Homegrown secrets to beauty
I chanced upon a write-up in The New Indian Express newspaper which introduces MoKa Beauty Works, founded by two talented young women entrepreneurs from Kerala, Monica Alankar and Kavya Sajan Kandampully. MoKa offers a myriad of hand churned, unisex skin care products made from natural ingredients like clay, charcoal, goat milk, essential oils etc. Their products are totally free from preservatives. The write-up goes as follows.
Homegrown secrets to beauty
KOCHI: Do you have moringa growing in your backyard? Did you know its antibacterial properties help prevent active acne? Kozhikode native Kavya Sajan Kandampully and her line of skin and body care products ‘MoKa Beauty Works’ is all about natural living. Along with her best friend Monica M Alankar, she creates products made using traditional home remedies and beauty tips passed on from their grandmothers like body scrubs, lip scrubs, bathing bars, intimate cleansing bars and booty scrubs. The youngsters combine natural ingredients including goat milk, neem, coconut oil, clay, aloe vera, coffee and honey as ingredients.
Kavya and Monica started their brand while studying PG Diploma in Management and HR in 2019. “Many of our friends found our beauty tips helpful. So, we thought of giving it to a larger audience and helping them with their problems. My brother-in-law has a dairy farm in Aluva and Monica’s family in Chengannur has their coconut cultivation, coffee, aloe vera and more. So, we could come up with organic products that are friendly to all sorts of skin types.
The duo also customises their products based on skin types and allergies. “Being women, we also found it difficult to find a safe intimate wash in the market. So, we created one using Apple Cider Vinegar bars that is free from preservatives. It balances pH level and doesn’t cause a burning sensation when used,” said Kavya. The brand also offers unisex products including lib scrubs that cure chapped lips and the dark pigmentation caused due to smoking, adds Kavya.
Their bathing bars come in 18 varieties and shapes like doughnuts, cupcakes and heart shapes are also in demand. According to Kavya, bathing bars are mostly unscented and suggested according to skin types. “Goat milk has anti-inflammatory properties and is a good moisturising agent for all ages. The goat milk soap is safe even for babies. Clay-based products like rose and red clay bar and jasmine and French clay bars are good for oily skin. Honey and oatmeal bar and papaya and poppy seeds goatmilk bar are good for dry skin” shares Kavya as a tip. Moka has an outlet in Thiruvanathapuram
Also available on Instagram: @mokabeautyworks
