Heavenly grandmother secrets safely packed in a bottle of bliss

All of us are aware and are too close to grand-mom beauty secrets and because of the lifestyle these days; we don’t get to follow those golden tips given by our grandmothers. And we fall prey to the glorified branding of the conventional products. Not our fault. All of us like good looking packaging. Least we are bothered about what ingredients the product contains. Post-COVID 19, during the lockdown I have been trying the forgotten golden tips I got as a kid from my folks. For the fact that I couldn’t make my body-butters, lip scrubs, soaps, etc., I started exploring and guess who I found. The Bottled Bliss. Bottled Bliss is a homemade brand from Chennai. It is a natural, homemade, eco-friendly, fresh brand that manufactures a wide range of personal care products from home, with love. Most interestingly they are rediscovering grandmother tales on their journey to nature’s goodness. I got to speak to one of the founders Mansi. Sonal is her partner. Below are a few excerpts.

What grandmother secrets do you follow to make the Bottled Bliss a worthy buy?
Mostly kitchen ingredients go into our products. We also conjure up the garden produce for the same. These recipes have passed down generations. All are tried and tested for ages now. And we believe in Aroma Therapy.

How different is Bottled Bliss from other homemade skincare brands?
Bottled Bliss is aiming to be a sustainable brand that reduces its carbon footprint. Hence unlike a lot of brands all our products are in glass bottles which are reusable as well as recyclable. We believe we want everyone to move to use chemical-free products and hence are very competitively priced. We want our brand to be accessible to all because we believe skin and hair care should be a part of everyone’s routine. Hence we help our clients to adopt a sustainable lifestyle as well.

Do you see a threat from the conventional skincare bands?
We are a small business that has a huge client base. Today, the awareness for opting for niche, homemade and hand-made products is at an all-time high. I do not see these chemical products as a threat but more as a challenge to help us to do better. Our clients are more than willing to adopt a chemical-free lifestyle for personal care and we at Bottled Bliss have managed to convert many clients towards our products over bigger brands.

What is the shelf-life of your products?
Shelf life is 4 months. No chemicals. No preservatives

Can you tell us more about aromatherapy and how it helps?
Aromatherapy is a holistic healing treatment that uses natural plant extracts to promote health and well-being. Sometimes it’s called Essential Oil Therapy. Aromatherapy uses aromatic essential oils medicinally to improve the health of the body, mind, and spirit. It enhances both physical and emotional health. We use a wide variety of essential oils in our products so that our clients can benefit from these oils. Lavender for relaxing, Ylang-Ylang, Neroli, Lemongrass, Tea Tree oil, and more.

How close is Bottled Bliss to nature?
Bottled Bliss exists only because it strongly believes in nature’s goodness.

Could you tell us the advantages and disadvantages of starting a home-made skincare business?
The market is wide open for niche products, home-made has great value and it strikes a chord with the audience.
Disadvantages: This is not an easy business. And yet everyone thinks that by mixing things they have a business going. Every day new brands open and disappear in months. Quality is affected.
We have managed to stay top of the game by being transparent and honest in our work

Could you tell us the journey story of the Bottled bliss?
Bottled Bliss started 4.5 years ago. Now, rated as top 3 skincare brands to look out for in 2019 by a top Radio channel. Bottled Bliss is also featured by India Today south supplement sales as emerging entrepreneurs. We have participated in many events, shows, and also retailed out of a vegan store.

Does “get rich quick” work with a sustainable skincare business?
No, it doesn’t. And that’s also not our aim, to be honest. Selling a lifestyle change is our goal.

How aware is the public of homemade products?
Quite aware, to be precise. Social media helps a lot along with good contacts. And the best kind of marketing has always been word of mouth.

Could you give us a few grandmother tips for the rainy season?
Drink detox water. Wash your face with a soap-free cleanser. Exfoliate your skin regularly. Let it breathe. Drink a lot of herbal concoctions. Eat healthy, home-cooked food. Take care of the hair.