Meet Taza, the New Ayurvedic Beauty Brand Focusing on Skin Care and Gut Health

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Photographed by Irving Penn, Vogue, December 1969

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Ayurveda may be a 5,000-year-old ancient science in the East, but it’s only now beginning to permeate the mainstream stateside. Born in India, the holistic healing medicine system is a welcome respite for those looking to find solutions outside of, or in tandem with, Western medicine. In turn, the uptick of Ayurvedic offerings on the wellness market is exciting for those who subscribe to the system’s guiding principles. But how to choose among the inundation of offerings, from Ayurvedic skin care to herbal teas, separating the real stuff from the gimmicky? For Divya Viswanathan and Amy Engel, the cofounders of new Ayurvedic beauty brand Taza, the answer, as they embarked on creating their line, was simple: Go straight to the source.

Prior to launching Taza Ayurveda, Viswanathan and Engel—who first met as students at Columbia Business School—had each looked to Ayurveda when Western science failed to address their personal health and wellness concerns. For Viswanathan, it was something of a homecoming: She grew up in India with Ayurveda all her life, but had lost touch with its approach to medicine after living abroad for many years. When she began experiencing bouts of sleeplessness and skin breakouts in her 30s, she returned to Ayurveda and found it was exactly what she needed to reset her body and mind. Moved by the impact Ayurveda’s natural solutions and simple rituals had on her life, she introduced them to Engel, who was suffering from the chronic gastrointestinal condition IBS. Once Engel began to see the immediate benefits, she traveled to India where she received traditional Ayurvedic treatments and “left convinced that Ayurveda needed to be shared with others,” she says.

When the pair set out to create Taza, they were committed to offering an authentic Ayurveda experience, which to Viswanathan and Engel meant meeting with the pioneering experts in the field. With the goal of protecting the standards of formulations that have been used, tested, and documented in Ayurvedic medical texts for thousands of years, they collaborated with two leading Ayurvedic medical institutions that have been regulated by the Indian Ministry for Ayurveda (AYUSH). As a result, Viswanathan explains, “You will see that all of our products bear the classic Ayurvedic formula name and are stamped with an official license number to certify authenticity.” Another priority was making products that are tridoshic, i.e., complementary to the three doshas that constitute the human body in Ayurveda: vata (wind), pitta (fire), and kapha (earth). According to the science, every individual is born with one predominant dosha due to their psychological and physiological characteristics. Once Ayurvedic practitioners identify your dominant dosha, they can prescribe you a special diet, herbal treatments, and different self-care practices to aid your balance in accordance with the season.

Viswanathan and Engel launched Taza with three products, zeroing in on the skin and gut as two crucial pathways to nourishing and healing the body. “Skin is more than just a barrier, it’s an entryway to the whole body,” Viswanathan explains. “Thousands of years before Western medicine, Ayurveda recognized that what you put on your skin is absorbed into your bloodstream and is transmitted throughout your body. Western skin care is now beginning to focus on avoiding harsh chemicals on the skin, [but] Ayurveda goes a step beyond and aims to nourish the whole body through the skin.” The first of Taza’s duo of skin-care offerings is the Nourish Kumkumadi Nighttime Facial Oil, which is infused with 19 rare ingredients—including anti-inflammatory Himalayan saffron and restorative manjistha—that work together to hydrate and heal the skin, smoothing texture, evening out skin tone, and reducing the appearance of fine lines. The other is the Nourish Eladi Body Oil, which is a rich, multifunctional blend of exfoliating pearl powder, soothing Himalayan cedar, and healing Indian frankincense that can be slathered on for the Ayurvedic ritual of a full-body abhyanga, or self-massage. “This ritual helps to reduce inflammation, promote lymphatic drainage, and hydrate the skin,” Engel says. “Beyond this, the ritual will leave you feeling centered and grounded. The best five minutes of your day!”

Digestion also plays a pivotal role in Ayurveda, not just to feed the body, but also in eliminating toxins. That’s where the Nourish Gandharvahastadi Digestive Supplement comes into play. Blending eight super herbs, including digestion-aiding ginger and gut-supporting chebulic myrobalan, it is designed to promote the release of enzymes to optimize digestion, support nutrient absorption, and purify the body over time. “Ayurveda says that we are basically a heap of food—our bodies are literally built and maintained by what we consume,” Engel says. “When we eat food, our bodies break it down, absorbing the beneficial nutrients we need to sustain ourselves and eliminating the excess and toxins that do not serve us. When functioning optimally, our body performs this process efficiently.” Together, the face oil, body oil, and digestive supplement—which are offered as part of the Nourish Regimen Trio Kit—work together to combat the stresses of daily life and deliver holistic health and beauty.

Taking the holistic experience a step further, each product’s sleek gold and jewel-tone packaging includes an Ayurvedic meditation bracelet and mantra book that work synergistically to keep the mind, body, and soul in harmony. As Engel points out, “Thousands of years before self-care was a buzzword, it was Ayurveda that promoted the concept of dinacharya—daily ritual.”

Photo: Courtesy of Taza Ayurveda

Taza Nourish Regimen Trio Kit, $250, tazaayurveda.com.