sahajan
After 15 years consulting in the pharmaceutical industry, Lisa Mattam founded Sahajan with the goal of backing up centuries of botanical wisdom with cutting-edge science. “When I first started, it was to show people that these medicinal plants can be trusted as the perfect medicine. [way to] Take care of their skin,” she says. Mattam worked with leading doctors in her parents’ home state of Kerala to develop a nourishing face cream and a rejuvenating serum formula, both of which have shown results in clinical trials. “When I worked in pharmaceutical companies, you couldn’t make claims unless they were proven. I wanted to show that these things actually help people.”
Barriers to entry abounded in 2015, when mentioning botanicals like turmeric, tulsi (commonly known as “holy basil”), and ashwagandha (an evergreen shrub) was still frowned upon. “The hardest part was actually finding the botanicals.” [Canadian cosmetics lab] We were partners in manufacturing products,” Mattam recalls in the early days of the company eight years ago. She says it’s heartening to see more South Asian-owned companies enter the industry since then. “We are creating a category of beauty that no one has seen before. All of us means we have arrived.”
Sahajan recently partnered with 400 luxury hotels to offer skincare essentials across JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, W Hotels and St. Regis properties. Sahajan, who supplies his 200,000 rooms around the world with a variety of products, including a refillable Golden Milk Cleanser, is breaking new ground as the first Ayurvedic company to be introduced into a global luxury hotel chain. “Throughout my life, whenever I was in a hotel, there was a French brand or an Icelandic brand or a brand from a place that was really romanticized in relation to beauty,” Mattam says. “It’s amazing to think that Indian skin care products will be in these rooms and that every guest will touch them. It’s a testament to the movement we’re creating.”
Sahajan Radiance Face Serum, $86
Formulated with amla (also known as “Indian gooseberry”) oil, gotu kola (a restorative plant), and hyaluronic acid, this luxurious, super-absorbent elixir helps you achieve glowing, healthy-looking skin in just 6 weeks. brings.
