We were lucky to catch up with Sandhya recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sandhya, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.
Saroya Natural is built on the premise that true skincare is learning to decode the language of your skin to transform from within. This approach is very different from conventional skincare, which is mainly about applying topical products. While topical products are certainly valuable, we believe they are only part of the solution.
Our approach is deeply personal. Instead of a one-size-fits-all formula, we view your skin as a dynamic reflection of your overall health. We help our customers optimize nine indicators of health, as taught by Ayurveda—an ancient healing tradition from India that dates back over 3,000 years.
A client once came to me seeking a quick fix for dark circles. Instead of simply recommending a product off the shelf, I took the opportunity to explore the root causes, explaining how factors like stress, sleepless nights, and allergies could be contributing to those stubborn dark circles. Rather than offering a one-dimensional solution, a tailored approach was crafted—suggesting effective under-eye topical care along with advice on cultivating healthier sleep habits. The result? A comprehensive strategy that not only reduced the appearance of dark circles but also improved their overall well-being. This story perfectly illustrates our commitment to looking beyond quick fixes and truly transforming skin from within.
At Saroya Natural, we’re rewriting the skincare playbook. I’m honored to adapt Ayurveda’s ancient wisdom to modern skincare, empowering you to transform your skin from within.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I grew up in India and was always fascinated by plants and science, particularly chemistry. I left my hometown of Hyderabad in South India and flew across the world to Columbus, Ohio, where I earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry at Ohio State University. I then began a career in the semiconductor industry, where I learned about business and building high-tech products to decode the health of semiconductor chips.
In 2015, I suffered from burnout without recognizing it as such; mental health wasn’t a thing back then. I was plagued by multiple symptoms and could barely get myself to go to work. One day, while lunching with a friend, I opened up about what I was going through and expressed the desire to create something that would bring together people experiencing similar struggles so they wouldn’t feel alone and isolated. This was the seed that became Saroya Natural.
There was a local skincare business that advertised regularly on the radio. Inspired by their pitch, on a whim, I decided to teach myself skincare formulation—I was, after all, a chemist. I needed something to get me out of my rut, and learning something new became a catalyst for healing. I was thrilled to make my first lotion, using a kitchen blender! In the glow of this initial success, I announced on Facebook that I was making skincare, without any business plan or strategy.
My initial products were “meh,” the packaging was terrible, and worse, I didn’t realize how crowded the skincare business was. But something about my journey lit me up, and I kept sharing my process, which attracted initial customers. People came to me when they had an issue that other products couldn’t fix or when they were looking for natural solutions. I ended up personalizing products for specific issues, which quickly became unsustainable from a business standpoint.
Then, in 2020, the answer to the personalization problem came in the form of Ayurveda. I realized that this ancient healing system provided a simple framework—except it worked from the inside out. During the pandemic, I immersed myself in reading and learning Ayurveda and systematized my approach to skincare by incorporating both topical products and optimizing lifestyle factors.
I learned that most people view skincare as applying products to magically get rid of a skin issue, but the truth is that by the time our skin shows a problem, our internal health has been out of balance for much longer. To truly see results, we need to take a preventive approach. I developed an outside-in approach, where fresh, clean, botanical skincare products—made in my lab in Campbell, California—are used in conjunction with optimizing nine key indicators of health, as taught by Ayurveda, to not only achieve glowing skin but overall wellness.
My mission is to help people decode the language of their skin to transform from within.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Every business takes time and resilience to grow, Saroya Natural is no different. Balancing a full-time, demanding job with nurturing the brand often left me questioning if I should continue. In February 2020, I met with the CEO of an upcoming, growing skincare company who offered to buy Saroya Natural—a moment that felt like a validation of the brand. Then, in March, the world changed with the pandemic disrupting every facet of normal life, and the opportunity vanished without a trace.
I had many dark moments when my morale was low, and I wrestled with the thought of giving up. Entrepreneurship is lonely and hard, and I would second guess myself often when sales were low. What kept me going was the unwavering support of my existing customers. Their loyalty and trust were a constant reminder that I couldn’t let them down. Their belief in my vision fueled my determination to push through the obstacles and continue building Saroya Natural into a brand that stands for personalized, transformative skincare. One key take away for me is that it is absolutely essential to enjoy the journey and not just obsess about revenue. Now the questions I ask to evaluate whether to keep going or quit are: is the money math working out, does the journey light me up, and am I solving peoples’ problems? As long as the answer is Yes to all three, I will keep going!
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
Saroya Natural is fully funded by me; I personally handle everything—from developing formulas, sourcing ingredients, manufacturing, bottling, labeling, to marketing. This hands-on approach has kept costs manageable while ensuring the utmost quality, though it does mean a significant investment of my time. I took charge of the creative side by designing my own logo, labels, and packaging. Leveraging platforms like Amazon, Canva, Stripe, and Avery allowed me to efficiently build the brand without hefty upfront costs on packaging, website design or premium labels. As a product marketing manager of high tech products in my day job, I knew that results matter most for sustained growth. Being a chemist, along with the financial cushion of my full-time job, significantly mitigated risk and allowed me to steadily grow Saroya Natural, one small step at a time.
My strategy was rooted in three core principles:
Rapid Product Development: I formulate and prototype products quickly, testing for stability, feel, and efficacy to ensure they meet high standards.
Market Validation: I launch and test the market promptly, using real customer feedback to drive improvements and validate the product’s success.
Keep things simple: I decided that quality would be the cornerstone of the brand and initially prioritized spend on ingredients over other aspects. I am now focusing my spend on marketing.
The most fulfilling and impactful factor in my growth has been my network of well-wishers, whose support allows me to thrive without relying on business consultants, product testers, and so much more.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.saroyanatural.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saroyanatural/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saroyanatural/
Image Credits
I would like to credit Dinesh Chandrasekhar Photography for the personal photo.