I wished for blonde hair. For blue eyes. My name to be Tiffany. For pop tarts at breakfast. 

Instead, I had long black hair that felt uncontrollable, turmeric-stained fingers from Sunday skin rituals and a kitchen that smelled of cumin, curry leaves and mustard seeds. 

I was raised in a South Indian household rooted in tradition, in a family where Ayurveda wasn’t something trendy—it was just life. But for a long time, I didn’t recognize that as beautiful. I only saw difference. And when you're young and trying to blend in, difference feels like something to hide. 

But the funny thing about growing up is that one day you wake up and realize the very things that made you feel out of place are the things that root you. They’re the reasons you create, and fight, and heal. 

As we celebrate AAPI Heritage Month, I find myself reflecting not just on my own journey as an Indian American woman in the beauty and wellness space—but on what it means to reclaim pride in heritage, especially when that pride wasn’t modeled for you as a child. 

Why Representation in Beauty Still Matters 

Growing up, I didn’t see anyone in magazines or on screen who looked like me. Certainly not in beauty campaigns. What was considered aspirational always felt just out of reach—fair skin, delicate features, Eurocentric everything. And when you don’t see yourself reflected in the world around you, you start to believe that you’re not enough. 

It’s one of the reasons I created taïla—to tell a different kind of story about beauty. One that’s rooted in Ayurveda, in ancestral wisdom and in the quiet confidence that comes from feeling like you belong to something bigger. Our formulations aren’t just inspired by my heritage—they are my heritage. Crafted in-house using whole-plant Ayurvedic botanicals and time-honored rituals passed down from my family in Kerala, they represent the beauty I never saw growing up—but am so proud to stand behind today. 

Celebrating the Power of AAPI Women in Wellness 

It’s not lost on me that we’re living in a time when Asian and Pacific Islander women are finally stepping into the spotlight—not as trends, but as leaders, creators and changemakers. 

We are not a monolith. Our traditions are nuanced, sacred and centuries deep. And our contributions to beauty and healing are not “new” discoveries—they’ve been around for thousands of years. What’s new is that the world is finally paying attention. 

From herbalists and healers to modern entrepreneurs reimagining wellness through an Eastern lens, I’m continually inspired by women of AAPI heritage who are reclaiming our narratives in the beauty and wellness industry. And it’s not just my story that matters—it’s the collective one. AAPI women have long brought nuance, elegance and generational knowledge to beauty and wellness spaces. From the Korean American acupuncturist teaching women to read their skin like a map, to the Filipino herbalist reviving folk medicine one salve at a time—there’s power in reclaiming our narratives. Quietly. Confidently. Intentionally. 

A Personal Ritual of Reclamation 

Every time I open a jar of our NAYANA revitalizing eye balm or blend the earthy aroma of THE SCENT OF SHANTI onto my pulse points, I’m reminded that beauty is a ritual—and ritual is a form of remembering. It’s a way of honoring the generations before me who practiced Ayurveda as a way of life, not as a luxury. 

So this month, I’m not just celebrating heritage. I’m celebrating visibility. 
I’m celebrating the 10-year-old girl who didn’t feel beautiful and the woman who now builds a brand rooted in the very things she once wanted to erase.  

Because when we see ourselves reflected in the products we create and the stories we tell, beauty becomes more than skin deep. It becomes an act of remembrance. 

To every woman who has ever felt like she had to shrink herself to fit in: you are not too much. You were never too much. And your story deserves to be seen. 

                                                                                                   Love + Light,