“We came into the market to address a need at that point of time, that is to find beauty that embraces the zero-waste philosophy” – Harini Sivakumar, Earth Rhythm

The demand for clean beauty products has picked steam in the country. We are seeing a new brand come up and get showcased on social media every other day. But there are few early entrants in the clean beauty market that are now setting trends that other brands are picking up. One such brand is Earth Rhythm. Harini Sivakumar, CEO and Cosmetic Chemist, Earth Rhythm spoke about the genesis of the brand and how it is forging ahead in the market with competition from similar brands. Excerpts:

How did you find yourself in the beauty space?

Between 2013 and 2016, I had a few challenging circumstances that I had to deal with in my personal life, which was the main trigger for starting the idea of making soaps. While the major trigger of doing that was more due to a specific skin condition for my older child, it was more of a hobby vs a passion back then. It was only after doing that for a year or two, I decided to convert it into a mainstream business. Thankfully, I did a lot of research and that uncovered plenty of interesting ideas and insights around what needs to be done to create a company that can embody the key tenets of being inclusive, sustainable and honest at the same time. After running this entity for a couple of years or so, predominantly as a home-based setup, I decided to scale it up and that was the culminating point for Earth Rhythm. 

What was the driving force behind starting Earth Rhythm? What is the USP of the brand?

At Earth Rhythm, we believe in smart and safe personal care. The products you use should work and be good for your skin and earth, no exceptions. Each of our formulas are created in house by trained cosmetic chemists and are made to be effective, safe and backed by cited scientific research. With a clinically effective and technology driven skincare and haircare brand with a truly unique take on a comprehensive range of potent formulas that target every common skin concern, we believe your best life is lived in your healthiest skin.

What are the brand ethics behind Earth Rhythm? How has it changed over the years, as you have evolved into a well-known brand name?

As a company, it has been our continuous aim to stand for our ethos – efficacy, sustainability and inclusivity. The vision for the growth of the organisation is to continue maximising on the brand goodwill, listening to the customer’s experience and their feedback, taking it into account wherever possible and turning our internal employees & customers into influencers through various reward programs. We are also a Plastic Neutral brand, which is an extension to our brand story that we shall continue building on. We are working towards having a deeper presence at the country level and that is one of the newer areas we have been exploring this year. 

Your brand was launched at a time when the concept of clean beauty was still evolving, how difficult was it to change the consumer perception and get acceptance for your brand?

We came into the market to address an important problem / need at that point of time, that is to find beauty that embraces the zero-waste philosophy. Our first popular product was the shampoo bar and then the bath bombs, lotion and conditioner bars – these are all zero waste and unique at that time and came in a plastic free format. Let us be honest, a shampoo and a conditioner is no longer a luxury product. It’s a necessity and it was paramount that we began with taking care of that need. Bringing in a ph-balanced shampoo bar was a turning point for us. Which means I can replicate the same effects a supermarket shampoo gives you through a bar. 

What hurdles did you face in establishing your brand?

We were a bootstrapped company then, not backed by investors. It’s a home-based simple label that grew into a factory with more than 50 people. My personal challenge was juggling home and factory – while managing a child with a disability. I had to work to create quality rather than quantity. Our biggest challenge at work was to really live that zero waste life – right from our packaging to our tape we use to products, fillers etc. In the initial stages we had spillages and transport issues, but we learned and have now taken all steps to ensure that we offer premium products and packaging over the years. It may not be perfect but at least we are honest enough to make an attempt. 

What was the first set of products that you entered the market with and why? How many products are there currently?

The first product Earth Rhythm built were shampoo bars, having the features of a liquid shampoo in a bar form. Since then, Earth Rhythm now has 160+ SKUs across 6 categories and is currently on a trajectory to expand into more categories. We have seen a 400% increase in revenue YoY, and a 5x increase in orders per month, along with a 3x increase in website visits.  

How are you retaining the original brand concept and how have you improved your product formulations as your product range has grown? How much are you personally involved in developing each rane or product?

Being a cosmetic scientist and formulating most products myself in the beginning of this venture, I am still very much involved in the formulation, as well as the new product development process. I work very closely with my R&D team and we do our best to come out with effective and smart skincare formulations. 

How do you plan to grow Earth Rhythm now in terms of new products? How do you track and learn from your competition brands? What different can the consumers expect from Earth Rhythm?

Earth Rhythm offers products striving for excellence and clinically effectiveness at a fair price point. We offer superior products that ensure great customer delight, and target various skin concerns across various skin types like hyperpigmentation, acne, dry skin, dullness, frizzy hair, hair fall etc. We are also looking forward to launching new products which go deeper into the local market and investing in people who can support the brand in the journey. We have an interesting pipeline of new product launches planned ahead and according to our internal research, they are potential game changers and we are betting big on them.

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