What better way is there to celebrate womanhood than listening to an exceptional woman entrepreneur who has made her mark in the business world. Dr. Ranjini is the brain behind the Body Tree Naturals, a cosmetic brand embracing the beauty of self through 100% natural products. Body tree is a socially committed environmentally conscious skin and hair care line. The products are born when the traditional wisdom is combined with tropical herbs, nourishing butter and healing oils. Extremely analytical, Dr. Ranjini has a flair for the spectacular and has captured and fulfilled the imagination and expectations of young mothers through her products. Dr. Ranjini is truly a woman of substance encouraging women to caress themselves and “age in a healthy way”. Her products are formulated to
avoid harsh chemicals and synthetic ingredients, small-batch skincare at its best! In a candid conversation, she elucidates her work and reveals what it takes to be a spunky businesswoman. “People who understand the consequences of bioaccumulating substances, especially young mothers use our products to their advantage by paying extra attention to not only their looks but to their exposure to
harmful substances.” Body tree naturals is a licensed cosmetic manufacturer that commenced in 2015. The project initially started with only handmade soaps made by the founder at home during her doctoral
studies. Now the business has grown extensively, showcasing 20 plus products. There are almost another 20 new products under research and formulation, which Dr. Ranjini hopes to launch in the market within the next 3 months.
The unique story of Dr.Ranjini to businesswomen. In 2010 Dr. Ranjini and her partner Manoj were involved in the making of a documentary film which became a life-changing event. The documentary, A Pestering Journey(2011) is a voyage through two pesticide tragedies of post-independent India, the endosulfan tragedy and the cancer train. The documentary was awarded the national award for the best
investigative film. Since the documentary, Dr.Ranjini’s outlook on life changed dramatically and it has also made her acutely aware of the harmful effects of manmade chemicals in our everyday life. Ever since her son was born, as a young mother she gave cautious care to ingredients on labels of products. Initially, she turned to natural methods to take care of her son then later a Facebook post ‘you can make soap for your baby’ was her moment of epiphany. When her son was 8 months old she made the first batch of handmade soaps. Since she was doing her Ph.D. the soap making was a hobby and stress buster. By the end of her Ph.D., she realised her house was full of handmade soaps.
In 2015 the Facebook page was launched and from then the Body Tree started to grow taking baby steps to success. Safe! Simple! Sustainable! The beauty industry has turned a blind eye to the safety of products and therefore Dr. Ranjini envisaged a huge opportunity in Having healthy skin is much more important than whiteness. People who understand this use natural products to their advantage, paying extra attention to the ingredients and benefiting from the positive impression they make. SAFE! Body tree products don’t lead to bio-accumulation. They are made with natural and organic ingredients, totally safe for repeated use on the body. Free from parabens, phthalates, phosphates and sulfates. SIMPLE! No fancy ingredients. No false promises. SUSTAINABLE! Body tree products don’t pollute the soil or the water bodies. Have taken proactive measures to reduce carbon footprints on our planet.
Dr. Ranjini argues her unique selling point is responding to the actual concerns of customers. She caters to the demands put forth by her customers. An “organic growth” tending to customers’ concerns and needs. After completing her graduation and postgraduation in psychology, Dr. Ranjini took a Ph.D. in cultural studies. She relishes media-related works. Before the big outbreak of Body Tree, she was involved in content creation in Sahapedia (a platform that seeks to make the culture and history of India accessible to all).
The driving force and influencers
I cannot limit the credit of success to one person. My family (both close and extended) and friends are my greatest pillars of support. Dr. Ranjini declared that “my mother is my lifeline among all deadlines”, the one who always helps her meet ends in hectic circumstances. She also mentioned Manoj, who is a
non-controlling, democratic and supportive partner, always pushing her to reach great heights and wishes nothing but the best for His work ethic and integrity inspire Dr. Ranjini to do better every day. “My friends have been my strength in moments of weakness, giving me clarity when in doubt, teaching me to believe in myself and reach out for whatever I feel worth working hard for.”
Being a woman entrepreneur
Staying focused. Don’t take any advice you think is irrelevant. There’s a lot of noise and negativity around us. People will let you down. But no matter what keep moving on. Make your own mistakes, learn and grow from them. Staying focused makes a huge difference. Just never give up integrity and quality as a person and as a brand remarks Dr.Ranjini.
Future of Body Tree
“I want to present body tree as a skincare brand from India with all its certifications in the international market.” COVID has impacted every industry drastically, also affecting Body Tree, but positively. Ours is a D2C brand but personally, COVID has not been bad news for body tree. It was an eye-opener. There was no decrease in the sale but rather an increased sale. The initial twoweek discount on the website helped us realise the potential of the online platform. Even though body tree initially started on an online platform, due to many circumstances the focus shifted. But thanks to the Covid scenario we realised online is more effective. We have been fortunate to have customers who endorse our products and increase sales, now we have extended and initiated some e-commerce strategies to fit into this competitive cybernetic era.
Thinking about the ingredients
“ Skin is the largest organ on your body. It is porous. Whatever you put on your skin ultimately ends up with your bloodstream. So there is no other way than becoming more conscious and mindful about what we put on our skin.”
