From the co-founder of Kama Ayurveda, comes a new luxury beauty brand

“You can't compare good things. Everything has its space and time. Kama will always have a soft spot in my heart,” says Rajshree Pathy, Padma Shri awardee and Co-founder of Kama Ayurveda. 

Pathy exited the brand after two decades, in 2022, after Spanish conglomerate Puig acquired a majority stake in the brand. Ever since, Vivek Sahni has been leading Kama. 

Now, Pathy’s love affair with Ayurveda has taken shape through a new brand—Qi Ayurveda—that brings together centuries-old traditions from India and cutting-edge scientific research from Switzerland. 

Qi, pronounced as chi in Chinese, meaning ‘life force’ is a term that Pathy believes is an apt name for the brand. “Chi is vital energy. I wanted to call it prana, but the name was already registered. It is what the word [Qi] evoked for me,” she tells YS Life. 

Two decades ago, when Pathy started Kama Ayurveda, she says, there wasn't much advancement in plant botanicals; it has drastically changed today.

So, what was the need to launch Qi Ayurveda in a market that's already saturated? 

“If you look at India, hundreds of brands exist today in the luxury Ayurveda space. But it's also important to consider what each brand has drawn from Ayurveda. I felt it was an opportune moment to integrate Ayurveda with botanical extracts and actives today,” she adds. 

Thus, the brand launched a hair care range for the Indian market that offers four different oils and related products for various hair concerns. “I haven't seen any brand doing that before,” quips Pathy. 

A personal connection

For Pathy, Ayurveda is not just a traditional practice but a way of life. As someone who hails from Coimbatore—which boasts some of the most authentic Ayurvedic traditions in the world—she developed a deep respect for it at an early age. She also visited institutions like Arya Veda Pharmacy and Arya Vaidya Sala Kottakkal, which made her aware of its healing powers. 

“Ayurveda is very much a part of my DNA. When I was young, every Sunday, my mother, aunt, sister, cousins, and I would have these extensive rituals. The local lady would come with prescribed oils from the vaidyan. My mother and aunt would get massages for joint pain, while we would get full body treatment and hair massage,” she recalls. 

There would also be this huge copper vessel outside filled with water and eucalyptus leaves and firewood at the bottom, says Pathy. 

“This water was fragrant and had medicinal properties. After the massage, this hot water would be splashed on us, and the oil would be washed off with besan and moong dal powders.”

Instead of shampoos, they used soaked soap nuts to remove the oil from the hair and frankincense to dry the tresses. 

“These are beautiful ways of using Ayurveda not as a medicine or for healing but for beauty and wellness. It's a luxury today, but it wasn’t back then. Doing these things is so uplifting,” says Pathy. 

Clearly, Qi Ayurveda’s philosophy draws deeply from Pathy’s journey. 

Combining wellness and beauty 

Qi Ayurveda’s range of hair care formulations includes nourish (with bringamaladi thailam), hydrate (dhurdhurpathradi infused with Swiss-certified olive leaf and jujube extracts), wellness (chandanadi—formulated with sandalwood oil), and restore (chemparathyadi infused with Swiss white lupin and green algae actives).

These formulations are targeted at various concerns—from dryness to premature greying, breakage, and damaged hair. Created in collaboration with a Swiss-based laboratory, the distilled thailams (oils) are combined with plant-based actives and are offered through oils, shampoos, and conditioners. 

For instance, in its nourish range, the oil is mixed with amla and bringaladi and is used in its purest form without the addition of any carrier oils. This oil is also infused in the shampoo and conditioner, part of the same range. 

“What is added into this is rosmarinic acid and barley grass. These are Swiss botanical actives that work well, increasing the efficacy of the product,” Pathy explains, adding that her idea is to remove the negative perception of Ayurveda being ‘stinky’ and ‘unsightly’. 

Each product smells and feels luxurious, but there's a lot that has gone on behind the scenes to achieve this. “It took us two years to launch the hair care range. We tried these products on several ethnic groups to also check for allergens. We asked them for feedback on the fragrance and everything else before we were convinced to put it out in the market.”

This attention to detail is also visible in its design and packaging. Qi Ayurveda’s packaging is 100% recyclable and biodegradable. The oil bottles are made of ergonomically designed glass as the liquid inside is corrosive.

“I didn't want anything that was remotely unsustainable. Sometimes, 60-70% of what a customer pays goes into the packaging. With us, that's not the case; our customers pay for the product,” says Pathy, who is also the Founder of the India Design Forum, a non-profit platform that encourages innovation and fosters design thinking.

Qi Ayurveda's range of oils is available for Rs 1,800 (100 ml), and shampoos and conditioners for Rs 2,500 each (300 ml).

What's next on the cards? 

“We will be launching our skincare range later this year. The first launch will be a morning serum with a moisturiser and a night serum with a night moisturiser, which will be retailed out of all the Good Earth stores,” Pathy says.

Qi Ayurveda is also available online through its website. Soon, its products will be on major ecommerce platforms.