Can essential oils lift your mood and make you feel
good with just a whiff of their fragrance! So Aromatherapist says. Can they
help with the present day Covid stress! It is no surprise that a skilled Aromatherapist
can concoct combinations of oils to reduce road rage, reduce fatigue and
improve concentration while driving, reduces the level of frustration
encountered in traffic and also heightens alertness. Jasmine is used as a sleep
aid and the scent of vanilla is useful for those who want to cut the craving
for sweets after lunch.
good with just a whiff of their fragrance! So Aromatherapist says. Can they
help with the present day Covid stress! It is no surprise that a skilled Aromatherapist
can concoct combinations of oils to reduce road rage, reduce fatigue and
improve concentration while driving, reduces the level of frustration
encountered in traffic and also heightens alertness. Jasmine is used as a sleep
aid and the scent of vanilla is useful for those who want to cut the craving
for sweets after lunch.
Based on the usage of essential oils and aromatic
materials, Aromatherapy claims improving psychological or physical well-being.
The use goes back to ancient civilizations including the Chinese, Indian, Egyptians,
Greeks, and Romans who used them in cosmetics, perfumes and drugs.
materials, Aromatherapy claims improving psychological or physical well-being.
The use goes back to ancient civilizations including the Chinese, Indian, Egyptians,
Greeks, and Romans who used them in cosmetics, perfumes and drugs.
A leading name in aroma based beauty therapies and its
pioneer in India, Dr Blossom Kochhar, with over 170 aromatherapy based products
including skin care, hair care, essential oils and curative oils, has 1000 plus
salons and 4000 plus leading retail cosmetic outlets. With an international
presence in countries like South Africa, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh,
Vietnam, Nepal, Australia and New Zealand, Aromamagic’s Dr Kochhar is the
Member, Governing Council, Beauty and Wellness Sector Skills Council, NSDC
(National Skill Development Corporation) and was the Grooming expert for Femina
Miss India in 2018.
pioneer in India, Dr Blossom Kochhar, with over 170 aromatherapy based products
including skin care, hair care, essential oils and curative oils, has 1000 plus
salons and 4000 plus leading retail cosmetic outlets. With an international
presence in countries like South Africa, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh,
Vietnam, Nepal, Australia and New Zealand, Aromamagic’s Dr Kochhar is the
Member, Governing Council, Beauty and Wellness Sector Skills Council, NSDC
(National Skill Development Corporation) and was the Grooming expert for Femina
Miss India in 2018.
Interestingly born amongst the blooming of coffee and
tea plantations in the Nilgiri hills she was named Blossom by her parents Albert
Joseph Otter & Marie Hellene Otter. Dr Kochhar has 9 awards including Lifetime
Achievement Award and 6 books on beauty culture and Aromatherapy to her credit.
Her philanthropy includes grooming
cancer survivors to nurses to skilling army widows and underprivileged and
specially abled children.
tea plantations in the Nilgiri hills she was named Blossom by her parents Albert
Joseph Otter & Marie Hellene Otter. Dr Kochhar has 9 awards including Lifetime
Achievement Award and 6 books on beauty culture and Aromatherapy to her credit.
Her philanthropy includes grooming
cancer survivors to nurses to skilling army widows and underprivileged and
specially abled children.
To get an insight into how is beauty and wellness
industry coping with the Covid times crisis, a talk with founder of Aromamagic
brand Dr Blossom Kochhar:
industry coping with the Covid times crisis, a talk with founder of Aromamagic
brand Dr Blossom Kochhar:
Q. In covid 19
times with all businesses big & small shutting down how do you see beauty
& wellness industry being affected?
times with all businesses big & small shutting down how do you see beauty
& wellness industry being affected?
- Like
many other industries, the beauty and wellness industry has taken a major hit,
with the lockdown going on for months and even now when the salons are open not
many clients are turning up which has led to more than 40% of salons getting
shut. The small salons were not able to pay their rents as well as pay the
salaries of their staff, hence many called it quits. The bigger ones, those who
had a number of salon chains are also revising their magnitude of business and
devising plans to sustain themselves.
Q. What ways is the industry devising to make a
jumpstart to get back to its lucrative model given that the covid condition is
here to stay for a long haul.
jumpstart to get back to its lucrative model given that the covid condition is
here to stay for a long haul.
- The
industry is strictly following the 3 S model which is, sanitisation, sterilization and social distancing. Only a limited number of clients are
allowed at a time that too only with
prior appointments, the staff is using only disposable equipments that is
thrown after every service and most importantly the salons are giving the
confidence to their clients that they are taking all the necessary steps for
their safety. Another thing the salons are doing is concentrating on more hair
services that involve less contact and proximity and side by side they are
devising new techniques to give beauty services with as much distance between
the client and the technician.
Q. What does
Aroma Magic brand specialize in. How will you call yourself a cut different
from your competitors.
Aroma Magic brand specialize in. How will you call yourself a cut different
from your competitors.
- Aroma
Magic is very different from a normal beauty brand because all our products are
based on Aromatherapy. Our products include natural essential oils that are
derived from leaves, flowers, bark of the tree and we avoid chemicals at every
cost as they do not work with essential oils. Aroma Magic is an Indian brand,
we procure all our ingredients from different places within the country, the
production, packaging and labeling also happen in the country itself. Also,
Aromatherapy is part of Ayurveda, so we are borrowing all the knowledge from
our ancestors and making a completely natural product for our clients. Our
products do not just work on your skin but also relaxes your mind and gives you
holistic beauty that works on your body, mind, and soul. In fact, essential
oils can be used for a lot of ailments and help in fighting infections because
of their antiviral, antibacterial and anti fungal properties.
Q. Beauty &
wellness industry is a major employer as a service provider. How do you see
employment prospects now & how are you affected by it.
wellness industry is a major employer as a service provider. How do you see
employment prospects now & how are you affected by it.
- Beauty
and wellness was one the fastest growing sectors before covid, more than 30% of
the population was working in this sector and we were expecting a bigger
employment boom in the coming years. But with the virus and the lockdown
happening the whole scenario has changed. Lot of salons have shut down; others
have cut down their staff, so we have seen a lot of people losing their jobs in
the past few months. But we must realize that this situation is here to stay
for at least a year now so people in this industry will have to re skill themselves,
they will have to learn to multi-task. Earlier salons would hire 2-3 people for
the same task but now they would expect people to be multitaskers like they
would want the beautician to know makeup and the makeup artist to know how to
do hair so that they can also bare the cost of running the salon at the same
time be able to give salaries to their staff. So, I suggest to all the people
in this industry, that this is the time to skill yourself and prepare yourself
to do more than what they were doing before.
Q. What
challenges has the industry been facing & how do you wish the govt could
help you.
challenges has the industry been facing & how do you wish the govt could
help you.
- The
major problem that salon owners are facing is rents for salons which are too
high, many have closed down because they weren’t able to pay salaries, rents
and loans. I wish the government would have waived off rents until the salons
were back in business, also the interest rate on loans could have been brought
down so that they could hold the fort for long and at the same time give
salaries to their staff. I also believe the government could have announced
some funds especially for small salons so they could have survived the money
crunch.
Q. With the lockdown opening & govt allowing
salons, spas, and parlours opening how do you plan bringing back your consumers
who are still vary of going to parlours for beauty services. Have you worked
out new models of your services?
salons, spas, and parlours opening how do you plan bringing back your consumers
who are still vary of going to parlours for beauty services. Have you worked
out new models of your services?
- The
clients have to feel comfortable and secure while visiting the salon and that
is what our concentration is on. We are continuously telling our clients all
necessary precautions that we are taking to maintain our salon hygiene and keep
it virus free. We are very careful at every step from maintaining that not many
people are present at one go in the salon, to providing PPE kits, masks and
gloves to our staff, after every client visit the salon is re-sanitized for the
next customer, there are regular temperature checks being done. We have also
got certified by the Beauty and Wellness sector skill council and NSDC in their
post covid beauty services programme. We are in regular touch with our
customers and reassuring them that they are safe when they visit our salon.
Q. What
challenges & struggles did you face in building Aromamagic as a brand given
the tough competitive market.
challenges & struggles did you face in building Aromamagic as a brand given
the tough competitive market.
- When
I started in 1993, people were not aware of what Aromatherapy is and how it can
help them. The concept of essential oils in beauty products was alien to them
therefore I had to personally travel all around the country, hosting seminars
and sessions to educate people about how aromatherapy works. When we started
there was no social media and advertising was not that rampant so we had to be
face to face with our clients to make them use the product and for that we went
to a lot of exhibitions. But my only thought was that I believed in my
products, I knew aromatherapy does wonders not just to your skin but also to
the mind and soul and even though it took a little while for people to
understand it, but now seeing where the brand is and the love that the products
receive I believe all the struggle and challenges were worth it.
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Excellent interview. Very relevant questions pertaining to the current scenario and the impact there'of.
Always a pleasure to go through your blogs, views and interviews.
Proud of you
Enjoyed the perspective. Very pertinent queries. Keep up the good work.
Excellent interview . Congratulations
Great story,congratulations.