Q&A with the force behind growing a British skincare brand – Anara Skincare, Entrepreneur Arati Nar
Anara Skincare is a precision British Skincare brand made for all skin types to support the ‘well-ageing’ process; created to deliver a luxurious sensory experience. Each product is multi-use and is perfect to use around the delicate eye area, as well as the face and neck. We spoke to brand founder, Arati Nar, about her journey to market.
As a brand founder what was your career journey into Skincare? How did you get the idea for the brand?
It was a unique journey really; not the ‘standard’ career path for the beauty industry. I started my retail career as part of the core team at Ocado during their start-up years, and grew to lead the marketing team through the online retailer’s colossal growth, exiting in 2015. I learned first-hand the power of business with authenticity and the consumer at its heart. The knowledge and experience I gained during these years at Ocado were paramount when I finally embarked on launching my own skincare brand; a dream of mine since I was a teenager.
Following 14 years at Ocado, I sought new challenges and co-founded a mobile beauty service, MILK Wellbeing. MILK provided high quality beauty and well-being treatments to affluent and celebrity customers in their homes, as well as a corporate offering to some of the UK’s most prestigious brands. Over the 4 years of running this business I gained an amazing and varied insight into people’s Beauty needs; understanding that this self-care moment is something a huge number of people rely on in everyday life.
In 2019, following the sale of MILK Wellbeing and after a long career in retail, marketing and beauty services, I felt that it was the right time to pursue my lifelong dream of creating my own skincare range.
Where did your love of beauty and skincare come from?
People often ask me why I have a passion for skincare and my answer is simple. It has been a consistent feel-good part of my life. A ritual that is my 5 minutes of calm at the start and end of each day. It’s my personal time to reflect and reset. When my skin is nourished, healthy and looking radiant I feel set to take on the day.
How did your journey of product testing, ideas and brand building begin?
It was a slow and considered journey to build Anara Skincare because I wanted to embark on it with honesty, integrity, and a whole load of love. I wanted to create something unique and special, a skincare range that made you feel and look great from the inside out. And here the Anara Experience was born.
I wanted to fully understand first-hand the process of formulation using natural skincare ingredients and therefore completed an educational course in this area before embarking on the journey. As well as this, I also started a Beauty Blog (which was @saffra.coco on Instagram – now @arati_anaraskincare), sharing my recommendations and passion for skincare, makeup and wellbeing with others in the online Beauty community.
From my research, previous connections, and extensive network I found the most talented scientists, specialists and doctors in the UK to help build the Anara Skincare range. It was very important to me to work with a team that understood my vision and values and were happy to work tirelessly, and most importantly without compromise, over what turned into a long 4-year period, to bring my dream to fruition.
What lies at the heart of the Anara Skincare brand?
I wanted my range to be a luxurious experience, using the power of the most effective, plant-based, active ingredients which are powerful alone, but when combined, give truly wonderful results for the senses, body, and mind, and support the well-ageing process. Anara Skincare was created to be inclusive in the true sense of the word; something that would be a delight to your senses and work beautifully on your skin.
Following my desire to build an authentic brand with the consumer at its heart, the full Anara Skincare range; Essence, Serum, Moisturiser, Oil and Night Balm, are all certified by the Vegan Society, and approved as cruelty free under the Leaping Bunny Programme.
How important are certifications and Vegan ingredients to Anara Skincare?
My desire from the conception of Anara Skincare was for the entire range to be Vegan and Cruelty Free. My team and I knew from the start that we wanted more than to just state these credentials, we wanted certifications from trusted and internationally reputable organisations and The Vegan Society was always the first choice. As a small start-up brand, we are immensely proud that our entire range has been certified by the Vegan Trademark. Their dedication, guidance, and support has been truly wonderful.
The Anara Skincare routine is designed to nurture your skin, delight your senses and create special moments of self-care just for you. The entire range is certified by the Vegan Society, approved as cruelty free under the Leaping Bunny Programme, and the outer packaging is certified by the FSC.
Where can people shop for Anara Skincare now?
The Anara Skincare products are available to mainland UK only, via our website www.AnaraSkincare.com
