Set up by sisters Annabell and Semone Lamba in 2008, Khadi UK is the sole distributor of Khadi products in the UK, though it is a household name in India like our beloved L’Oreal or Neutrogena here.
Annabell and Semone both studied Law at the University of Birmingham, though Annabell’s entrepreneurial spirit from her joint honours with Business Studies prompted her to contact Khadi top-dogs in India to request sole UK distribution rights, after having been bought some of the Lhadi products as gifts and loving them. They started selling on stalls at local fairs in November and have recently launched their own website selling Khadi products.
The range is based on the timeless principles of Ayurveda, literally translated to ‘The Science of Life.’ The ethos behind the range is great; the products are not tested on animals, are 100% natural and contain no chemicals or preservatives. All herbs are collected in a sustainable way by local workers thus supporting employment of rural people in India. Top marks for social responsibility and ethical goodness! And the products are suitable for all skin types – bonus!
Now for the real test; I have tried out two Khadi products: the lemon face mask and the aloe vera moisturiser. The face mask comes as a power which you mix with water to form a paste; a fun and novel little quirk that means you decide how far the product goes. You can even make a bit of an activity out of it with your housemates – Valentine’s night well spent I’d say! Aside from smelling like sherbet lemons (don’t eat it – it does not taste like sherbet lemons), the face mask felt refreshing and we could feel it tingling and tightening our skin to leave fresher complexions. We looked a bit monstrous as the mask dried and cracked like scaly skin but on washing off with warm water our real skin was revealed to be lovely and soft!
The aloe vera moisturiser is ideal for use all over the body and would be especially useful as after-sun due to the soothing properties of aloe vera. We used it after our face masks and liberally applied the creamy lotion to our hands, arms and feet too – leaving us feeling well and truly pampered. The moisturising ingredients left our skin moist but not sticky and smelled delicious – it reminded us of summer holidays!
I’d recommend Khadi products to anyone wanting to use more natural, ‘greener’ products, even if it’s just washing your hair with herbal shampoo once a week- your hair will thank you for it!
See shop.khadiuk.co.uk for more info and fabulous products.
