ELLE List: The Beauty Builders - Cool Indian Founders Changing How We Glow

Once upon a time, beauty meant cold cream, your cousin’s kajal, and maybe a bar of Pears soap if you were feeling fancy. Fast forward, and we’re deep in the age of ingredient lists, acid peels, and packaging so pretty you kind of forget what the product does. But Indian beauty has been slaying it for a while now. Not the “throw-a-mango-on-it-and-call-it-heritage” kind, but the real deal—where ancient rituals meet clean formulas, and founders are building brands with heart, hustle, and more hair oil than your Sunday scalp massage.

As someone who’s been burned by too many “miracle serums,” I can confidently say—these six brands and their founders are built different. Thoughtful, beautiful, and rooted in something way deeper than trends. They’re not just making products; they’re telling stories, reimagining rituals, and proving that Indian beauty isn’t just relevant—it’s redefining everything.

1. Nikita & Akash Mehta – Fable & Mane

I first bought Fable & Mane because the packaging looked like it belonged in a fancy apothecary where someone whispers your aura colour while handing you herbal tea. But I stayed for the way their hair oil made my hair feel like it had just gone to therapy. Founded by siblings Nikita and Akash Mehta, this brand is rooted in hair-oiling rituals from their childhood. But don’t expect sticky, smelly oils from the '90s. This is haircare that doubles as self-care—with a meaningful commitment to tiger conservation. Because why not care for the planet while caring for your hair?

2. Natasha Tuli – Soulflower

You know that one brand that was doing clean beauty before it was cool, without screaming about it on Instagram? That’s Soulflower. The founder basically said, “What if your skincare was honest, affordable, and didn’t try to gaslight you with 47-step routines?” And then she made it happen. My first intro to Soulflower was their essential oils (during my lavender-is-life phase), and I haven’t looked back. Their stuff smells like an actual garden and feels nostalgic. 

3. Rhea Goenka Jalan – Poshan Skincare

Poshan is like that quiet friend who eats chia pudding, has glowing skin year-round, and never yells over group chats. But when they talk—you listen. Founder Rhea Goenka Jalan took her nutrition background and created a skincare brand that treats your skin like a living, breathing organ. In a world where everything is about instant glow and overnight miracles, Poshan is the calm in the chaos. It’s minimal and it’s science-backed with the cutest names for their products.

4. Elizabeth Isaac – Gunam 

If skincare had a vibe, Gunam would be lounging in silk, serum in hand, totally unbothered. Founder Elizabeth Isaac took Ayurvedic rituals and gave them a modern glow-up—think rich botanicals, dreamy textures, and packaging that belongs on a shelfie. No 27-step routines here. Gunam keeps it slow, intentional, and seriously soothing. And the best part is it feels luxurious without the pressure to perform. No snail slime, no drama—just good skin and good energy.

5. Mona, Naina & Roshni Mehta – Hibiscus Monkey

Hibiscus Monkey is what happens when a family takes everything we love about old-school Indian beauty (oils, masks, body scrubs) and gives it a glow-up. Think: dadi’s beauty secrets, but make it aesthetic. Using their hair oil gave me flashbacks to Sunday champis, Bollywood songs playing in the background, and snacks after your bath. It’s self-care with a side of serotonin. They are building more than a brand—they’re reviving rituals in a way that feels cool, not crunchy. They are taking tradition, tech, storytelling, and serious skin knowledge, and turning it into the kind of beauty movement that makes you feel something.

They are not just changing how we glow. They’re changing how we connect—to our roots, to ourselves, and to the mirror.