Homegrown budget-friendly beauty brand Miss Maedelin started its journey in 2019, and within a span of four years, the Calcutta-based brand has managed to impress new-age consumers with its bold statement that comes from its deep commitment to environmental responsibility. In a chat with t2, brand owner Sneha Bhattacharya shared her vision with us.
Why did you choose the name Miss Maedelin for your brand?
The name is derived from the Greek word Madeline which means high tower or one who is elevated. We strive to excel above everyone else with our effective treatment-based products.
Tell us why you started this brand.
I was an unfortunate teenager with PCOD, and recurrent skin and hair-related problems would follow me like a shadow. Every time I would go to a wellness store to buy products, the salesperson would bombard me with products that would not solve my issues. There was nobody to guide me. All these past experiences of running from pillar to post served as a motivation for incorporating products with natural ingredients in my business that merely started off as a hobby. Miss Maedelin came into being in 2019. Prior to that, I had been into soap-making purely as a hobby. People started liking my labour of love so much that I started taking it seriously and Miss Maedelin was born. During the lockdown, I did a diploma in organic skincare formulation from Formula Botanica. And then slowly I started introducing the other products that we have in our range right now.
A few products from Miss Maedelin
What aspect of your brand makes it stand out?
We have a consultation facility available on our website and on WhatsApp. We suggest products according to individual skin types and issues. If we see there is something that needs medical attention, we straight up recommend getting medical attention. Our executive recommends the best one or two products that serve the specific purpose and nothing in general. All our products are based on Ayurvedic secrets and modern actives. We manufacture our own products in our own unit.
Some of your products have very quirky names...
All our products are gender-neutral and this particular unisex face wash called Papa Don’t Preach named after Madonna’s iconic song is curated to show our support for the cause of the LGBTQ+ community. By virtue of being a psychologist, I understand that there is a huge gender discrimination when it comes to skincare. Men’s skincare is still considered a taboo by many. So this particular range reinforces the idea that we don’t need any kind of preaching. Men can take care of their skin like they make their own life choices. Most of our clients lead a very hectic lifestyle. Indulging in skincare on a regular basis can be very laborious for them. So I designed something effective as well as easy-to-use. Our Better Than Your Ex facial kit contains a gold and pearl gel, a serum, and an overnight gel mask. The Maha Queens Don’t Bow Serum is a collagen booster serum.
Your brand is slowly moving into an eco-friendly zone...
We have already introduced powder-based face wash, powder-based cleansers and powder-based body washes. Many of the products come in craft paper pouches, thereby eliminating the use of plastic carry bags. We encourage our clients to reuse containers that they have back at home. Right now we are working on formulating a powder form of shampoo.