How Mamaearth started

Ghazal and Varun Alagh founded Mamaearth in 2016, not long after becoming parents themselves. Their own search for safe, toxin-free products for their child turned into the starting point for a company.

The problem they saw

When their daughter was born, the Alaghs went looking for baby care products free of harsh chemicals commonly found in mainstream personal care items. They found that options in India were limited, and many of the "natural" claims on shelves were hard to verify. International natural and organic brands existed, but they were expensive and not always easy to get in India, leaving a gap for a homegrown brand that could offer safer formulations at accessible prices.

What they sold first

Mamaearth started with baby care products, including things like baby lotion and baby wash, formulated to avoid ingredients the founders considered unnecessary or harsh for infant skin. The brand built its identity from day one around toxin-free formulations, and it used third-party certification claims prominently to reassure parents who could not easily verify ingredient safety on their own.

The category later widened into skincare and haircare for adults, but the founding story always traced back to a parent's specific, personal problem.

The decisions that mattered

Mamaearth sold directly to consumers online first, which meant it could talk directly to new parents through digital channels rather than competing for limited shelf space against established players in general stores. This let a new brand with no retail history reach a very specific audience quickly.

The company was open about the ingredients it avoided, not just what it included, and made that avoidance a central part of its marketing. In a category where labels can be confusing, telling customers plainly what was left out became a point of difference.

Certifications and third-party validation were used early to build credibility, since a new brand asking parents to trust it with their baby's skin had to work harder than an established one. Borrowing credibility from recognised marks helped close that trust gap faster than marketing claims alone could.

What a small brand can take from this

The best business ideas sometimes come from solving your own problem first. The Alaghs were not beauty industry veterans; they were parents who could not find what they needed and decided to make it themselves.

Being specific about what your product avoids can be just as persuasive as describing what it contains, especially in categories where customers are wary of vague claims.

A tightly defined starting audience — new parents, in this case — gives a young brand somewhere clear to focus its voice and its first products, before broadening out once trust is established.

If you are ready to build a store that speaks directly to your own customers instead of getting lost among thousands of listings, you can start with early access.

Varchas Stores is not affiliated with Mamaearth. This is an editorial story based on public reporting, written for founders who are starting out.