Founders of Gulnare Skincare, Shonali Bedi, Surya Uday Bedi, Karishma Bedi and Bharti Singh Rao, share their views on the brand, the skin care industry, future plans and more
Gulnare Skincare is founded by the four enterprising members of the family, Shonali Bedi, Surya Uday Bedi, Karishma Bedi and Bharti Singh Rao. Shonali has studied Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, ancient Egyptian beauty secrets and did a certified programme in organic skin care from London. Her knowledge and interest in skin care culminated into Gulnare Skincare. Karishma is a professional photographer with a background in fashion and beauty. Besides overseeing the testing processes to ensure the perfect product reaches clients, she also handles social media initiatives and marketing for the brand. Surya is the brain behind the business and ensures the products reach the consumer through reliable channels. He has in-depth knowledge of Finance and Economics and is a passionate entrepreneur. Bharti is responsible for branding and creating visuals for the brand. A graphic designer by profession, she is the driving force behind the brand’s aesthetics from start to finish.
Inception of the brand
From an early age, the family was encouraged to use natural products, and so, when the time came, the uppermost thought in the minds of the founders was to offer a natural and organic range of skin care products. They believe that the multi-billion dollar beauty industry is crowded with large players, who mislead and use incorrect marketing tools to promote chemical-laden products. While the consumer wants natural and chemical-free products, there are not many brands they can trust. However, by launching Gulnare Skincare, the founders feel they have successfully plugged the gap. Today, the mission is to spread awareness of the benefits of organic and natural living and helping people make the switch. The brand was named after Shonali’s mother, Gul, who was known for her beauty. She passed her secrets down to Shonali, who has proactively used them in the natural product line of Gulnare.
Product portfolio and SKUs
Gulnare offers 30 SKUs and has a wide range of gender neutral skin and hair solutions for year-round needs. The formulas fall under broad categories such as, Face Care and Anti-ageing Solutions, which comprise of moisturisers, anti-wrinkle creams, scrubs and serums; Bath and Body, which has body scrubs, butters and lotions; Health and Wellness, which has herbal and aromatherapy oils and mosquito solutions; and Baby Care products.
USP of the range
The products are naturally active, safe, effective and free from synthetic preservatives, parabens and sulfate. In the modern time, it is reassuring to find the old fashioned way of doing things to be the best. Gulnare employs a time honoured way of directly harnessing the natural healing properties of plants and herbs that in many ways is yet to be surpassed in both efficacy and cost. The multi purpose and multi functional product range reduces the number of bottles sitting idle on bathroom shelves. The brand firmly believes ‘less consumption is equal to greener living’. Gulnare is more than a skin care product range, it is a brand ecosystem.
Challenges faced in marketing and distribution
It takes time to build trust, especially in the skin care industry. Clients prefer to test samples and see the product before purchasing. To facilitate the same, the brand has quickly grown from being an e-commerce only platform to launching stores in Delhi and Hyderabad. They have partnered with other organic shops for product placement. Logistics in such a large country is unpredictable and there are constant delays with deliveries and receipt of goods.
Plans FY2019-20
The research team is busy testing new formulations for skin and hair, and are in the process of testing a brand new hair care range including, but not limited to shampoos, conditioners and hair masques. They also plan to enhance the bath and body range. Expansion plans are in tow with more stores likely to come up in different metropolitan cities in India.
Views on the skin care industry in India
Personal care is now a highly competitive market with global brands going head-to-head with locals ones. The urban, upwardly mobile youth is paying close attention to health, wellness and beauty, and is willing to make the right choice to get there.
