For business freshman Tejal Bhikha and chemical engineering alumna Kaya Bhikha, spilling oils all over their belongings was the best thing that ever happened to them.
They were on vacation carrying hair and eyebrow-nourishing oils in clunky bottles when an idea came to them. This idea eventually transformed into Kyravi Beauty.
“Tejal said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we could find a product (that) was prepackaged, had oil in it, a mascara wand, and you could just easily apply it?’” Kaya said. “And then she said, ‘Wait a minute, we could do this.’”
Kyravi Beauty is a beauty company that sells natural eyebrow serum that nourishes eyebrow hair. They hope to expand and become a makeup company. Their first product, which contains all-natural and recognizable ingredients, went on sale Nov. 13.
“You don’t wanna carry around these clunky bottles of oil that can spill in your bag and ruin your clothing, so we created something really cute that you can transport around,” Kaya said.
Kaya said she has applied what she learned in chemistry classes and a biochemistry lab research internship to find the right labs and oils to work with.
Tejal said they do not get involved with suppliers or manufacturers that are known to partake in child labor or animal testing.
“I believe in finding these high-ethicacy ingredients that are also 100 percent natural,” Kaya said. “The happy medium does exist at the intersection of the two.”
The sisters said they wanted to keep their product natural every step of the way. Tejal said she has made sure all the ingredients on the bottle are recognizable to the consumer.
“You want to keep the cost of your business down, but at Kyravi Beauty, we do not want to cut corners,” Kaya said. “We believe in doing the right thing, so it has been challenging to find the right labs to work with (and) the right oils to use.”
Tejal said their next step is to sell their products at farmers markets that have similar ethical standards and support natural products.
Kinesiology freshman Adrianna Sadler said she admires Kyravi Beauty for striving to keep their company clean by not purchasing anything produced in an unethical manner.
“Some big companies (and) makeup brands harm animals and use child labor, so (Kyravi Beauty) wants to make sure that their products are good,” Sadler said. “When you look at the history, all you have is positive news on it.”
Tejal said she has always been passionate about makeup and hopes Kyravi Beauty will expand into a makeup brand that focuses on South Indian culture.
Kaya said while many South Indian women are influencers in the media, there are not many in the beauty industry. The sisters want Kyravi Beauty to fill this void.
“It’s really special to see an ad campaign where you get to see someone that looks exactly like you,” Kaya said. “What we’re doing is something really new that the beauty industry is honestly not ready for yet.”
