When You Believe That The Self And Environment Are One At A Fundamental Level ~ The Owner of A Natural Body Care Products Brand Shares Her Story
Gary Snyder says,
“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.”
In our #FeatureFriday blog focusing on the #WonderWomen segment we bring to you a woman who considers nature and its elements her home and is so inspired by them that she dedicated her work and life around it too. Meet, Priyanka Nagpal, who is the founder and owner of a plant based natural body care products brand “Earth & I”. From where did she get the idea to start such a venture and how does she stay motivated to keep such a unique yet challenging business set-up going? Let’s find out in her own words.
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“Hi, I’m Priyanka Nagpal and I’m the founder of the plant based natural body care products brand “Earth & I”. I have always been experimental with beauty products, but having sensitive skin, most of them haven’t suited me. I also have a strong affinity towards flowers and floral fragrances. This led me to studying Aromatherapy, and as part of the course curriculum, we were taught how to use essential oils and carrier oils to make plant-based body care products. I tried the blends on myself, my family, and my friends, and I was pleasantly surprised to see the beneficial results, including my skin not reacting adversely to the blends. Almost coinciding with this new learning, I switched over to a plant-based diet and I saw incredible effects of it on my health! So, there I was exploring the secrets of Mother Earth on my skin and even within.
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The struggle was creating an image of uniqueness around my brand. There are a lot of essential oil products in the market, and I didn’t know how my brand would make its statement. But I decided to focus more on the authenticity of my products and use the best raw materials. I decided to stick by our motto “kind to self, kind to earth”.
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I think the very start of “Earth & I” was a turning point! I wish to actualize the concept of “healthy mind body and soul” through “Earth & I” and at the same time, promote environmental care. I honestly believe that the self and environment are one at a fundamental level. So, if we are kind to ourselves- our mind and body, we will definitely be able to bring forth kindness towards our planet.
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My family and friends have been a massive motivating factor in my journey. And also, these words by my mentor, Dr. Daisaku Ikeda, time and again remind me to keep renewing my determination-
“In life when we feel we have reached a limit, that is when the true battle begins. Just when you despair and think it is impossible to go any further, will you become apathetic, or will you say it’s not over and stand up with an unyielding spirit? The battle is decided by this single determination “.
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I have had some wonderful opportunities to showcase Earth&I at a few exhibitions in the Mumbai Suburban area as well as in south Bombay in the last 8 months, since the brand was born. We also started our work/retail studio in Khar, Mumbai. It’s a small setup but it gives me inspiration to do good in the present moment, aspiring to grow evermore here on wards!
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I have learnt that
“There will always be times when you will feel like giving up, being a start-up entrepreneur, there will be new things to learn, new challenges to face, competition, market highs and lows, but sometimes more than winning, remaining undefeated is all it takes to move ahead.”
And you will soon see that you have overcome the challenge and a new future awaits.
Earth&I gets featured on the “glaminlaw” Instagram page very often. A few other digital content creators appreciated the products and posted stories on their page, like “the coveted code by Kanika Khatri”.
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We were also part of the organic courtyard by yogisattva in December 2019, where our products were greatly appreciated by people believing in plant-based eating and living.
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It would be like blowing my own trumpet but I would like to reiterate and bring home the point that a ll our products are handmade, vegan, preservative and chemical free, packaged in recycled and recyclable containers; and essentially this is the part which sets us apart from most cosmetic and body care products brands.
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To drop in a message to Priyanka, check out the wide variety and amazing plant-based products offered by ‘Earth&I’ follow the links below:
Priyanka’s work through ‘Earth&I’, the products of her brand and her lifestory have been featured on several Instagram handles. You can have a look at these through the below links
The Style Curator
The Style Curator
The Style Curator
Glam in Law
The Style Curator
The Style Curator
Scrap to Fab by ADS
Kaybeedoodledo
Yogisattva
Other personal and professional social media handles
Facebook personal profile
Instagram personal handle
