AAVRANI - Ancient Indian Beauty Rituals Meet Clinically Proven Products

I'm not sure if I have ever been so obsessed with a skincare brand as much as I have been with AAVRANI It's a skincare line inspired by ancient Indian beauty rituals that uses raw and organic ingredients. The brand envelopes and aces the trifecta of clean ingredients, sustainability, and philanthropic mission. But this reimagined luxury skincare brand is so much more than just that. AAVRANI is a lifestyle, advocating a holistic approach to beauty by fusing mindfulness, nutrition, movement, connection, and confidence into daily beauty rituals - something deep rooted in ancient Ayurveda. And this is why you need to know about AAVRANI.

My Introduction To Skincare

My introduction to skincare was through my mum in the nineties. On Saturday mornings, while cooking shows played in the background, she would be mixing up her own concoction - turmeric with yogurt and honey, sometimes with oats, other times with chickpea flour. When the magic skin brightening potion was ready, my mum, sister and I would rub the paste all over our face. This is one of many ancient Indian beauty rituals that has been practiced for thousands of years, through generations to generation, across Indian households all over the world. The trusted turmeric mask even has a ceremony dedicated to it during Indian weddings, where it's rubbed over bride and grooms-to-be for glow and luster on their big day.

Enter AAVRANI...

I was overjoyed when I recently discovered AAVRANI. A female founded skincare brand that harnesses the power of India's ancient beauty rituals in clinically proven packaged products - yes, please. This is exactly what was missing not only from my skincare cabinet, but the skincare market. AAVRANI ties these ancient practices with US-made products, using ingredients so familiar like turmeric, neem, rose water and almond oil, that they almost feel like they've been made by my mum. The clean ingredients are 100% non-toxic, cruelty free, vegan and kind to sensitive skin. But, it doesn't stop there. AAVRANI's packaging is sustainable - it's made from glass that is refillable and recyclable, and AAVRANI gives back. The company supports underprivileged children with education through a partnership with Shanti Bhavan School in India - a non-profit that I spent the entire year of 2018 fundraising for. So, my connection with AAVRANI is more than just skin deep.

AAVRANI Products

AAVRANI is currently made up of four skincare products that come wrapped in packaging you want to place in a picture frame and hang on your wall! The products are an exfoliator, a serum, a moisturizer and an eye cream. Each of AAVRANI's products are made without the junk that tends to upset your skin like sulfates, parabens, and synthetic fragrances.

GLOW ACTIVATING EXFOLIATOR

The first step in AAVRANI's four-part routine is the skin brightening and tightening Glow Activating Exfoliator - a multi purpose mask and cleanser made from organic turmeric, neem, jojoba and raw honey. With ingredients like this, you're almost guaranteed baby soft skin post-use. Neem has fatty acids that relieve dryness, jojoba promotes collagen synthesis and is moisturizing, raw honey balances the bacteria on your skin making it really good for acne, and the miracle spice, turmeric revives your skin giving you a natural glow.

BALANCE RESTORING SERUM

The Balance Restoring Serum is like bottled meditation - calming, refreshing and balancing your skin. The serum is made from tea tree oil, cucumber extract, chamomile flowers, and witch hazel - ingredients that soothe skin irritations, reduce inflammation, relieve puffiness, and restore environmental damage, while the cucumber extract is like superfood for the skin.

SOFTENING HYDRA-WHIP

AAVRANI's Softening Hydra-Whip is a weightless, whipped moisturizer that absorbs into the skin within seconds. It's made from organic coconut milk, meadowfoam and rosehip seed oils, plus shea nut and lavender extract. These ingredients promote skin regeneration, improve skin texture, maintain elasticity while hydrating the skin.

EYE REJUVENATING ELIXIR

The Eye Rejuvenating Elixir is a cream serum hybrid. The elixir is made with sweet almond oil, rose water, avocado oil and vitamin E - ingredients that maintain ph balance, minimize dark circles, promote collagen production, and fight effects of free radicals that cause aging. It feels silky under the eye and works excellent with hyaluronic acid.

Why AAVRANI Is For Me

The change of season in Amsterdam means the heating goes up, and the quality of my skin goes down. AAVRANI came in at the right time. I have been using all four AAVRANI products for over a couple of months. I completely stopped using any other skincare products and oils, to firstly see if AAVRANI was good for my skin. I find that a product either suits your skin or it doesn't. I tend to break out when I use new products, so really wanted to put the AAVRANI collection to the test to see if it's the right fit for me.

I started by using the products both morning and night, except for the exfoliator, which I used weekly as a mask. I found the Glow Activating Exfoliator gentle on my skin and it's a holy grail for my normally visible pores around my nose. I have since began using it more frequently - up to three times a week, using it as a cleanser as well. Next is the Balance Restoring Serum - my skin loved this. I opted to use it directly onto the skin versus a cotton pad as advised. The serum feels refreshing and cooling. This is followed by the Softening Hydra-Whip. I couldn't believe this moisturizer - my skin felt supple and enriched, yet it felt like I had nothing on. The relentless oily t-zone stabilized, and my skin didn't feel greasy despite how replenished it was. The final step - the Eye Rejuvenating Elixir - my absolute favorite product of the bunch. Using this, I specifically noticed that makeup no longer creased under the eyes - a perpetually dehydrated area for me. Like the moisturizer, it's lightweight but feels like it's doing a lot of heavy lifting. Although my dark circles haven't reduced, they feel hydrated, reducing the visibility of fine lines.

Knowing that AAVRANI works in synchrony with my skin and benefits it, I have re-introduced other products I normally use in my skincare routine. I use AAVRANI's serum, moisturizer and eye cream as a daily base, but in combination with products like vitamin C serums, retinols and SPF. Overall, after using the AAVRANI collection my skin feels balanced, soft and appears ultra smooth under makeup - something I like measuring my skin texture by.

I love that AAVRANI has bottled up ancient Indian practices that uses ingredients that paved the way for Indian beauty rituals - and that too in such a genius way. Their products are clean, mindfully made and gentle. With philanthropic efforts that pull at my heartstrings, Ayurvedic inspired philosophies, and branding that so gracefully modernizes old Indian beauty wisdom, AAVRANI is a lifestyle I can get behind.

I would love for you to try their products too, and happy to offer you 15% off your order. You can click this link or use ANIKAPANNU at checkout. Let me know how you like it!