niche market and soon it’ll take over the entire cosmetic, skin and personal care industry. When a few plant-based molecules can mimic and bring about the same results as some animal-based/lab synthesised component then why would consumers not opt for a vegan product? 

What are some challenges that vegan beauty brands like yours face in India?

Luckily, India is a predominantly vegetarian country, so a lot of people by default look for products that are vegan/veg. We’re also the birthplace of Ayurveda. There’s a lot of knowledge about the usage of plants. People are already aware of natural beauty and slow beauty here. So, it’s easier for a vegan brand to function in India as compared to the rest of the world.

What is next in store for Tvachamrit?

We are only looking to expand our offerings. That said, we’re launching a vitamin C rich face oil and a face mist. I’m confident that they’ll be a hit in the market because the formulation and process are different and authentic. The decision to adopt a vegan lifestyle comes with a lot of challenges, but brands like Tvachamrit make it easier for us. Climate change is real and our mother earth needs help. Of course, it’s one’s choice to become vegan, but the change in our choices can make a bigger difference on our planet. 

Also Read: 8 Indian beauty vegan brands that will blow your mind