The first Eco-Luxe body care and wellness brand rooted in the wisdom of Ayurveda, UMM Skincare is combining skincare with ancient holistic practices. A body care capsule collection that combines bathing rituals with wellness and a "beauty from within" philosophy is UMM. For revolutionary whole-body skin health, our product line is expertly created to fill the gap between internal wellness and outward skincare. We draw on some of the most exotic oils, therapeutic plants, antioxidants, and adaptogens available to enhance routine body care while enhancing the barrier function of the skin and scalp.
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"We firmly believe in the transformational power of tried-and-true holistic skin care that improves the quality of skin both on the inside and out. Not everyone has access to the wisdom of these timeless Ayurvedic beauty practices or the expertise to blend adaptogenic medicinal healing herbs, so we did the hard work for you. Our farm-to-skin formulations are consciously developed in collaboration with Ayurvedic doctors, Medicinal taxonomists & dermatologists to improve the quality of your skin dramatically," said Anisha Vinjamuri, Founder and CEO of UMM SKINCARE.
Exotic oils, powerful active botanicals, antioxidants, and adaptogens are abundant in UMM products, which enhance both the outward and interior health of the skin, and manufactured in the United States. Each product offers a delightful experience in addition to being both therapeutic and preventative. designed to promote skin health for everyone, fight dryness, and heal, replenish, and nourish.
Meet Anisha Vinjamuri, Founder and CEO of UMM SKINCARE
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I was born and raised in India, Hyderabad in a traditional South Indian household, and completed my education there. By 22, I had completed a double master's, Master's in Commerce & a Master's in Foreign Trade, had an arranged married right out of college, and moved to Seattle, WA, in 2003 right after. Since then, I've worked in the technology industry (Microsoft) and subsequently founded a technology management firm InnovationsIQ, taking it through a successful exit in 2017. UMM is my 3rd career shift and entirely out of my comfort zone, and I enjoy a good challenge.
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What is your inspiration behind UMM?
The inspiration to build a brand that blends body care and wellness stemmed from my journey of experiencing burnout while living life at a fast pace in the technology world. A path of healing, revival, and self-reconnection through a personalized approach in 2017 grew into a vision bigger than mine. Ayurvedic practices transformed my life from chronic anxiety, depression, insomnia, acne, eczema, and hair loss to having positive mindset shifts and achieving the healthiest skin I have ever had and mindful tools to manage anxious times.
I know that there are many people out there just like me who love being on the GO! Unfortunately, the downside of the high drive is burnout, and your skin is the external mirror showcasing internal imbalance through skin and scalp issues. But, I can assure you that there is a way to protect yourself from the negative impacts of it while you still live in the fast lane so that you can be the best version of yourself.
It took a hard stop, reset, time, and expert guidance for me to find a solution. Knowing how it feels and what it takes, I am driven by the desire to help those with packed lifestyles look and feel great through Ayurvedic-inspired body care and well-being approach that can be easily integrated into your daily lifestyle. My healthiest skin came from blending body care with wellness. It was a transformative experience for me, and I promise it will be for you too!
After all, We all deserve to look and feel good - it doesn't have to be one or the other!
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What does the brand name UMM, mean to you?
UMM represents a way of life and a reminder that there is no greater way to connect with self than to allow ourselves to flow with the elements of nature. Pronounced as the first sound of the universe and often used in Vedic meditative chants, AUM. When I was on a path of healing and revival from burnout, I documented my journey in a stealth blog named Urban Mowglii. Because the products were developed as an extension of my well-being, it felt apt to create a name that most accurately represented it; hence AUM + UM became UMM :)
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How does growing up in India play a role in the ingredients in your skincare?
In every way! Most of our ingredients have been used in traditional Ayurveda for centuries. Growing up in India, I used them in their most natural form, both for external applications and internally in cooking for their nutritional benefits. At UMM, we use these potent medicated oils, and herbal powders made using authentic ayurvedic recipes directly from the source.
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Why did you choose to move from a career in technology to the holistic beauty industry?
I had not planned my move away from the tech industry even as recently as 2017. When I took a much-deserved break to realign my professional and life goals during that season - the beauty industry was not even a remote consideration or plan. I had no domain knowledge, connections, or even a remote acquaintance in any part of the beauty world. Sometimes, even now, I wonder how we have survived this industry and are thriving while paving a path in beauty with body care meets wellness approach. I am just so grateful to look back and see how a dark time in my life has turned into the brightest light.
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How does 24K Gold and saffron, as seen in The Body Elixir, provide rejuvenating, restorative & nourishing properties?
Gold has been an essential mineral of Ayurveda for centuries, loved for its ability to strengthen the cellular structure and bring luster to your face. Is a powerful antioxidant support for your skin and encourages cellular regeneration while lessening the effects of collagen degradation. Simply put, it helps skin maintain and improve elasticity while encouraging natural collagen production. Whether you're looking for general anti-aging skin maintenance, to brighten areas of uneven complexion, or even to clear up a breakout – consistently using a gold-infused product within a clean and effective skincare regimen will help you meet your skincare goals much faster. It reduces oxidative stress, improves elasticity, provides barrier defense, has anti-inflammatory properties, and has radiance-boosting qualities.24K Gold has the property of penetrating the deepest layer of skin, thereby providing radiance and increased elasticity.
According to Ayurveda, Kumkuma or Saffron is highly valued for its complexion-enhancing & anti pigmentation properties. It enhances the glutathione levels in cells, thus exerting strong antioxidant and anti-melanogenic properties. Saffron helps the metabolic conversion of Carotenoids to Retinoids (vitamin A). Retinoids also enhance complexion and are well-researched for their anti-aging benefits. While the herb is mainly credited for being a natural depigmenting agent, Ayurveda mentions a list of other skin-benefiting properties that can rejuvenate and transform your overall skin condition. Modern research also attributes antioxidant, anti-acne, antidepressant, melanin inhibiting, analgesic, dermo-protective and antibacterial properties to saffron. Thus, topical application and saffron consumption can visibly improve your facial skin.
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What does it mean to combine body care rituals with skin care products, and internal beauty wellness?
Internal wellness is our ability to balance our bodily functions with the natural flow of nature. Our skin's ability to heal, repair and rejuvenate begins on the inside. Factors such as stress management, sleep cycles, nutrition, detoxification process, hormonal balance, and mindfulness all play a critical role in how your overall skin looks and feels.
Achieving and maintaining good whole-body skin health is the balance between our Internal wellness and external skincare routines. One without the other is not sustainable if you want to see results that last. Ayurveda does not treat skin health issues on the face, body & scalp separately. If you have scaly skin on the body, you are very likely to have dry skin on your face and a dry, itchy scalp. Rooted in this principle, UMM takes a whole-body approach around bathing rituals to improve the skin & scalp barrier.
UMM Bathing Rituals encourage mindfulness and showcase a way to reconnect with the self. They are especially great for those who have difficulty with seated meditation but still want to tap into its incredible benefits.
Our internal supplementation and herbal teas are made with Ayurvedic adaptogenic herbs that help with detoxification, immune support, stress management, and cell regeneration from within.
Our external skincare is uniquely formulated with traditionally extracted Ayurvedic oils containing some of the world's most expensive and exotic ingredients, such as saffron & 24 K gold to heal and repair the skin barrier inside out. We are achieving the truest form of whole body skincare by balancing Internal wellness, external skincare, and mindfulness practices.
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How has the journey of UMM Skincare raising capital gone so far?
We have just started our capital raise round; our goal was to raise a seed investment round in 2023, so we are on track with our timeline.
We are self-funded and have used most of our capital on iterative R&D, market testing & brand positioning. As a luxury Ayurveda-inspired body care and wellness brand, it was crucial for us to first build a strong foundation that fits into the premium / aspirational category while leaning into the educational component, and that is what we invested our time, energy, and capital into.
We intend to use the first round of funding to scale our manufacturing and distribution into national luxury spas as treatments and at-home maintenance offerings along with D2C acquisition.
What did you gain from attending Beauty Connect West this year as one of the spotlight indie brands for 2022?
My goal for the Beauty Connect West event was to learn from industry experts, understand the holistic beauty landscape, and foster connections for long-term growth strategies. I was able to achieve all of these and more. It was an incredible honor to present as one of the spotlight brands; I learned so much from fellow beauty entrepreneurs and industry vets. Will definitely be back again this year!
If you could be on any retailers shelves, which one would you choose and why?
We would love to be a part of exclusive luxury spa treatments and retail at-home spa maintenance kits through Eco-Lux wellness resorts such as 1 Hotels: Sustainable Luxury Hotels & Resorts , https://www.ritzcarlton.com/ & St.Regis.
