Ayurvedic skincare brands you’ll love

The word “Ayurveda” is derived from Sanskrit and means “science of life.”

Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest holistic systems of medicine, originating in India more than 5,000 years ago. Ayurveda sees the mind, body and spirit as interconnected, encouraging balance through daily rituals, herbal remedies and mindful selfcare. Ayurveda centres around three doshas—Vata, Pitta and Kapha—which represent different mind-body constitutions and are used to personalise wellbeing and skincare rituals.

Many beauty and wellness brands are drawing inspiration from Ayurvedic traditions and are combining time honoured botanicals with modern formulations.

What to Look for in an Ayurvedic Beauty Brand

With more brands embracing Ayurvedic-inspired beauty, it can be tricky to work out if a company has Ayurvedic traditions in its heart or just uses a handful of well-known ingredients. So here are a few things to consider.

What is their story?

Many respected Ayurvedic brands are founded by people who grew up with Ayurvedic traditions, have studied the practice or work alongside qualified Ayurvedic practitioners. Looking into a brand’s story can reveal how central Ayurveda is to its philosophy. Some brands are deeply rooted in family traditions or Ayurvedic education, while others use Ayurvedic ingredients and rituals alongside modern cosmetic science.

Do they explain their ingredients?

Ayurvedic skincare often features botanical ingredients used for centuries. Look for brands that explain why they’re using the ingredients, not just using them like marketing buzzwords.

Some commonly used Ayurvedic-inspired ingredients include:

• Turmeric
• Neem
• Ashwagandha
• Holy Basil (Tulsi)
• Sandalwood
• Saffron
• Vetiver
• Brahmi
• Amla
• Gotu Kola
• Rose

Is there a focus on mindful beauty?

Ayurveda isn’t just about products, it’s about the rituals and turning your skincare into a mindful routine. A chance to slow down and support your overall wellbeing.

Are they transparent?

Trustworthy brands will be open about:

• Where ingredients come from
• How products are made
• Sustainability efforts
• Certifications
• Animal testing policies
• Whether products are vegan or vegetarian
• The research behind their formulations

These will be listed on their website and will help you understand the values behind the brand.

Here are some of our favourite brands that are rooted in Ayurveda:

Traditional & Heritage-Led Ayurvedic Brands

Mauli Rituals

Mauli Rituals is founded by Anita and Bittu Kaushal and Ayurveda is woven into the founders’ family heritage. The couple, who are of British of Indian origin, created Mauli Rituals to honour the wisdom, values and healing traditions passed down through generations of their families. Bittu’s father was an Ayurvedic doctor, while Anita’s mother was an herbalist, her grandmother a midwife and her grandfather a grower of medicinal plants. Following the loss of their daughter, Milli, the founders found comfort in these traditions and channelled that experience into creating Mauli Rituals.

Ethics Check

• Cruelty free
• Ethical sourcing
• Recyclable packaging
• Supports artisan suppliers.

Fushi

Fushi is known for its freshly pressed oils, organic herbal supplements and wellness products. The brand draws on Ayurvedic traditions, with a focus on sourcing high quality ingredients. it combines the cultural heritage of Rannesh Jansari and Ria Pattni and the Ayurvedic family recipes handed down by their grandparents.

Founders Rannesh Jansari and Ria Pattni grew up in families where Ayurveda and herbal medicine were woven into daily life. Their parents used traditional remedies and this inspired them to create a brand centred on holistic wellbeing.

Fushi work directly to support developing communities, global farmers and growers.

Ethics Check

• 94% Organic
• Cruelty-free
• 100% vegetarian, 99% vegan
• Ethical sourcing
• Freshly pressed oils
• Recyclable packaging

Forest Essentials

This is a gorgeous luxury beauty brand, creating skincare, body care and haircare inspired by Ayurvedic formulations. Their products feature ingredients like saffron, sandalwood, turmeric, rose and vetiver. Their premium packaging makes this brand an indulgent Ayurvedic experience.

Founder Mira Kulkarni wanted to preserve authentic Ayurvedic beauty traditions while elevating them into luxury skincare. Forest Essentials works with Ayurvedic physicians and follows many traditional preparation methods alongside contemporary manufacturing standards.

Ethics Check

• Cruelty-free
• Traditional Ayurvedic formulations
• Ethical sourcing
• Supports Indian artisan communities

Based on Ayurvedic philosophy

Karmic Skincare

Karmic Skincare creates natural skincare designed to support skin health and emotional wellbeing. It combines traditional botanical ingredients with luxurious textures to make your skincare more of a self-care ritual rather than just another step in your routine.

Although a founder isn’t listed on their website, they share this message: “As founders, our origins too lie in our grandmother’s laps getting our heads massaged with a mix of herbal oils, applying all-natural homemade face masks, being taught to brush our teeth with soft neem saplings and drinking colourful concoctions for strength and nourishment.”

Ethics Check

• Cruelty free
• Small batch production
• Sustainable packaging
• Natural ingredients
• Vegan

Samaya

Samaya takes a personalised approach by combining Ayurvedic dosha principles with modern dermatological research. This lovely brand designs their skincare collections around Vata, Pitta and Kapha dosha skin tendencies, using this to help users build their routine, combining traditional wisdom and contemporary skincare science.

SAMAYA was founded by Abida Halstenberg, whose childhood in India meant that she grew up steeped in Ayurvedic culture. Her grandmother was an especially important influence in her life and she taught Abida the importance of balance for physical and mental wellbeing. Skincare is a crucial element in this, so she was encouraged to take care of her skin using many traditional Ayurvedic formulations. When she eventually settled in London, Abida searched for top quality, all-natural Ayurvedic skincare, but she found nothing that came close to the pure, effective natural solutions that she had grown up with. And so after considerable research, Abida decided to create a range of skincare products that would fulfil this need. She found a chemist who understood the Ayurvedic ethos and worked with her extended team to responsibly source the purest Ayurvedic ingredients.

Ethics Check

• Cruelty-free
• Vegan
• Sustainable packaging
• Science-led formulations

Purearth

Purearth works with sustainably sourced Himalayan botanicals and traditional wellness knowledge to create their products. Their focus is on ethical sourcing, artisan partnerships and preserving indigenous ingredients. Their collections are inspired by ancient healing traditions.

Founder and CEO Kavita Khosa sustained interest in wellness led to diplomas in Ayurveda under the tutelage of Dr Subhash Ranade, Dr Vasant Lad and Dr Robert Svoboda from 2002 to 2017. Kavita is the Chief Formulator at Purearth and furthered her studies in advanced organic cosmetic science in 2019.

Ethics Check

• Ethical sourcing
• Supports farming communities
• Sustainable harvesting
• Small-batch production

This is of course not an exhaustive list of Ayurvedic Brands, some other’s we’d like to mention that are inspired by Ayurveda include Urban Veda and Aveda, but we hope this gives you a good grounding on where to start.

At its heart, Ayurveda encourages slowing down, listening to your body’s needs and creating rituals that support your overall wellbeing. Whether you’re new to Ayurveda or looking to deepen your experience, here are some wonderful brands that blend ancient traditional practices with modern skincare innovation.