Last week, we published a blog post explaining the vital role that Ayurveda plays at UMA. For us, Ayurveda is not just a set of practices or ingredients, but a philosophy that structures how we approach our products: we believe that the skin, body, and mind are deeply connected, and we strive to craft formulas that make us feel as good as we look. We aim to deliver not just topical and temporary results, but results that really last because they improve our overall health and tackle the root causes of our ailments.
Our holistic approach to beauty sets us apart from many modern beauty products, which focus on relieving the symptoms of our problems rather than their root causes. But you may still find yourself asking: Why choose UMA? Is there something even more powerful that makes us stand out, something that extends even beyond ideas of health and beauty?
For us, the answer is yes: at the core of our Ayurvedic philosophy is the concept of self-love. We’ve written earlier about the power of Ayurveda to teach radical self-love—when we make an active and holistic effort to improve our internal radiance (or ojas), feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt melt away, and a new self emerges, one whose love extends both inward and outward. For when we love ourselves, we also transform our relationships with those around us, approaching others with the kind of empathy and care that they give back in return. During this age of intense division, separation, and loss, it’s easy to feel powerless and disconnected from those around us. By embracing a philosophy of self-love, we can form connections and develop compassion in ways that can radically transform not only our inner selves, but also the way we impact and benefit our communities. Self-love is key to contributing to a better world.
THE VITAL ROLE OF SELF-LOVE AT UMA
At UMA, self-love permeates everything that we do. Firstly, we carefully craft our products with natural soothing and healing botanicals that heal and uplift body, skin, and spirit. Our Beauty and Wellness collections are designed to complement each other, encouraging daily self-care practices that instill a deep sense of grounding and acceptance. For example, you might treat yourself to a rejuvenating and relaxing self-massage with our Pure Love Body Scrub while taking in the luscious, sensuous aroma of our Pure Love Wellness Candle for an extremely centering self-care experience—one that revitalizes the skin and body while encouraging potent feelings of peace and contentment. We believe that self-care is self-love; when you care for your body and spirits, you learn to love yourself deeply in the process.
Secondly, this idea of self-love as intertwined with loving others also inspires us to give back to our local communities and to the earth. In striving to extend love to the Central Indian community where our farms and distilleries are located, over half of our employees are women, whom we pay an equal wage and provide with education programs, childcare, and generous pension plans. We believe that financial independence is crucial for women’s holistic wellbeing, that one can only practice self-love if one has the means to feel safe and comfortable, and we strive to empower our employees to achieve those conditions. We also reinvest, on average, one-third of our annual profits to our community. Furthermore, we are committed to building a more sustainable earth. Our farming and distilling processes are designed with the value of sustainability at their core. We don’t use any synthetic pesticides or additives, and we convert our waste into products, like incense, or alternative fuel for our distilleries whenever possible.
Finally, we prioritize promoting values of self-love for our customers, who inspire us in everything that we do. Whether it’s by lovingly crafting formulas with an eye toward mind-body balance or listening and responding to your comments and reviews, we want to extend our love to you and to empower you with the tools to cultivate an effective, lasting self-love. That’s exactly why we created our Pure Love line with sensuous, indulgent products that promote a holistic selfcare practice that transforms you with love, harmony, and pleasure. We invite you to fall back in love with yourself and with others — we promise to do the same.