Kaksha Sudhir Patel always knew that she wanted to have something of her own one day. As a girl from Mumbai, she initially thought that Bollywood was where her future lay and so did her degree in films and television. She had just submitted her final short film when COVID-19 hit. The pandemic kept her indoors and she realized that there was no way to take her short film forward. She didn’t want to put her dreams on pause and began assessing the opportunities around her. Kaksha’s family has been in the Ayurveda industry for three generations and entering the business field seemed like a simple decision. She gave marketing a shot in her father’s company but it didn’t feel right. She was still looking for a way to do something on her own.
Kaksha battled hormonal acne for most of her teenage and adult life and the masks worn during the pandemic made it worse. She had tried out a multitude of other skincare products but didn’t find any that worked for her. The Ayurveda running through her family along with a passion to change the acne game launched Kaksha on the entrepreneurial path that has now led to Yellowave Skin Science.
Kaksha went to her grandfather first, who had a massive knowledge about medicines and the secrets of Ayurveda. They began to formulate products together but there Kasha shares that it was a struggle to find Yellowave’s mission. The pandemic saw the start of many small businesses, especially in the skincare industry. ‘Why one more’ was a question that Kaksha wanted to answer. She placed herself in the consumer’s shoes and recalled her struggle with acne. When she was younger she couldn’t ask for expensive creams to cure her acne and there weren’t effective affordable options. She wanted to cater to those like her because there are many in India who struggle with acne. She wanted Yellowave Skin Science to combine the two opposing sides of skincare – natural and chemical – in order to create skincare for all. She was especially conscious about making the packaging gender-neutral because of witnessing men who wished to partake in skincare face stigma. Kaksha wanted to do justice to everyone by merging the chemical vs natural debate so that at the end of the day, it’s the consumer who wins.
Yellowave Skin Science has released 4 products since its launch in October 2021.
Bees Wax And Castor Oil Lip Balm:
“I’ve tried a lot of lip balms, you name it I’ve tried it. I don’t think any of those have lasted more than 45 minutes. They evaporate and disappear and leave your lips chapped and you need to apply the balm again. Our lip balms last 12 hours and this is our customer’s claim. We are very transparent with our ingredients and we don’t put anything that people don’t understand. Beeswax creates a layer on the skin so that there is no water loss and your lips are moisturized through the day.”
Until my conversation with Kaksha, I hadn’t realized just how often I reapply my lip balm. I’ll admit that sometimes it’s because I’ve eaten it all up, but often the lip balm has simply gone away. I’m currently battling the hot and dry heat generated by the summer Loo winds, so this balm couldn’t have come at a better time.
Anti-Acne Serum:
“I suffered from acne and a lot of people in India do too. It can be men and women, we all suffer from acne because of the temperature and the lifestyle. My uncle is a doctor and he suggested using chemical exfoliants. I made sure that they were there but in order for the serum to be used daily without ripping away the skin, we added brahmi (Centella Asiatica). This ingredient has become all the rage now but it’s been in Ayurveda for centuries! We add it in so that there is a balance between chemical and nature. It provides hydration and exfoliation without causing irritation to the skin.”
I’ve not had to deal with acne the way that many others have had to, so I passed this serum on to a friend who’s dealing with hormonal acne. She shared with me that acne doesn’t disappear in a day but this serum has helped the pain and irritation dissipate. I’m excited for her to see long-lasting effects, and she’s thrilled that a fellow acne warrior created this serum keeping people like her in mind.
Vitamin C serum:
“There were a lot of vitamin C on the market but I did my research and thought that Sea Buckthorn was the best fit. Using that along with Vitamin C is a game-changer in itself because the serum then not only provides sun protection, but it also provides a great base for other products to follow. It has antioxidants and is rich in Omega fatty acids and can be used as a primer as well!”
Vitamin C is all the rage and while this serum is no doubt one of the top contestants, what set it up apart from me was the other ingredients that have been added. Vitamin C should never be used in its concentrated form, and it’s always interesting to see what’s used to dilute it. This serum has Sea Buckthorn oil, vitamin E, and castor oil added in so you’re really getting the best of all worlds here!
Squalane Toner:
“Squalane is such a great ingredient and a lot of customers use the toner as a makeup remover because it is gentler than micellar water and scrubs. It can even be used on the hair to hydrate the ends. Kolhapur is one of the largest producers of sugarcane in Maharashtra. I have been there so I know the quality that they produce. Olives and sugarcanes are the only vegetarian options for squalane but I wanted to help our farmers so I chose sugarcane. This way we can give back to the community when we can.”
Truth be told, I’d never quite understood what a toner was for. All I knew is that it’s usually sprayed on and can be priced quite high. I gave this toner a shot (literally) to the face and was pleasantly surprised about the moisturizing effect that it left behind. I’ll be trying it on my hair next, and will definitely be using this as a makeup remover. I must add that the packaging of all four products is so so beautiful. I really felt like I was getting an exquisite spa experience!
Kaksha is working on more exciting products for Yellowave Skin Science but can’t reveal her secrets yet. To check out the current range click here and to keep updated check out their Instagram page here.
