Rootra Chronicles

Stories from our roots, crafting skincare with purity and ancestral wisdom.

The Manifesto

Your 10-step routine is literally ruining your skin

Have you ever looked at old family photographs of your grandmother, or perhaps great-grandmother in her youth and been struck by something? We did. It wasn’t just the vintage style or the black-and-white charm. It was their skin.

When my co-founder Ansh and I first observed this, it sparked a simple, yet profound question that wouldn't leave us alone: Why did people in early years seem to have better skin than us, even though they didn't have access to the thousands of skincare products we have today?

They didn't have multi-step routines. They didn't have "active ingredients" engineered in labs. And critically, they did not have the arsenal of synthetic chemicals that are packed into modern skincare.

We realized we are at a turning point in beauty. The modern desire for "instant results" has led to a market saturated with parabens, sulfates and stabilizers. We are cleaning our faces, yes, but we are also stripping away our skin’s natural barrier and absorbing ingredients our bodies don't know how to process.

Which has been the major reason of starting Rootra. Our ancestors have utilised centuries of observed wisdom about the plants growing around them.

They understood that the earth provides a cure for almost everything. They knew which leaf calmed an inflammation, which oil provided deep hydration, and which root could brighten a dull complexion.

They relied on purity.

They used ingredients in their whole form, respecting their potency and their natural synergy. A plant is more than just one "active compound"; it is a balance of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fatty acids that work together.

The Rootra Philosophy: Fixing the Root Cause.

At Rootra, we are not trying to reinvent skincare. We are trying to remember it.

Our philosophy is built on:

Treating the Root, Not the Symptom

Many modern products act like a cosmetic bandage hiding a problem temporarily while potentially making the underlying issue worse with harsh chemicals. Rootra aims to treat your skin according to what it needs to be healthy. When you nourish the root, the bloom is naturally beautiful.

Join Us on the Journey Back to Purity

We are at the beginning of the Rootra journey, and we want you to be part of it. We are not just selling products; we are advocating for a shift in perspective.

It’s time to stop overwhelming our skin and start listening to it. It’s time to trust that the simple, powerful wisdom of nature is enough.

Let’s get back to the ancestral glow. Let's get back to Rootra.

Stay tuned as we reveal our first collection, meticulously formulated with Ansh and me

Team Rootra <3

Founder Stories

Ansh Puri

Co-Founder & Soap Artisan

During my time working at a company, I felt stuck in a loop of doing the same repetitive tasks, with zero creativity sparking within me. After one year, I decided to leave before I started rotting away or honestly becoming stuck in one place.

Opening this business came from the desire to have something of my own and from a great opportunity to learn in diverse ways. Thankfully, Taher (my co-founder) and I wanted the same things and decided to start together. We brainstormed many ideas with a shared goal in mind: seeking something that would be beneficial in the long term rather than something ephemeral.

The idea of starting a soap company took root after seeing Taher’s sister make soap for fun and from the knowledge I gained from my father’s business. These days, soaps and many other products are heavily commercialized, often lacking personal touch and care. We wanted to make sure we were fulfilling the needs of consumers rather than simply selling a product.

Learning how to make soap, manage finances, handle crises, and everything else that comes with it has made me feel adventurous. It has given me the internal courage to show up for what I truly want to do in life.

My co-founder, Taher, has been a great companion on this journey. During difficult times, we focus on solving problems and finding solutions instead of blaming each other. Although that may seem like a common trait in business partnerships, I’m still incredibly grateful that we get along and work so well together.

Sometimes Taher gets stubborn about his ideas (and he has plenty of them), and I sometimes procrastinate, but somehow we always make things happen for ourselves.

“And about our clients they’ve all been incredibly kind and supportive. Over time, many of them have started feeling more like friends than customers.”

If I had to recommend one soap to our customers, it would be the Charcoal soap. It makes me feel refreshed, and it’s my personal favorite.

Creating and working on ‘Rootra’ has made me feel productive, sometimes exhausted (especially because of the manufacturing process), happy when receiving reviews, and satisfied whenever orders are sent on time — which we always make sure they are.

And yeah… alive. Like a faint, soft shimmer shining in my heart. Lucent, perhaps?

- Ansh Puri
Founder Stories

Taher M. Nasikwala

Co-Founder & Soap Artisan

Being stuck in an unproductive loop, made me feel guilty most of the time, even at hangouts. I have always been someone creative, buzzing with a swarm of ideas that needed a surface to land.

The idea of starting a business came up with the reason to escape from the guilt of not doing something valuable with my time. But when I actually pondered over why I want to start ‘Rootra’, it was definitely the drive to change how people fix things, from seeking the temporary solution to a permanent one, going to the roots rather than only cutting the unwanted stems as a short-term solution. Explaining this view with my infamous example, (that my cofounder often finds annoying being repeated at times) of how having proper diet and nutrition can be beneficial for a lasting period, then the 2 min soda dissolved in water.

Talking about my cofounder…starting this company with him, truly has been an ecstatic experience, of how my hangouts turned into something fun and productive. Moreover, he is really patient with listening to all my suggestions, propositions, ideas. And this privilege to create these amazing memories with my best friend.

Whenever I talk to a customer, my first rule is to listen and figure out exactly what they are looking for. It's always about solving a problem, not just making a sale. But once we sort that out, I have to admit my personal favorites are the coffee and cinnamon ones. The reason I lean toward them so much is that I’m a huge coffee addict, and I actually put cinnamon in my coffee every day. Having a soap that captures that exact vibe to use on your skin just feels like a genuinely cool concept to me.

Right from starting Rootra to being a part in nurturing it evokes a feeling of joy when we get orders and have money in account (obviously), tensed when there is multiple task, sad when we don’t get orders (cue the dramatic staring out the window, questioning my life choices and wondering if the world has suddenly developed a personal vendetta against soaps), collywobbles while sourcing my inner creative diva, and a sense of relief when problems are resolved (sigh).

About happiness, it can’t be described with one single thing, it comes in waves: putting efforts in something I love, spending time with Ansh, interactions with consumers (my favorite part as I am an extrovert, a spark to my soul), getting warm feedbacks (haven’t been any negative one yet, thankfully).

I hope to stay afloat in these waves and the ineffable experiences, locked in my memory bank along with my imaginative, trailblazing self.

- Taher M. Nasikwala