The Co-founder & Chief Innovation Officer of Honasa Consumer Pvt. Ltd. (Mamaearth & The Derma Co.) in talks with The Global Hues. An artist at heart, a creative soul, and now, a mompreneur- Ghazal Alagh loves creating things from scratch. She co-founded Mamaearth to make early parenting stress-free.
“I was enjoying my journey, but life had bigger, better plans for me. I was blessed with my son and that put me on a new artistic journey of being a mompreneur”
– Ghazal shared with The Global Hues.
After studying art from New York, she exhibited her work, both nationally and internationally. Ghazal was chosen as the top 10 women artists in India. The chief mama and Chief Innovation Officer, of Mamaearth, Ghazal is taking responsibility for product development and community management in the company. She is an early riser who plans and organizes her day to make the most of every hour, starting her day with reading, either books or blogs; followed by a good workout.
Alongside being a successful entrepreneur, Ghazal is also a devoted mother who loves spending quality time with her son. “I assist him with his online classes. We study and play together. Essentially, mornings are our ‘us time’,” said Ghazal. She believes in ‘early to bed, early to rise and hence calls it a day by 11 pm. When Ghazal and Varun were pregnant with their first child, the hunt for “toxin-free” baby products began. The lack of safe products in India forced them to import baby care products internationally.
However, the process was time-consuming and expensive. “Identifying this gap, we decided to create Mamaearth and ventured into ‘Toxin-free’ baby care products. While we started as a brand for baby care products, we soon realized that most millennials were looking for safe and toxin-free products for themselves too. Hence, we diversified into personal care products for adults as well,” explained Ghazal.
A brand that develops products from world-class research and attempts to solve problems that young parents face. Today, Ghazal is working closely with many moms to build a product line of 100% toxin-free baby products comparable to international standards.
The Goodness of Nature
Mamaearth is a purpose-led brand catering to the requirements of millennials and offering them products that are safe and effective. Ghazal added, “We call the millennial a generation of good and they are integral to the brand ecosystem and proposition. We are a brand by millennials for millennials.” With over 120+ products, Mamaearth offers baby care and personal care products. That are created with natural ingredients. What differentiates the brand from others is the core philosophy of ‘Goodness Inside’.
Mamaearth is certain that the consumers resonate with this thought and hence choose them over the others in the market. All the products are made with natural ingredients, PETA-certified cruelty-free, and no toxin proposition. The goodness extends with the innovative initiative of the Mamaearth team to Plant Goodness, wherein they link every order made on their website to a tree they plant. The company is working on environmentally-friendly approaches by recycling more plastic than they use.
Ghazal told The Global Hues, “We are more than a brand that creates personal care products. We resonate with our consumers and that connects us with them”. Mamaearth was created from the personal experience of Ghazal and hence everything about the brand motivates her to keep going.
One thing that fascinates her the most about running a successful business like MamaEarth and The Derma Co. is innovative product development. “If I have to highlight one thing that motivates me, it would be creating products with a #NoToxin proposition. With Our products, philosophy, and brand initiatives we are enriching the lives of consumers,” said Ghazal.
Mamaearth is a team of extremely driven and motivated individuals who believe in the company’s vision and are committed to achieving them. To create a brand that enriches the lives of our consumers, Honasa Consumer Pvt. Ltd. is all set to understand millennial concerns and create a house of brands that cater to those needs.
The Derma Company, also founded by Ghazal, is an initiative to help the population that suffers from skin concerns such as acne, pigmentation, and hair fall. The brand strongly believes that one should not hide skin issues behind makeup as that worsens the condition, instead, heal them from within to reveal the no filter version of oneself.
How can women entrepreneurs overcome hurdles?
Ghazal believes that the situation of women is rapidly changing with the changing corporate scenario, and they are seen at the forefront of running businesses commonly now. However, there are some instances wherein a comparison is drawn. “For instance, when I had to connect with vendors and suppliers. Being a male-dominated sector, it was challenging to build a relationship with them. While the start was rough, I have been able to successfully build long-term relationships with our vendors and suppliers,” said Ghazal.
She believes that with determination everything is possible. Ghazal advises the upcoming entrepreneurs to not get affected by some of these gender biases. “If you believe in what you are doing, you will figure a way to make it work,” she added. Very early on women are trained to be a certain way which is acceptable to society, but Ghazal strongly feels that women need to recognize their talent, speak up and take control of their life. . “It is all about summing up the courage to take the first step, believe in yourself, and stay committed to the chosen path,” she explained.
Advice for upcoming female entrepreneurs
Dream big and work towards it. If you are set out to achieve something, nothing can stop you from making your dreams a reality. So, continue dreaming.
A book that inspires Ghazal
“Atomic Habits by James Clear.”
Ghazal has implemented it in her daily life to become a better version of herself.
Awards and milestones
- BW 40 Under 40
- Nielsen BASES Breakthrough Innovations 2020
- TOI Most Valued Mother and Child Brands
- Startup Asia Award
- Best place to work award
Ghazal’s favorite quote
One quote by Sheryl Sandberg resonates with me and with Women’s Day just around the corner, it comes perfectly timed too.
“Women need to shift from thinking “I am not ready to do that” to thinking “I want to do that, and I’ll learn by doing it.”
Also Read:
- Neha Bagaria- A Leading Force Behind Accelerating Women’s Careers Since 2015
- Social Entrepreneur Lakshmi N Menon Inspiring Change In Society
- Dr. Malvika Iyer: A Disability Rights Activist & The Face Of Change For Differently-Abled
- Sumita Ghose: Bridging The Gap Between Artisans And Modernity
- Tamanna Singh- Making Luxury Affordable
- Shraddha Sheth- Inspiring A Fit India
- Shivani Malhotra: An Award-Winning HR Specialist, Providing Tailored HR Advisory And Training Interventions
- Dr. Nidhi Khurana: Shaping Future Generation With Revolutionary Learning
- Dr. Harbeen Arora- A Global Visionary
- The Goddess Of Creativity And Design – Ashwini Deshpande
- Amrita Vaswani- Availing Eco-Friendly Parenting Solutions
- Neetu Kurian- Digitising The Marketing Industry
- Manjali Khosla- Catering ‘Out Of The Box’ Solutions To Storage Problems
- KOHELI PURI- Creating Landmark In Corporate Realestate Industry
- Dr. Jaisheela Padmanabhan- Revamping The Outlook Of Healthcare Solutions
- Sabina Huseni Bhanpurawala- Constantly Innovating The Mattress Industry To Cater Sound Sleep
- Chandni Agarwal-Showcasing Premium Fashion Escapade For Kids
- Ritu Hasija- Steering Alniche On Growth Path Through Diversification
- Pallavi Jain : Ensuring Quality Diagnosis at Affordable Cost
