The meaning of the term ‘clean beauty’ is somewhat confusing to many thanks to the fact that we don’t have a fixed definition set for it. Along with other buzzwords like ‘organic’ and ‘green,’ brands market their products as clean but what does it actually mean? As we interviewed Naina Ruhail, co-founder of India’s first clean beauty marketplace Vanity Wagon, we asked her to decipher it for us. “Clean for me, would be products that are mindfully created and ethically sourced without any proven or suspected toxic ingredients,” she explains. “It basically means that these are safe to use on your body and have transparent labelling of ingredients. ‘Clean beauty’ is a whole another spectrum; an umbrella which houses all the buzzwords–including vegan, plant-based, cruelty-free, natural, and silicone, sulphate and paraben-free–under it,” she adds. To know more about how she went about her journey in the beauty space, keep reading.
Her Circle: What sparked the idea behind Vanity Wagon?
Naina Ruhail: The idea was conceived in 2017, a year before the actual work started. It stemmed from everything I learned about clean beauty in the UK and how there was an exponential growth in the markets there. When I moved to India, I realised that there were a large number of new brands coming up in the space but there was a gap in the marketplace model. This was the start of Vanity Wagon!
Image source: Instagram.com/VanityWagon
Her Circle: How has the consumer's outlook toward beauty changed in the past few years?
Naina Ruhail: People are now open to trying out newer brands and re-examining their beauty habits and women are more vocal about considering clean beauty alternatives. They’re going for greener, cleaner and more transparent products and don’t mind chipping in a little extra as it ensures the safety and no harmful after-effects.
Every product listed on Vanity Wagon is thoroughly researched. We look at all certifications the products hold, the ingredients and the brand language that is visible to the customers. With all this and internal testing, every customer who shops from Vanity Wagon can be certain that the products they’re investing in are clean.
Purearth, one of India's most loved, homegrown beauty brand retails at Vanity Wagon.
Her Circle: What would you consider your biggest achievement as an entrepreneur?
Naina Ruhail: One of the toughest challenges we faced was to make customers understand the concept of ‘clean beauty’ and to convince them to switch to healthier and safer alternatives. Luckily, with the right kind of content and information, we have been able to achieve what we aimed for and are on a continuous path upwards!
Her Circle: What advice would you give someone who wants to start their own beauty brand?
Naina Ruhail: A brand or a product should always be driven by knowledge and with a focus on solving consumer issues. Anyone who wishes to enter the space should not do it because of someone else's success, but with a clear intent to innovate and build something better than what is out there already.