On this week’s Let’s Talk About… episode, Elise sits down with Jigyasa Sharma, Co-founder of Hymnologie.
Hymnologie is a plant-based skincare line that harnesses the innate cellular wisdom of your skin to deliver powerful, uncompromised results using Ayurvedic Practices that are centuries old. Elise and Jigyasa talk about the inspiration behind Hymnologie, treating your skin with natural ingredients using Ayurvedic practices, and starting a business in a new country.
“I wanted to create something, not just for my family, but for the Western culture and wanted to introduce you to Ayurvedic practices, the formulas, which are like thousands and centuries old. So they’re really effective and they work and they’re completely safe for your skin. So why do expose ourselves with unnecessary harsh chemicals when we can actually give soulful nourishing food to your skin?” Jigyasa tells Elise on Let’s Talk About.
Check out Jigyasa’s products at our ‘the edit’ summer pop-up in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Our chic general store located at 1-233 King Street in NOTL, is open everything Thursday to Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Check out the show transcript below.
[00:00:00] Elise: Hi everyone and welcome. This week, let’s talk about the brand Hymnologie with its co-founder. Jigyasa Sharma. Hi, Jigyasa. Thank you so much for being here today.
[00:00:10] Jigyasa: Hi Elise. Thank you for having me. It’s a pleasure.
[00:00:13] Elise: Yeah, I’m excited to chat. I mean, obviously I know the brand we’re chatting today as part of our behind the brand series, with our pop up the edit.
So the edit is running through the month of August in Niagara-on-the-Lake at 233 king street, and you are one of the brands that are joining us. So I’m very familiar with your product. And we’ve had you on this site before sharing a little bit about your story, but excited to have more of a conversation with you.
[00:00:37] Jigyasa: So am I, I’m really excited and looking forward.
[00:00:39] Elise: Yeah, let’s start. So I, I know you and your husband as founders of this brand have a really unique story. Um, and that it’s a pretty new brand and your, your background is in something totally different and you still pursue that as well. So why don’t we start a little bit about just what your journey has been up until this point?
[00:01:00] Jigyasa: Yeah. So I think my whole journey has been cumulatively also, you know, an important, uh, role in, in formation and bringing hemology to life because I was raised in India. I grew up in India with holistic and natural values instilled in me. My mother used to help me create some remedies from her garden. You know, whenever I had those acne or breakup and as a child, I used to indulge in natural way of life. As I grew up, went to the dental school, you know, learned about medicine, the health, it opened up my eyes about more about, you know, uh, how the ingredients and preservatives in skincare also affect your health. So I think when we move to Canada, that’s how the whole, upbringing and the awareness and the knowledge scientific knowledge that I gathered over the years brought me to, you know, developing a skincare line, which was completely additive pres way. Not just clean in a sense, but cleanest of clean, right. Sounds additive and any preservatives and just pure oil blends and plant extracts. So we’d really, really believe in pure plant signs.
[00:02:10] Elise: Mm-hmm no, it’s very cool. I love that. I mean, it’s, it was very much a part of how you were raised. So where did you sort of transition from? Okay. This is a part of, you know, my upbringing.
Two, I’m gonna make this a product. Like how did that, what, tell us a little bit about that journey and that story .
[00:02:29] Jigyasa: So, you know, as a, as a child, it was always easy to get mom make me those paced and flower must and use it on my skin skin and see the effects of it. But. Exactly. When I got pregnant with my first child, that then it got me really thinking that is it really, that I want to put all the available over the counter skincare on my skin where I do not know what entirely the, you know, the composition is the ingredients mean.
And I knew some of those from my medicine school, that they are bad for your skin bad for your overall health as well. So I did not want to expose my child to those harsh. Chemicals. And that’s when I relied to my mom again, to make me some of the formulas and that got me thinking that I need to be working on a line, which really helps women and families across the globe and, you know, choose the safest way of skincare.
[00:03:19] Elise: Mm-hmm . Yeah, no, that’s, it’s kind of reminds me, I feel like didn’t Jessica Elba start her honest company with the diapers because she wanted her child to not have the kind of chemicals, et cetera. That was in the product. So it’s, it’s kind of reflective of that a little bit. I’m assuming a lot of new moms go through that thought process.
Right. Okay. What is this actually doing? And you had that science behind it too, which is even extra kind of an addition and background to it. So you grew up in India. Can you tell us a little bit about coming to Canada and you, cause you started this company when you arrived in Canada, right? So what was that?
You know what I’m, I’m assuming something in there prompted the, kicked off the entrepreneurship a little bit. Cuz you had mentioned your background was dentistry, obviously very different. So what was that? Uh, what was that process?
[00:04:16] Jigyasa: So when I moved to Canada, like I moved with two to my two kids and, uh, the little one was just like one and a half year old.
And I was looking for products to put on their skin and on their body. And I felt there was a huge void in actually, you know, clean product industry. I’m sure this is an overly used statement and this industry is also getting flooded every day, but. As an aware reader, I used to read labels a lot. So when I, even for the clean products, some of them, when I was reading labels, they were not as clean as they were claiming it to be.
Right. Mm-hmm , that’s why I also try to create awareness amongst the consumers that always read your labels. That’s how the hemology idea came in. That I wanted to create something, not just for my family, but for the Western culture and wanted to introduce you to Iowa Iotta practices, the formulas, which are like thousands and centuries old.
So they’re really effective and they work and they’re completely safe for your skin. So why do expose ourselves with unnecessary harsh chemicals when we can actually give soulful nourishing food to your.
[00:05:22] Elise: Mm-hmm . And did you, did you find it, cause you had this thought then more, it sounds like when you came to Canada and saw the market there, cause I’m assuming in India, it sounds like it it’s common practice to use natural beauty home remedies. So there wasn’t as much of a gap in the market from the business sense, but it sounds like here is where you saw a little more of. A business opportunity, I guess. What was it like starting a business in Canada? Cause you’re new to the country. You were, I, it doesn’t sound like you were an entrepreneurship in your, you were an entrepreneur in, in India. Is that correct? It was, it was more focused on the medical side. So what was that like? It must have been a very daunting task. Right. And how do I’d love to hear with that though? Like you mentioned going back to your mom and, and getting recipes there, you do still have the connect to India. And, and how does that connect help with like, whether it’s manufacturing the, the production piece, what, what is the link between the two countries to make this company come to life?
[00:06:27] Jigyasa: I think the business part of it, the connect that comes in it is my husband really? Because he’s from business background, he’s like all his life, he’s an entrepreneur handling production and into manufacturing. Right. And that’s a very strong link that I have. So he partnered with a farm. He created invested in a farm.
We started, you know, connecting with farmers. We, we got the ingredient sourced, we made sure they were from the Hial valleys. They were organically, uh, you know, grown and they were fair trade with the farmers. And then we set up the manufacturing unit also at the farm site, you know, by the forest where we were sourcing the ingredients from, and also closely with minimal processing, packaging them and bringing it here.
So that was the, a sense of it. And because of my husband’s background, introduction and manufacturing and his partnering and starting this venture of actually developing the farm really helped us a.
[00:07:23] Elise: Oh, that’s really cool. That’s very cool. And so let’s talk, let’s talk a little bit about the products then, because that’s, and I feel like there’s a whole bunch of storytelling.
I’m sure around like the farm and the people that are working on the farm and how that came to be. Tell us a little bit about that. Cause I feel like that people love to hear, you know, not just you and your story, but who is who’s involved in that supply chain, right. To get that product to the end consumer.
[00:07:52] Jigyasa: That’s why we believe in close, , closely working with the supply chain. We are not outsourcing. We are directly looking off, you know, looking at the processing, looking at the manufacturing and it’s supervised under us. So the formulas were handcrafted. We decided what ingredients are going in. And it’s not just about ingredients.
We also believe the quality of the ingredients. We did not want to dilute it with water. And then put stabilizer inal of fires and press into it. So we wanted to it to be as authentic, as possible, as pure as possible, and as potent as possible. That’s what we are every day striving. We are closely, you know, connected with the families who are monitoring the farms, monitoring the farmers, looking after the processing and manufacturing every day we go and visit the farms as well.
You know, and sometimes maybe you can join us too. It’s gonna be wonderful.
[00:08:45] Elise: Well homes. Wonderful. Yes,
[00:08:47] Jigyasa: it is in, in, it is in Hamal valleys by the banks of river gang. And it’s also close to the forest department, natural Hamal forest department. So, you know, because it’s being close to forestry, it’s also its own ecosystem.
So the, the ingredients and the plants that grow there are as organic as they can be because they’re in the, in their natural ecosystem.
[00:09:10] Elise: Very cool. Very cool. I don’t, I don’t think I realized that. Well, I knew, I knew like the no water added the no expiry and how natural they were, but I don’t think I had an appreciation for how you really have like a 360 of how this is produced.
Yeah. Um, now can we go into a little bit about what products you have on the line? Um, and, and maybe take us through that from. A routine, even if it’s like a, your I’d love to hear also your skincare routine.
[00:09:41] Jigyasa: I would love to tell you about that. So we have about eight products and which we picked from about 40 to 50 tested formulas.
So we picked the most universal risk style formulas. Wow. And they are targeted for both skin types, the oil and dry skin, as well as the oily skin type. So we have the off to shower oil. Then we have the face MIS, which are for all skin types, then face melts, which are for oily as well as dry and the serums, which are for oily as well as dry and the under, under eyes serum.
So my routine is usually like, I cannot start my day without technology. So after a nice shower, I would be coming out and, you know, doing my facial ritual. So it starts with spritzing my face with that, uh, misre refresher, facial misre refresher mm-hmm . After that, I would massage the mattifying tonic because I have oily skin.
So I would use our mattifying tonic, take one or two pumps, you know, rub it on my pumps and give a gentle massage without, with strokes on my face. So that would be for. Face. And then I would take the aftershave body oil and my skin went still damp and moist. I would smother all the oil on my, you know, body so that it gets absorbed.
And because all the, you know, moistness, it gets sealed, the moisture gets locked. So I’m out with all the, you know, suppleness and
[00:11:03] Elise: all the things. And then do you do the eye repair? Cause I haven’t. So you were kind enough to send some things over and I’m a big fan of the rose hip to, and I similarly like start my day with that.
I feel like I need to do more upward motions. I feel like I put it on my hands on my face, but I, now you’re making me wanna do like a little facial massage while I do it morning, but it’s funny because skincare kind. Not kind of skincare can be that moment that you have for yourself in the day. Right.
Especially as busy women kind of going through things, there’s like a, a romance that you could bring to that in a way, whether it’s your, your rituals making coffee in the morning. Instead, I love how you’re just like, you know, I give myself a little kind of massage with the, with the tonics
[00:11:48] Jigyasa: yes, absolutely.
It sets the Dawn, you know, It’s the whole day entirely depends upon how you spend the first few hours. I believe mm-hmm . And when you uplift your senses, you give yourself a feeling that you matter and you have control on your day because, because it’s you, if you look after yourself, Then you can look after other things mm-hmm so it’s so well inside you, right?
It has to be filled with love so you can shower it on others, especially as women they’re always givers, right? Never looking onto ourselves. Mostly we forget ourselves either. It’s, you know, our family husbands or kids or partners, whoever, but we are very giving. So I think it’s really important to also give back to.
Refill our well off love. Right? Mm-hmm mm-hmm
[00:12:37] Elise: for sure. And. No. I love that. I feel like it brings like a whole kind of, um, ritual aspect and warmth to like skincare too. That we’re not, you know, we’re not just rushing through it and it, it can be like a moment in time for us. You are obviously like I’ve, I’ve met you.
We’ve chatted before. Very passionate about this, as well as your husband. What are you both most excited for in the next year? That’s coming. Is there, is there anything you, I don’t know what you had and cannot share, but like we have, what are you looking forward to the most? I’d imagine like to give everyone some context, this started in 2020, right?
Yes. Like, and so product just came out in, is it February 2022, April, 2022. So we’re just talking like you’ve. A few months really, of, of the product being able to be in your customer’s hands. So maybe from there what’s been the most exciting thing about actually like hearing people talk about it, like what that must have been a thrill in and of itself,
[00:13:41] Jigyasa: Right?
Yes, absolutely. I think all this time that when we were developing and, you know, going through that gruesome period of testing and, you know, picking the formulas, getting it all right, you know, smelling right. Feeling right. Working. Right. So it was gruesome, but when it eventually lands in a consumer’s hand and they feel all that love and labor that went into the production of that product, I think that feeling and that one single.
That we receive makes it all worth it. Mm-hmm , you know, if you change life of even one consumer and they start taking their personal health, seriously, their skin care seriously, you know, give the importance to self love. I think the purpose is done. So it’s just starting one life at a time.
[00:14:29] Elise: Yeah, it’s amazing. I mean, when, when I first heard your story, it’s amazing how much you’ve all accomplished in two years, it’s just quite, quite impressive. And so I can only imagine what the next two are gonna look like for you all. I feel like I see like, A whole kind of clean product revolution, maybe even beyond skincare happening for the brand.
But anyway, that’s just my, my prediction. But what are you most excited about to coming up? Like what is there, um, is it just interacting with the customers and hearing more? Like what, what keeps you going because it’s also hard starting your own brand, right. You are still a, a trained dentist and still participate in that, like, this is not, you know, this is not your a hundred percent full time focus.
Yeah. But it, it is operating that way as well. Right. So you’re really probably wearing two hats maybe. Well then you’re mother wife, et cetera, wearing multiple hats. Um, but what are you most excited for from the homology perspective of what’s coming up?
[00:15:32] Jigyasa: Uh, absolutely. As you said, that more things would be coming and it might take the whole wellness route.
Other than that, there are a lot of new formulas that we are developing and testing for sure. Consumers should be waiting out for that. So, yeah, we are pretty excited in terms of how consumers are taking up the existing line and how we can develop it in future and bring the newer products and your experiences to them.
[00:15:54] Elise: Mm-hmm and where can everyone find more information on you and on the brand? You’re in your social handles. Yeah.
[00:16:02] Jigyasa: Yeah. So we are available on hymnologie.com. That’s where also we are available for buying the product. And also we are available on Instagram @hymnologiebeauty so you can actually follow us and, you know, for more tips and all the, you know, skincare rituals learn about the ingredients, the clean skincare mm-hmm
And definitely we are also at STYLE Canada popup recently. Yeah. That’s our first ever retail where people can actually come and hold the, you know, product in their hands, hatch it. Yeah. Excited about that as well.
[00:16:34] Elise: Yeah. And we’ll have to come have you at the store one day too, cuz I always feel like it’s so wonderful having the founders speak about the brand and that this podcast and this conversation is part of that too.
Right? So thank you so much for, for chatting with us today and giving some background, I’m ready to do a tour of the farm. That sounds unbelievable. I’m excited to see and hear more about that. Very cool.
[00:17:01] Jigyasa: Absolutely. Yeah, it was a pleasure Elise. Thank you so much for having me really.
[00:17:06] Elise: Thank you. Thank you.
