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Science and business are two seemingly distinct fields that have become increasingly interconnected today, with their unique blend leading to groundbreaking innovations and advancements in various industries. Scientific expertise and entrepreneurial spirit are a powerful combination that can bring about unprecedented growth and success, especially in technology, healthcare, and sustainability.
In beauty and wellness, one woman has successfully combined her scientific expertise and entrepreneurial mindset to create an all-natural and effective skincare brand. Meet Sheetal Rawal and her Ayurveda-based skincare brand, Apsara Skin Care.
Born out of Sheetal’s knowledge as a human genetics scientist, and passion for using Ayurvedic ingredients to create highly effective skin & hair care products, Apsara Skin Care has now risen as one of the leading Ayurveda-based brands that change how women in the United States care for their skin and hair.
The turning point in Sheetal’s journey
Sheetal’s scientific expertise has been instrumental in developing Apsara Skin Care. As a pre-teen, Sheetal had a hobby of mixing up spices and herbs in the kitchen to create interesting skincare potions that she used on herself. As she grew older, Sheetal wanted to create reproducible formulations and eliminate variations from jar to jar, and her lab skills came in handy in achieving this goal.
Sheetal worked in the genetics industry for nearly a decade, using advanced technology to identify disease-causing genes in patients and assess the risk of their children inheriting them. However, despite her game-changing role, she felt unfulfilled in her daily work. “It was repetitive and tightly monitored. There was no room for creativity in a job where your work was to deliver life-changing results to patients,” she elaborates.
As Sheetal’s time in the genetics lab came to an end, her kitchen started to resemble a lab filled with essential oils, herbal extracts, waxes, tinctures, and other natural ingredients carefully stored in cabinets and drawers. She then discovered her passion for skin care formulation through her homemade creations, inspiring her to leave a monotonous job to establish Apsara Skin Care.
Passion for all things natural to a successful skincare brand
“Apsara was born out of my sincere desire to develop and manufacture cruelty-free beauty care products that use natural ingredients in skin-friendly formulations,” Sheetal mentions.
Inspired by her Indian heritage, Sheetal turned to Ayurveda, a 5,000-year-old health and wellbeing system from India. She mentioned that she initially used ingredients from her kitchen cabinets for her skin care formulations, making the products so natural that they were “literally good to eat.”
“Natural skin care ingredients such as Ayurvedic have significant empirical evidence to prove their efficacy and safety. What is better, many of these ingredients have been scientifically studied to be effective. Therefore, it is wise to turn to time-tested ingredients and let nature transform our personal care routine,” Sheetal adds.
Through Apsara Skin Care, Sheetal pioneered an Ayurvedic skin and hair care line in the USA. The Ayurvedic skin care brand has many bestsellers such as the ROOP Saffron Bright Skin Potion and the Ayurvedic Glowing Skin Set.
“Hearing from users that their skin is radiant and their skin and hair concerns have improved after going natural with Apsara is the best thing for me. I take pride that our Ayurvedic skincare line would make them all look and feel like women of unsurpassed beauty or, in Sanskrit, Apsaras,” Sheetal mentions.
What’s ahead for Apsara Skin Care?
Since its first Sulfur Face Mask order, Apsara has become popular among women seeking natural and effective skin care products. Sheetal explains that data from the past three years shows promising results for Apsara, especially regarding new site visits and repeat customers. In fact, the brand’s current online presence boasts 370,000 Facebook fans and 63,000 Instagram followers.
“The numbers look very exciting, and we are projected to grow in an extremely healthy manner,” she says.
Aside from improving women’s lives by providing the best Ayurvedic products for skin and hair, Sheetal also takes the time to educate people about home remedies they can use to care for their skin through her blog, podcast, and educational videos. She aims for women all over the world to have first-hand experience with the effectiveness of natural ingredients in skin and hair care.
Sheetal shares, “Selling products is not my priority. Building a relationship with people is.
I like to help and inspire people to go natural in all areas of life. With that, sales happen automatically.”
Sheetal’s journey with Apsara Skin Care is a testament to the power of passion, dedication, and effort in building a successful skincare brand. From kitchen inventions to a thriving e-commerce site, Sheetal’s entrepreneurial spirit has driven the brand’s success. With its commitment to natural ingredients and personalized skin care solutions, Apsara Skin Care is well on its way to becoming a household name in natural beauty and skin care.
