I begin my #behindthebottle series with, Pahadi Local. A sustainable brand that packs in the goodness of the hills in simple bottles.
Why I love Pahadi?
Because the products are effective, but more so because I trust the brand. It’s a niche line. Since its creation, I have observed the growth of the brand. From just its signature apricot oil and the scrub, now Pahadi Local also has in its kitty some delicious organic honey, wellness teas, clays and salts. It’s heart-warming to see the soulful initiative of a feisty woman, Jessica Jayne, borne out of love, being accepted not just in India globally also. I remember when I was working as Consultant Beauty Editor at Verve, I called Jessica and asked for the products as I couldn’t use the pictures her team had shared. They were a little blurred. That is history. Now every time I go through the brand’s brochure and the site, I fall in love with the aesthetically shot images. The images tell a story of the journey of the products from the hills to the shelves. Sustainable Beauty, to me, was just a term till the time I met Pahadi Local. Here’s a peek into her story, in her words. Over to Jessica Jayne, the dynamic force behind Pahadi Local.
This is how Pahadi Local was born
“Brand Pahadi Local was founded when I travelled to the Himalayas for love and instead fell in love with all the local and wonderful goodness that I discovered along the way. I moved to Shimla and spent the next three years absorbing the warmth of the Pahadi People, the local and traditional way of living and bracing myself for the extreme winters! Come winter and minus degree temperatures, I noticed my skin began to peel, flake and get absolutely dry. Having said that, no one else seemed to be having that problem and continued looking absolutely refreshing! In my search for every product under the sun that I had called for to help redeem my skin, I realised that my solution was so much closer to home. That’s when I met Gutti ka Tel (Apricot Kernel Oil) – the local answer to my prayers. I used this orchard fresh oil, and within a week my skin healed and was restored with a beautiful glow.”
“While in Himachal, I used to make regular trips to Mumbai for my work. I began to gift this magical Gutti ka Tel to family and friends, and they started asking for more. The oil was helping people not only with their skin, but for joint pains, for baby rashes and chronic skin eczemas. The serial entrepreneur in me saw this as an opportunity to supply this Goodness of the Hills to the cities, while empowering the local communities in the regions it comes from. The orchards in upper Himachal had other wonderful products as well. But I first began to understand how cold pressing was done with apricot kernels in two hunderd year old village kohlus (cold pressing units), studied the harvest seasons and what the locals actually use it for. I realized that this oil was only used by consumption and there was a lot of wastage of kernels which were loss-causing to the orchardists. Slowly I developed these relationships based on trust and staying true to my commitment of starting a Brand that would work two-fold: help the locals and bring the goodness of the hills to everyone.”
Sustainable Beauty is the New Luxury
“I began to travel northward and learn about the produce of various regions and what they were used for traditionally. Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir: Leh and Ladakh became home to me and the people I began to work with, my family. This business has been built on trust and discovery of the local abundant natural goodness native to the Himalayas. Now that I have partnered with Udit Sheth, an old friend and also someone who has taken initiative to build sports and wellness facilities across the country through the pioneering company TransStadia, this has allowed me to set up strong operations , which allowed me to grow from my home organically but efficiently into a structured business. Believing also in the philosophy of sustainable luxury, Udit has set up procurement programs mirroring local co-operatives to ensure fair pricing and development in the regions of source. We work with monastaries, village communities and orchardists across the Himalayas. At first they were a bit apprehensive, but soon realised that we were not there to dry up the fruit of the Pahad, but to share the local goodness while making sure they benefited from it. A product like Gutti ka Tel stirs fond memories among many of our customers. They remember either buying or using this oil during their childhood and early tavels to Shimla and other parts of the Pahads. Thus making an association through nostalgia and memories of a holiday in the hills that brought them joy and adventure.”
Many of Pahadi Local products are lesser known and rare. Only used by local communities by virtue of tradition. Just using them transports you to the Himalayas, as each product is purely sourced to maintain maximum purity. As a business they are not looking to scale in a manner that erodes nature. Their niche brand shows how skin care, beauty and wellness can be pure, soulful and as close to nature as possible.
