Beauty and wellness are as much a part of South Asian culture as food, music, and spirituality.
For centuries, the region has celebrated beauty through rituals rooted in Ayurveda, an ancient holistic science that emphasises balance and natural healing. From hair oiling to turmeric-infused scrubs, these practices have been lovingly passed down through generations to offer nourishment and self-care, long before they hit the mainstream.
Today, they are not only cherished in South Asian households but are also making their way into global wellness routines, resonating with people seeking natural remedies over conventional modern beauty options.
In many ways, the rise of Ayurvedic beauty rituals mirrors the global fascination with other traditional practices like the gua sha, a traditional Chinese tool that’s now a staple in modern skincare. Just as gua sha went from being an ancient wellness technique to a must-have on beauty vanities around the world, South Asian beauty traditions are experiencing a similar renaissance. They are no longer viewed as niche or strange, but as universal practices that promote holistic beauty from the inside out.
Ayurvedic beauty is deeply tied to ingredients sourced directly from nature. Turmeric, known for its anti-inflammatory and brightening properties, has long been used in South Asian bridal rituals to give skin a natural glow. Neem helps to detoxify and clarify, while amla, or Indian gooseberry, is famed for strengthening hair. Coconut and sesame oils are another great Indian household staple as they help nourish skin and hair.
Several modern South Asian beauty brands are now reimagining these traditional practices. Fable & Mane, founded with a love for childhood hair-oiling traditions, has become a cult brand thanks to its line of strengthening hair oils. Kama Ayurveda continues to champion authentic Ayurvedic recipes, from its bestselling Kumkumadi oil (great for brightening and rejuvenating) to its nourishing rosewater tonics and herbal hair treatments.
The world has admired the distinctive beauty of South Asian women for some time. Whether it’s Bollywood icons like Aishwarya Rai and Priyanka Chopra-Jonas or India’s multiple Miss World winners (the country has won the crown six times, tied only with Venezuela). Their radiant skin, thick hair, and expressive eyes, often enhanced with kohl, embody timeless allure. It’s no surprise that Western beauty culture has begun to adopt simple rituals, such as threading, dry brushing, and sugaring (removing body hair with hot sugar), to name a few.
Whether you’re interested in adopting new beauty rituals or simply looking for the perfect Diwali gift, we’ve rounded up some of the best South Asian beauty brands worth knowing right now.
Indē Wild
Prices: ££
Indē Wild fuses ancient Ayurvedic wisdom with modern skincare science to create high-performing products for hair and skin. Founder Diipa Büller-Khosla was guided by the expertise of her mother, who is a dermatologist and Ayurvedic doctor. She set out to design formulas that honour tradition while delivering real results.
The brand’s Champi hair oil has become a cult favourite for its rich, restorative blend that strengthens and nourishes hair, while the Moonlight Scalp Serum is praised for improving scalp health and supporting healthy growth.
If you’re looking to invest in quality products that will improve your skin and hair, Indē Wild is a brand to add to your bathroom cabinet.
Buy now, Sephora
Byredo
Prices: £££
Byredo, the globally acclaimed fragrance house founded by Swedish-born Ben Gorham of Indian and Canadian heritage, is known for blending minimalist elegance with daring, unconventional scents. Its signature bottles, sleek and simple with iconic black domed lids, are instantly recognisable.
While classics like Gypsy Water and Bal d’Afrique have won hearts worldwide, their vast portfolio of scents leaves much more to be discovered. My favourite? Mumbai Noise, which delivers a bold union of coffee, sandalwood and tonka.
D.S. & Durga
Prices: £££
D.S. & Durga might just be the coolest fragrance brand in the beauty hall. Its scents are as bold and kooky as their names. If you love Le Labo or Diptyque but want something less predictable, this should be your next purchase.
Cult hits like Debaser and Radio Bombay already have perfume lovers hooked, and its latest creation called Cognac Reign layers wood, smoke, tonka, and spice into something irresistibly rich. Behind it all are husband-and-wife duo David Seth Moltz and Kavi Ahuja Moltz, and their bottles are appearing everywhere, from chic Diwali parties to the vanity tables of serious scent collectors.
Buy now, Liberty
Fable & Mane
Prices: ££
Fable & Mane was founded by siblings who turned Ayurvedic hair rituals performed in childhood into a modern haircare line. When Co-Founder Nikki Mehta struggled with hair loss, she found that most oils on the market were heavy on synthetic scents and chemicals, but light on real results. So, she returned to her, ahem, roots, creating blends powered by natural ingredients like ashwagandha, amla, bhringraj, and even onion juice, all of which are the same botanicals that helped restore her own hair.
Today, Fable & Mane’s collection makes these rituals effortless. Its cult-favourite hair oil comes in mess-free droppers for quick at-home treatments, while their new conditioning mask is a multitasking game-changer. It works great as a deeply hydrating overnight mask, a protective product from seawater, or simply as a nourishing weekly ritual.
Buy now, Sephora
Kulfi Beauty
Prices: ££
Kulfi is one of the newest and most exciting beauty brands on the market, with a range that spans everything from silky lipsticks to blush and eyeshadow. Standout products include concealers in every shade, which can be shade-matched through an online quiz. The other is their kajal eyeliner, which is deeply pigmented and stays put all day.
Each product references South Asian culture, with fun and witty names such as Lassi Lips and Extra Elaichi (Kulfi itself relates to Indian ice cream). Those who frequent the United States might already have this brand on their radar, but here in the UK, it’s quickly rising to be a cult favourite.
Buy now, Space NK
Chāmpo
Prices: ££
Champo draws inspiration from the South Asian tradition of head massage (champi), offering hair oils, tools, and treatments that promote scalp health, boost circulation, and leave hair deeply nourished. The range makes it easy to build a holistic haircare routine, starting with pre-shampoo oils that penetrate the scalp to restore balance. The brand also offers shampoos and conditioners tailored to different hair types, along with an award-winning leave-in styling cream that smooths, shapes, and locks in moisture after every wash.
Buy now, Chāmpo
Forest Essentials
Prices: ££
India’s answer to The Body Shop meets The White Company, this homegrown brand first launched way back in 1988. Only in 2022 did it finally arrive in London with a colourful Covent Garden store. The shelves are stacked with creams, oils, and haircare, but cult picks include the Jasmine bath oil and glow-boosting advanced serum in stunning packaging inspired by Indian art.
The magic lies in the scents. Forget boring commercial fragrances; these products smell like India itself. Think romantic Indian rose, exotic saffron & oud, and nargis flower (a delicate daffodil native to the region). It’s beauty that feels soulful, rooted in tradition. This is the perfect brand to gift for friends and family for birthdays, Christmas and, of course, Diwali.
Buy now, Amazon
Kama Ayurveda
Prices: £££
Founded by Vivek Sahni in collaboration with an Ayurvedic guru in Kerala, the brand was born from a mission to revive skin and hair care rituals preserved in Vedic texts dating back 5,000 years.
Every formula is crafted without artificial fragrances or additives, staying true to nature’s integrity. Bestsellers include the Kumkumadi Revitalising Facial Oil, Bringadi Scalp & Hair Oil, and the Urjasara Watery Cream, all of which are products designed to nourish, restore, and awaken the skin and hair.
For those seeking to experience Ayurvedic traditions, Kama Ayurveda’s West London store offers a selection of treatments, inviting you to experience these rituals in a contemporary setting.
Buy now, Harrods
Kay Beauty
Prices: £
Kay Beauty is the wildly successful makeup line from Bollywood star Katrina Kaif. Having just landed in the UK with a glamorous launch event in London, the brand is already one of the fastest-selling brands in Space NK. Popular products include the Hydra Creme lipstick, which glides on the lips with silky smooth application, and the Hydrating foundation, which stays all day, and is great for dry skin.
Buy now, Kay Beauty
Mauli Rituals
Prices: £££
Mauli Rituals is run by Anita and Bittu Kaushal, who draw on their British-Indian heritage and personal journey to create a brand rooted in healing and ritual.
Inspired by generational Ayurvedic wisdom, passed down from Anita’s father-in-law, an award-winning Ayurvedic doctor, and her grandfather, a farmer of plant medicine, the brand harnesses the power of botanicals in sensorial products like face oils, body blends, and haircare.
Every formula is cruelty-free, free from harmful ingredients, and designed to deliver visible results. With each purchase, £5 is donated to children’s charities, making Mauli Rituals as meaningful as it is effective.
Buy now, Mauli Rituals
Ranavat
Prices: £££
This luxury skincare and haircare brand has launched at Space NK, bringing with it the power of traditional Indian botanicals such as saffron, ashwagandha, and bakuchi.
Hero products like the Brightening Saffron Serum Essence are designed to reduce dark spots and calm inflammation, and when they’re used alongside the face polish, you could see results as quickly as one day - how’s that for fast-acting?
If regular off-the-shelf products aren’t delivering the results you want, Ranavat is a brand worth exploring. Already a proven success in the United States, it’s now set to make its mark in the UK.
Buy now, Sephora
Chandrika Thomas London
Prices: £££
Founded by British-Asian designer Chandrika Thomas, this luxury fragrance house specialises in luxury body and home fragrances. Having started in the wedding dress couture business, Thomas pivoted into perfume-making after realising that she could turn precious experiences and memories into timeless fragrances.
Her hero scents, such as Marrakesh and Assam Tea & Cardamom, are unique and ultra-wearable. These scents are a guaranteed head turner, and they’ll have people stopping and sniffing in wonder whenever you wear it.
