“You can’t compare good things. There is a place and time for everything. Kama will always have a special place in my heart,” says Rajshree Pathy, Padma Shree awardee and co-founder of Kama Ayurveda.
Pathy exited the brand after two decades after it was acquired by Spanish conglomerate Puig in 2022. Vivek Sahni has been heading Kama since then.
Today, Patsy’s love for Ayurveda comes to life through her new brand, Qi Ayurveda, which combines the centuries-old traditions of India with cutting-edge scientific research from Switzerland.
“Qi” means “life force” in Chinese, and Pathy felt that this was the perfect word for the brand: “Chi is life force. Prana, But the name was already registered. [Qi] “For me, YS Life.
20 years ago, when Pathy started According to her, there wasn’t much advancement in botany but today things have changed dramatically.
Rajshree Pathy, Padma Shree Awardee, Co-Founder of Kama Ayurveda and Founder of Qi Ayurveda
So why was there a need to launch Qi Ayurveda in an already saturated market?
“If you look at India, today there are hundreds of brands in the premium Ayurvedic space. But it is also important to consider what each brand has drawn from Ayurveda. We felt that today was the perfect opportunity to merge Ayurveda with plant extracts and active ingredients,” she added.
So the brand launched a haircare range for the Indian market, offering four oils and associated products to address various hair concerns. “I’ve never seen any brand do anything like this before,” Pathy jokes.
Personal Connections
The restoring shampoo is made with chemparachiyadi with active ingredients from Swiss white lupin and green algae.
For Pathy, Ayurveda is not just a traditional practice, it is a way of life. Hailing from Coimbatore, which has one of the most authentic Ayurvedic traditions in the world, she developed a deep respect for Ayurveda from a young age and discovered its healing powers after visiting institutions like the Arya Vedic Pharmacy and Arya Vaidya Sala Kottakkal.
“Ayurveda is part of my DNA. When I was little, every Sunday my mother, aunt, sister, cousins and I would do these big rituals. The local women Vaidian“My mom and aunt got massages for their joint pain, and we got full body treatments and hair massages,” she recalls.
There will also be a huge copper container outside filled with water, eucalyptus leaves and firewood, Pathy said.
“The water was fragrant and had medicinal properties. After the massage, this water was poured over us to wash off the oil. Bethan and Moong dal “It’s a powder.”
Instead of shampoo, they used soaked soap nuts to remove oil from their hair and frankincense to dry out their locks.
“These are wonderful ways to use Ayurveda not as medicine or treatment, but for beauty and health. It’s a luxury now but it wasn’t then. Doing things like this makes me feel so uplifted,” says Pathy.
Clearly, the philosophy of Qi Ayurveda is deeply influenced by Pathy’s journey.
The fusion of health and beauty
Qi Ayurveda hair care products contain nutritional supplements ( Bringamaradi Thailam), hydrate (Dhru Dhru Patra Dhi Swiss certified olive leaf and jujube extract), Wellness (Chandanadi(Sandalwood oil) and Recovery (Khemparachyadi Contains active ingredients from Swiss white lupine and green algae.
These formulas address a variety of concerns, including dryness, premature greying, breakage, and damaged hair. Developed in collaboration with a Swiss laboratory, distilled water is Thailand (oil) Combined with plant-derived active ingredients, it is available as an oil, shampoo and conditioner.
For example, in nutritional products, the oil is mixed with amla, Bryngaladi Used in its purest form without the addition of any carrier oils, this oil is also found in the shampoo and conditioner in the same range.
“To this we add rosmarinic acid and young barley grass – Swiss botanical active ingredients which enhance the efficacy of the product,” she explains, adding that her idea is to address the negative stigma surrounding Ayurveda, such as it being smelly or unsightly.
Every product smells and feels luxurious, but a lot of work goes into making this happen behind the scenes: “The hair care line took two years to launch, and we had different ethnic groups try out these products to check for allergens. We asked for feedback on the scent and other aspects before we were convinced to bring them to market.”
This attention to detail is also evident in the design and packaging: Qi Ayurveda’s packaging is 100% recyclable and biodegradable, and the oil bottles are made from ergonomically designed glass as the liquid inside is corrosive.
“We never wanted to create something that was unsustainable. Sometimes 60-70 per cent of what a customer pays goes on packaging. That’s not the case with us; the customer is paying for the product,” said Pathy, who is also the founder of India Design Forum, a non-profit platform that encourages innovation and fosters design thinking.
Qi Ayurveda’s range of oils can be purchased for Rs 1,800 (100 ml), while shampoo and conditioner are available for Rs 2,500 each (300 ml).
What’s next for you?
“We plan to launch a skin care line later this year. The first products to be launched will be a morning serum and moisturizer, and an evening serum and moisturizer, which will be available in all Good Earth stores,” Pathy said.
Qi Ayurveda can also be purchased online through its website and soon the company’s products will be available on major e-commerce platforms.
