Snana: Arya’s soap opera

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Arya Jayarajan was studying at IIM Ahmedabad. During this time, she had to go to New Delhi. Due to the harsh weather condition she got dry skin. One of her friends, seeing her state, gifted her a handmade soap.

While working in the IT sector she lacked job satisfaction. So, she decided she would start a business. “I was fascinated by the idea of handmade soaps and began researching on it,” says Arya. “I wanted to know the contents of the soap that healed my dry skin. So, I bought all the required materials from Amazon and began experimenting,” says Arya. Soon, she was able to make a few products for an exhibition at IIM Ahmedabad. And they were sold instantly.

It has been a year since she started her own brand ‘Snana naturals’, which include organic lip balms, lotions, kajals and handmade natural soaps. She says, “When somebody says ‘natural’, it isn’t really that, as most of the products that are available in the market come with all sorts of chemicals. When those chemicals are applied, there are harmful effects on the skin.”

All the ingredients that are used for making soaps are handpicked by Arya. “Created from natural and safe ingredients, Snana products are a healthy substitute for commercially-made bath essentials,” she said. This entrepreneur uses natural ingredients such as turmeric, sugar, wild honey and sweet orange. Arya says, “Soaps are not just meant for washing away the dirt but should give a pleasant feeling to the person using it. I want my customers to not just buy my products but to feel it.” She also has the ‘Anga raga’ collections which includes lip balms made from natural extracts. She also provides cosmetics and hair oils at affordable rates. “Often the cosmetic brands are very expensive making it unaffordable to many.

So, I thought of making affordable cosmetic products so that everyone can enjoy its benefits,” she says.The recipe for making hair oil was actually taken from her uncle who is into Ayurveda and used to make hair oil in his family. Using his hair oil, people’s hair would grow naturally while earlier they had complained of hair loss after using shampoo. Arya will put up a stall of her handmade soaps and cosmetic products at Olam which will be held in the city on February 2-3.