First time we really explored what Ayurveda means was when we featured a product last year that was based on those ancient practices. That is why we are so thrilled to introduce another brand and its product that is so infused with the ayurvedic tradition that it literally helps us get closer to the state of mindfulness spritz by spritz. PAAVANI Ayurveda debuts its Trishodic Aromatherapy Spritzer in our March 2019 Box and we asked them about their journey as a beauty brand.
Can you let us know what your brand name means and how you started this beauty business?
PAAVANI Ayurveda is an artisan line of small-batch, pure, organic health & skincare products formulated in Northern California.
“Handcrafted with the wisdom of Ayurveda, our products offer ancient traditions to the modern world, with the intent to reconnect people to their innate body wisdom.”
We stand behind the philosophy, that what is harmonious for one may not be for another. This is a concept that plays a significant role in the fundamental roots of Ayurveda. Through understanding & honoring our individual needs, we nurture the cultivation of health & beauty from within.
Named after the Sanskrit term for purity, PAAVANI takes pride in offering pure products that are made entirely of ingredients from the earth. Selecting quality ingredients to craft our line is important to uphold ancient Ayurvedic traditions & to offer products that are nutrient-rich, containing the highest amount of healing constituents.
“All ingredients are selected from premium sources, holding high standards for organic, sustainable & ethical practices.”
The seed of PAAVANI Ayurveda was planted between Leah Klatt & Trudy Collings during their Herbalism Apprenticeship at the California College of Ayurveda. It was then that the women discovered their common passion for developing skin & body care products that carry on the tradition of Ayurveda. They decided that they wanted to share this with the world.
PAAVANI was born a few years later in 2014, when the women opened an office space in Grass Valley, CA, to offer Traditional Ayurvedic Body Therapies. It was at this time that the first products in their line were developed - the Aromatherapy Spritzers & Body Oils. The women intended to create dosha specific products that they could use in their therapies & further extend out to their community.
Co-owners, Leah & Trudy, bow to the inspiring forces of the community in which they are blessed to call home.
“This healing, energetic center in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, is home to the sacred Yuba River, vast horizons of wild, natural beauty & creative people who influence us daily.”
They give thanks to the powerful energy of this community & the support that it has offered to their creation of PAAVANI. Furthermore, they seek inspiration & guidance through yoga and its philosophy, song, dance, shamanic journeying and travels around the world. PAAVANI would not be the thriving business it is today without the help of these awakening forces.
Together, Leah and Trudy truly have a well-balanced partnership in which each woman brings something different and equally important to the table. Leah’s time working in a professional panchakarma setting, equipped her with the experience and confidence to help create a healing space of her own. While Trudy’s time developing the Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy Department at the California College of Ayurveda, gave her the knowledge and skills to establish a business. Trudy has drive, determination and courage to fuel the growth of PAAVANI, while Leah has an eye for design, organizational skills and a business mind to help refine the process along the way. From an Ayurvedic perspective, one could say that their partnership as a whole is Tridoshic. Trudy has the stamina and strength of a kapha (see dosha), Leah has the artistic creativity of a vata (see dosha) and together each woman has the passionate, motivation of pitta.
“PAAVANI couldn’t be where it is today without this beautiful harmony of the elements flowing through the essence of each woman’s being.”
It seems like you have found your perfect balance in this business! How do you plan to convey this mindfulness to your customers?
“Our Mission is to offer ancient Ayurveda to the modern world. We believe that when it comes to self-care, creating daily rituals to honor & love the mind, body & skin will cultivate optimal wellbeing.”
PAAVANI products are intended to connect people to becoming a part of the self-care process. From empowering people to have the option to create their ideal skincare line, connecting our product’s users to the plants & minerals in which they are made from, to encouraging each other to make space in our days for the necessary ritual of self-care.
“By creating awareness around how we take care of ourselves & how we relate to the elements of the world, we rediscover our interconnection with the natural world & its rhythmic cycle.”
We aim to reach people who see value in purchasing high quality products made from pure, herbal ingredients and believe that through dedication to daily self-care practices they are making an investment towards long term health, balance and wellbeing.
How are you different from other natural and earth-inspired beauty brands?
Our brand is unique from other suppliers because we use ancient Ayurvedic wisdom to guide the formulation of our products. Through these product offerings we honor the individual needs of our customers by providing them with options to support their unique mind, body, skin and soul.
We believe that what sets our company apart from other Ayurvedic companies on the market is the overall integrity of our products.
“All PAAVANI products are made with the highest quality organic and wild-harvested ingredients to provide the greatest healing constituents. Our products are handmade in our apothecary by a team of 5 female Ayurvedic practitioners.”
Each product is infused with the intention of healing, love and Ayurvedic mantra. All of our oils go through a 3-day infusion process in which the herbal properties are infused into the oil, so we are not just adding essential oils to base oils as many other companies do. We also use no synthetic ingredients or preservatives, so our products are made just as they were 5,000 years ago in India. We also take this quality and herbal preservation to the next step, through our packaging standards.
“We package all products in glass and also use labels printed with soy-based ink on recycled paper, using energy generated by the wind. We also use recycled and upcycled boxes and packaging when sending out our shipments.”
We source our products from various companies that work with organic, fair trade-certified farms as well as from herbalists that wildcraft the herbs. We also work with a company which sustainably harvests sandalwood. All our products are :
- 100% Plant Based
- Organic
- Wild Harvested
- Certified Cruelty Free
- Gluten Free
- Paraben Free
- Chemical Free
- Made completely of ingredients that are good enough to eat!
By setting honest standards of tradition & sustainability, our hope is to encourage others to do the same. We seek to raise the consciousness & awareness of the whole by practicing the philosophy of ahimsa or nonviolence in making our products.
“We believe that by offering respect & gratitude to the plants & minerals that make up our products, we are able to receive even deeper benefits from their innate wisdom.”
Becoming successful in the beauty community is not an easy task. Has there ever been difficult times throughout this journey and how did you manage to overcome those?
An obstacle we had to face was not having any mentorship as we began our business. We had to learn as we went and figure out the in’s and out’s of the business ourselves. From finding the right label company, to learning how to make products in bulk, to social media marketing, PAAVANI is truly a grassroots movement, and we’ve had to build it up from the ground up.
Beyond creating a natural and sustainable product family, how do you give back to your community?
We sponsor varying organizations throughout the year. This will be our second year sponsoring Spirit Weaver’s Gathering. This year, we are assisting with scholarships for Women of Color, Mothers, Disabled Being and Elders to attend this all-female herbal gathering in Oregon. Last year we sponsored Harmonia De Luz, a program which raises funds for the homeless community in Los Angeles and provides support for victims of trauma and abuse. Being animal lovers, we also give to Tails of Hope, a non-profit, 100% volunteer-run, no-kill animal rescue group based in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Locally, we have donated to South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) and Caring Hearts Society of Auburn. SYRCL protects the sacred Yuba River which runs through our beautiful Northern California town. Caring Hearts Society provides charitable donations throughout the year to people in need in our community.
“The health & healing of humanity, animals and the environment are all things that we find important to support. As our business grows, we look forward to doing even more community outreach, it is something that speaks to us and we love giving back as a company.”
PAAVANI Ayurveda’s Trishodic Aromatherapy Spritzer is available in our March 2019 Nourish Beauty Box. Subscribe here or purchase the product individually here. You may also head to Erewhon Natural Food Markets (Los Angeles, CA), Urban Outfitters Online Wellness Shop, Uncommon Goods (Online), MOM’s Organic Market (College Park, MD), Good Earth Natural Foods (Fairax & Mill Valley, CA), New Earth Market (Chico & Yuba City, CA) Trilogy Yoga (La Jolla, CA), Sage (Kansas City, KS) and so many more places!
PAAVANI Ayurveda will also be exhibiting at The 2019 NAMA (National Ayurvedic Medical Association) Conference - April 26th - 28th. For more info on how to meet the brand visit their workshop & events page.