Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Ranavat.
Michelle, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
There’s a lot of family history here—my grandfathers are both in the chemicals business and after a few years on Wall Street, I started working for my dad’s raw materials company. I would essentially search the world for amino acids, peptides and other ingredients and fell in love with this process. As someone that loves tradition- I also spent a lot of time mixing my own masques and loving the results. I noticed that many of the ayurvedic ingredients like sandalwood and bakuchi seed were hard to find in good quality and I wanted to create a way for more people to experience these incredible herbs. Since, I’ve used the same methodology for ingredient sourcing my dad uses- and just applied it to my passion for skin!
I don’t think I’ve ever been someone to invest in trends. I’ve always loved history, antiques, vintage– so that I surround myself with history and meaning. When you hold a Ranavat treatment, you are holding more than a beautiful serum- it has quality, tradition and history backing every ingredient. Its tracing everything to a craftsman who was so incredibly passionate about a certain flower, that they spent their whole lives cultivating and growing it. It is stories like that – that continue to move and inspire me.
The line is inspired by the beauty rituals of Indian Royalty. They wanted the most luxurious treatments, the freshest botanicals and above all else: they prioritized self-care.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Balance!! I love spending time with my family (I have 2 boys and an amazing husband)—and so much of retail involves events on nights and weekends. It’s a constant struggle and I’m hoping to add to my team very soon to help create more of a balance for me. I love working out and it has been very challenging trying to fit it all in.
Please tell us about Ranavat Botanics.
Ranavat isn’t about being trendy or buzzy it’s about honoring tradition and yourself with the most incredible treatments. I always say that every ingredient in the line has a story. For example, the Mighty Majesty Hair + Body Serum has organic jasmine oil, which takes 125lbs of handpicked jasmine flowers to create only 1 single ounce of the oil.
I am most proud of creating a company that represents ME. I didn’t create this to capitalize on a trend or look at what others are doing to inspire me: Ranavat was built out of an act of love for my culture, the botanical ingredients and fascination the Mughal era in India.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I don’t believe in mistakes- I think everything happens for a reason. I’ve definitely had my share of learning experiences but without those, Ranavat would not nearly be as fulfilling.
Pricing:
- $65.00 Masques
- $40.00 Toniques
- $55.00 Mighy Majesty Huile Extrordinaire (Hair and Body Serum)
- $175.00 Royal Rituals (1 Masque, 1 Tonique, Mighty Majesty + handmade porcelain bowl)
Contact Info:
- Address: Ranavat Botanics
Los Angeles CA 90024 - Website: www.ranavatbotanics.com
- Phone: 310.879.2555
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/ranavatbotanics
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ranavatbotanics
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/ranavatbotanics
Image Credit:
Grey and Elle (all photos)
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