Anju Rupal started her beauty brand, Abhati Suisse, with a dream for it to be both deeply influenced by her Indian heritage as well as ethically and environmentally minded. Here she shares the beginnings of the brand and why she’ll never take shortcuts.

My breakthrough career moment was …
There was actually no breakthrough moment, but a gradual transition from being a social worker to an entrepreneur and then years later applying my acquired skills in social work and business to make a difference in this world: “using business as a force for good”.

The top five most useful products in the salon are …
I’m lucky to work alongside top experts from the beauty industry who have developed great products themselves, which are often gifted to me. Also, Abhati Suisse does cover my favourites, but I do enjoy these:
Abhati Suisse Chambal Sacred Hair oil.
Mahanadi Lip treatment – multi tasker.
Escentric Molecules new perfume by Geza Schoen, Escentric Molecule 04 – a beautiful, curated scent.
Three Roses Body oil from Farfalla.
Goloy 33 Peeling Perfect Vitalize – for gentle, pore-deep cleansing.
Kjaer Weiss cream blush. Ticks off all my needs, aesthetics and quality.
Just discovered this and in love with Mecca Cosmetica [To Save Face] Superscreen SPF 50 from their sun series.
Susanne Kaufmann Enzyme peel.

The products most worth the investment are …
Products packed with wild crafted botanics that have super-charged actives to boost your skincare. We call them at Abhati [Suisse] “botanical fixers” because they protect and heal. Also, brands that are ethically sound - our products are biodegradable and safe for the environment but they also look after the people in the whole value chain. This costs more but it's good karma because we at Abhati [Suisse] pay our farmers that grow our plants 10 times more ... A great face oil/serum that repairs and hydrates your skin. A shampoo that is biodegradable and does not strip, but strengthens, your hair. Lips are big for me and I never exfoliate here as it’s such delicate skin, but I do use lip treatments with a gentle salicylic fruit acid.

My biggest beauty trick/ tip is …
A head massage to keep the blood flow and circulation and help hair growth and regularly oiling your hair (I do this weekly), and drink water [and] lots of it, and face yoga, I do this every day. I also exfoliate so ingredients can better penetrate the face/body.

My favourite career memory/ highlight is …
I’ve had many highlights. Spending three days with [the] Dalai Lama’s translator in the Himalayas where I work. Recently having our products delivered to Bollywood Actress Aishwarya Rai at Cannes Film Festival requested by her stylist.

My advice to people getting started in the industry is …
Never take short cuts. Deliver only the best exquisite product, and work with the best. Focus on ingredients, performance and packaging. Takes much, much longer, and is by far more expensive, but well worth the results.