Deepika Padukone’s legendary poise was almost palpable over a Zoom call. The charming actress with a radiant smile chatted with t2 about her self-care brand 82°E (that she co-founded) turning one, her definition of success and more. Excerpts.

Congratulations on 82°E completing a year! How do you look back at the journey so far?

Well, the journey has been extremely rewarding. It’s been a lot of work, a lot more than any of us anticipated.

What has been your biggest learning when it comes to skincare through this journey of yours?

One is, of course, my own belief and practice that less is more and to keep my skincare routine simple and also consistent... that’s what we started talking about as a brand, that’s what we stand for as a brand and I think our biggest learning has been, that’s what the consumer and community was looking for. So, I think we have hit that sweet spot because I think we had reached a point when skincare had become extremely overwhelming. The amount of information, the number of brands, the ingredients, the number of steps... it had become extremely overwhelming and to a point where I was also one of those consumers who was extremely overwhelmed and (started) looking for a brand that could just simplify skincare for me. I think to identify that point and address with consistency and authenticity, honesty and backed by effective and high-performing products to hit that sweet spot has been our biggest learning.

Before you became an actress, what was your skincare routine like?

It’s always been this, which is simple but effective. I was always someone who has been on the go. When I was in school, I was a professional badminton player. In my teenage years, I was a model. Then I became an actor. I have never had the time for elaborate skincare routines. A large part of that informed our product formulations and also the framework for 82°E.

If there is something that I do more now than I did before is consistency and a better understanding of the fact that while for good skin you need to use good products and be consistent with your routine, you should also have a more holistic approach to your skincare. Whether it’s your sleep or hydration, nutrition, or exercise, all of these factors also play a huge role in the health of your skin.

The 82°E minis collection

With success comes greater responsibility. Deepika, where you stand now is momentous. What does success mean to you today vis-a-vis when you started out?

I think when you are young you think of success as fame, power, money... but as you grow up you realise that success is when you are in a position to be able bring about change and impact through your actions. And, to be able to live your life in the most authentic manner.

And, how has your view of life impacted your overall wellness journey?

Hugely and I am glad you asked this question because that’s the very basis of 82°E. I learnt pretty early on in my life that self-care for me is extremely important to be able to function on a daily basis and therefore an authentic extension and expression of who I am. Therefore, pretty early on in the journey, it became clear to us that the brand we build is going to be a self-care brand. Self-care will continue to be an extremely important part. Skincare and healthy skin are partly the products you use, but a large part of it is to do with your lifestyle, whether it’s your sleep or nutrition or exercise.

Can you give our readers a sneak peek of your daily routine?

For me, it begins with quality and quantity sleep. When you don’t sleep well or enough, it is the root cause for several health issues. I then start with a glass of water. I just take my time to wake up in the morning and then depending on what time I wake up, I either finish my workout and then have breakfast or have breakfast and then work out. Then I get to work and I try to stay pretty consistent with my workouts as well. It’s a very important part of my self-care routine and ritual.

Whether I am shooting or I am in the office, I watch what I eat. Everything I do, I try to do it as mindfully as possible. Then of course to be able to switch off at the end of the day, spend time with friends and family, listen to music or watch something. I stay hydrated throughout the day.

A large part would be how I take care of myself. Especially in the evening, more than in the morning, is my skincare routine. Once I have come back home, pampering my skin, taking off my make-up... taking care of my skin is a huge part of my self-care ritual.

The Deepika you see in the mirror, do you want to pat her back and say ‘well done’?

I mean I don’t really look at myself in the mirror like that, but those moments really are few and far between, maybe now a little more than before, but yes, I do have to now sometimes stop and think about the journey and reflect on the journey, but I am someone, and I think that’s the athlete in me, I pause, I don’t stop, I reflect, good or bad and then I move on. That has been my approach to everything in life.

What has your entrepreneurship journey taught you about yourself?

It certainly has stretched me in directions I didn’t think I would be. To be interested in and start learning some of the operational or the business aspects of things, of building your own brand and company.... Anything that’s creative or marketing probably comes to me a little more naturally. As a model, actor, endorsing other brands, you do look at the creative (aspect). While I don’t lead that vertical, but to be involved to some extent... whether it’s R&D, understanding, manufacturing... just understanding all of these things.... So, it’s constantly learning. And, I do think that some of the qualities that I possess have come handy, whether it’s dedication, attention to detail, passion, commitment, patience....

Finally, what are your future plans with 82°E?

I think to get as many people to believe in the idea and importance of self-care is the mission and the vision and most importantly, to do it without guilt and to build a community that believes that you need to take care of yourself before you take care of anyone else.

Jigar K Shah and Deepika Padukone, co-founders, 82°E

Looking back...

For us, two things are very important. One is the consumer and second is the team. It’s a hypothesis that we started off with. In the past one year we got that clarity and answer directly from our consumer. Our value proposition, solutions and our products were something our consumers loved deeply.... In September, our repeat rates were as high as 60 per cent. Our NPS (net promoter score) at a brand level has scaled up from 54 at launch all the way up to 65 in September. That puts us in the league of some of the most successful global brands not just in beauty and personal care but even outside of beauty and personal care. Each of our products has received a rating of 4.3 or 4.4 on a scale of 5. There are hundreds of paying consumers rating for these products.
We have been very proud of the team we have built, now 45-people strong. These are aspects that give you a lot of joy.

Beauty more and more is not just about beauty outside, but it’s equally about beauty inside and the consumer is getting more and more aware and wants to focus on both parts equally. We have devised a cleanse-hydrate-protect framework and that’s the framework in which we launch all our products. ‘Skinification’ in general has become more and more of a trend where increasingly we are seeing multipurpose products, not just from a packaging perspective but also from the formulation-of-benefits perspective, so much so that many of the colour cosmetic products come with skincare benefits. So, these are some of the things we have learned and incorporated some of these learnings as we went through the past year.... Consumers asked for it. They said glass packaging is difficult to travel with. So, can you launch a smaller-sized variant in plastic packaging?

We are at that juncture where for the next couple of years, we want to focus a lot on growth and expansion — Jigar K Shah, co-founder