With the increasing need for sustainable and clean beauty products, the US beauty market is seeing a rise in Ayurvedic beauty brands.
As an Indian living in the US, I love seeing the growing number of brands inspired by the familiar ingredients I grew up using in India: turmeric face masks, hair oil infused with curry leaves and fenugreek seeds, ashwagandha face masks, and many others. The use of these ingredients is deeply rooted in Ayurveda, India’s traditional system of medicine.
Whether you’re looking for hair oils, body oils, or face serums, these Ayurvedic brands have products to meet all your needs. And for those who prefer clinically tested products, don’t worry. Contrary to the common misconception among skeptics that Ayurvedic products aren’t based on proven science, some brands do offer clinically tested formulations.
Here are my top 5 picks for beauty brands inspired by Ayurveda, in the US and Canada, along with their bestsellers.
1. Soma Ayurvedic
The brand won Allure’s ‘Best of Beauty 2023’ award for its ‘Mysore Sandalwood’ perfume oil.
Soma Ayurvedic describes itself as the maker of the world’s finest Ayurvedic skincare and beauty products, with all its products made in India. The Ayurvedic brands offer a limited range of skincare products and beauty including a vitamin C serum, anti-aging cream, under-eye gel, body oil, and perfume oils — all made with herbs and plant-based formulations. The brand sources its ingredients from Kerala and Kashmir. Soma Ayurvedic’s popular Vitamin C Serum has been featured on PopSugar and The Cut.
2. Sahajan
Sahajan is a Canada-based brand founded by Lisa Mattam. She was inspired to create products that contained natural and plant-based ingredients, something she had access to growing up in an Indian household in Kerala. The brand is committed to creating clinically proven products by a team of Ayurvedic doctors in Kerala and pharmaceutical chemists in Toronto. Sahajan’s Ritual Body Oil won the Clean Beauty Cosmopolitan Award 2023 for Best Body Oil. It costs $46 for 3.6 ounces. The brand has a line of products for skincare, lip care, eye, hair, and body. Its bestseller, Nourish Crème Riche, a face cream, has been featured in fashion and beauty publications such as Vogue and Refinery 29.
3. Fable and Mane
Inspired by their grandmother’s memory and the tradition of hair oiling, siblings Nikita and Akash founded Fable and Mane, which offers haircare products made from Indian herbs.
The brand offers hair oils, serums, masks, and other hair styling products. One of its bestseller, HoliRoots Hair Oil, is made with herbs known to many Indian households, such as amla, or Indian gooseberry, and ashwagandha, Indian ginseng. Priced at $38 for 1.8 ounces, the bestselling oil has earned headlines in popular beauty publications like Allure and Cosmopolitan.
4. Aavrani
Aavrani specializes in formulating science-based products rooted in Ayurveda. Founder and CEO Rooshy Roy was inspired to create the brand in 2017 to bridge her two worlds: her culture’s ancient roots and modern-day science. The brand has gained popularity in recent months as evidenced by a feature in the New York Times and Aavrani’s debut in Sephora, a major beauty retailer in the US. The brand creates skin, hair, and scalp care products. Among its most popular products is Hair Density Boosting Scalp Serum for Thinning Hair & Hair Loss, which is available for $48 for 2 ounces.
5. Ranavat
Founded by Michelle Ranavat who grew up in Wisconsin, Ranavat was created in 2017. Inspired by her visit to Jaipur, Michelle wanted to create a line of luxury products that bring clinically proven Ayurvedic and adaptogenic skin and hair care. In 2024, Ranavat became the first South Asian-founded Ayurvedic skincare brand to launch at Sephora. One of its popular products includes Radiant Rani, a skin-brightening serum made with Saffron available for $135 for an ounce. The brand has been featured on the Today Show, and Harper’s Bazaar.
Lead picture: Canva Stock Photos
