In this feature, we look at the story and motivation behind Anara Skincare, a plant-based beauty brand founded by Arati Nar, which contains some extra-special added ingredients: honesty, integrity, and a whole load of love.
Arati Nar started her retail career as part of the core team at Ocado during their startup years and grew to lead the marketing team through the online retailer’s colossal growth, exiting in 2015.
She learnt firsthand the power of business with authenticity and the consumer at its heart. The knowledge and experience she gained during these years at Ocado were paramount when she finally launched her skincare brand.
After fourteen fulfilling years at Ocado, Arati wanted a new challenge, which prompted her to co-found the mobile beauty service MILK Wellbeing. MILK provided high-quality beauty and wellbeing treatments to affluent and celebrity customers in their homes alongside a corporate offering to some of the UK’s most prestigious brands.
After five years running the business, she had amassed a detailed and varied insight into people’s beauty needs, which gave her a more detailed insight into the self-care moment, 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, Arati felt it was the right time to pursue the dreams she had harboured since her teenage years.
Anati said, “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. It 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.”
It was a slow and considered journey to build Anara Skincare because she wanted to embark on it with honesty, integrity, and a whole load of love. Arati wanted to create something unique and special, a skincare range that didn’t only focus on the outside; she wanted to create a range that also made you feel good inside, and that is how the Anara Experience was born.
Arati wanted to fully understand firsthand the process of formulation using natural skincare ingredients, completing an educational course in this area before embarking on the journey. As well as this, she also started a Beauty Blog (@saffra.coco on Instagram), sharing her passion for skincare, makeup and wellbeing with others in the online Beauty community.
From her research, previous connections, and extensive network, she found the most talented scientists, specialists and doctors in the UK to help build the Anara Skincare range. A team that understood her vision and her values and was happy to work tirelessly, and most importantly without compromise, over a long 4-year period to bring her dream to fruition.
She wanted the 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 help with 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 Arati’s 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.
Arati told us, “At Anara Skincare, from the conception of the brand, our desire was for our entire range to be vegan and cruelty-free. We knew from the start that we wanted more than just to state these credentials; we wanted certifications from trusted and internationally reputable organisations, and The Vegan Society was our first choice.
“As a small startup brand, we are immensely proud that our entire range has been certified by the Vegan Trademark. Their dedication, guidance, and support have 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.”
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