Aditi Gaur

FOUNDER

On a trip to the Himalayas in 2017 Aditi came across a small group of women farmers who were struggling to keep their farms profitable. They introduced her to a couple of products they had created, and Aditi loved the simplicity of it all - a formulation that had been passed down over generations and a strong need to use Mother Nature’s bounty to look beautiful. Having been a part of the beauty business via a stint with one of the world’s best-known skincare brands, Aditi was familiar with brand building and had been ideating on a business that would embody doing business ethically and consciously.

Meeting with the farmers motivated her to lay the foundation for Kanai as a business that would build products to enhance, beautify, renew and never harm. Living a nature-driven lifestyle herself and her training in yoga added to her zeal to make Kanai a brand that focussed on ‘ahimsa’ – it would never test on animals but only on friends and family.

“Our idea of beauty doesn’t just limit itself to the body but also to the heart. And what better way to prove it than to be kind and give back to those that deserve it the most?” Kanai remains committed to giving away proceeds from the sale of each product to the Rural Development Institute which works to address the needs of women, children and adolescents in some of the remotest parts of the Himalayas.

“I firmly believe that beauty is skin deep. With our products we ensure that we’re putting out the best that Mother Nature has to offer and with our commitment to uplift the often-ignored sections of society we endeavour to prove that true beauty comes from kindness, thoughtfulness and a sense of responsibility”

In 2019, Aditi was felicitated at the British Parliament in London, UK for being a part of the “50 Emerging Leaders in Beauty in the EU & India”, an honour that was recognition for her desire to build an ethical business and work directly with farmers to give fair trade wages and facilitate economic empowerment in her own small way.