BENGALURU : When Ghazal Alagh and Varun Alagh entered parenthood with the birth of their son, little did they know that they would end up solving common parenting problems in the country. The duo realised that the availability of toxin-free baby products in the country was scarce and the need was imminent. When their very own son faced the side-effects, they realised it was time to reduce the gap for toxin-free products in the Indian market. “After extensive amounts of research, I realised that there were no concrete reasons for bigger brands to not use toxin-free components.” says Ghazal, co-founder of MamaEarth.
On December 2016, the duo launched MamaEarth, a brand that solely dedicates itself to provide baby care and beauty care products without elements of toxicity altogether. MamaEarth started out with the baby care category for toddlers who require gentle care. From lotions to powder, each product was carefully formulated with a sole purpose in mind. Realising the absence of stringent rules against the use of toxins in the country, the duo certified their products under MADE SAFE.
An organisation which follows a stringent policy against the use of toxins. “We decided to certify each product under Made Safe, it’s one of the very few certifications which has a stringent set of rules to follow while formulating, this assures the use of natural components. MamaEarth also follows the European standard of safety which restricts the use of three thousand known toxins,” says Ghazal, co-founder
of MamaEarth.
In a first, the brand has also launched bamboo-based baby wipes and a tummy roll-on for colic relief in babies. Apart from the extensive list of baby care products, MamaEarth has a toxin-free range of beauty products. A list of thirty-five beauty products with likes of hair masks, shampoos and conditioners with the added goodness of natural components. In 2018, the brand welcomed Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty Kundra as the brand representative. MamaEarth considers itself as a digital-first with products available across all major e-commerce platforms and tends to 180 cities across India.
An experienced trainer with years of experience in training engineers and managers in the field of information technology, Ghazal has worked closely with a large number of mothers to develop a product line that addresses problems that moms face on a daily basis. Varun Alagh, on the other hand, comes with over 10 years of leadership experience in sales and marketing roles with world-renowned FMCG brands.
As co-founder, Varun leverages his understanding of the FMCG market to develop, distribute and market Mamaearth’s products. “In India, it is difficult to find paraben and sulfate-free products. The emphasis on the post-natal market is also low, which is quite developed in the US as most of the mothers go back to work full-time. This experience made me and my wife think of alternatives which are certified and can be retailed at 50 per cent cheaper rates than the foreign brands present in India,” says Varun.
In a nutshell
MamaEarth was founded in Gurgaon in 2016.
The startup recently raised $4
million from five major investors which include Snapdeal founders Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal.
A digital-first brand with products
available across e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart and Firstcry and deliver 180 cities across India.
MamaEarth is solely dedicated to producing toxin-free baby and beauty products with Made Safe certification.