Vibha Harish, a 26-year-old woman from Bengaluru, was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)–a hormonal disorder quite common among Indian women. This was the moment that pushed her to relook at her lifestyle. She realised that she had some serious work to do and began to look for products that could give her the health that her body needed.
But her journey was not easy. Instead, she only found things that had a toxic influence on her self-esteem. So, in the time of her need, Vibha turned to Mother Nature. She started studying superfoods and nutrition to create mixes that catered to the body's various nutritional needs. Within few months of taking an ayurvedic approach to her lifestyle, she noticed a drastic change in her health and her PCOS was under control.
Recognising the importance of Ayurveda, she launched her brand called 'CosMix', which clocked a turnover of Rs 2 crores and the young entrepreneur made it to the Forbes Asia's 30 Under- 30 in just one year of opening her venture.
Vibha switched to Ayurveda with the encouragement of her mother also. Her mother is trained in homoeopathy and closely monitors the products made in CosMix.
"When I encountered PCOS, I made several attempts to get out of it. Part of this is doing a serious search on the internet for information. What should most people eat at that time? I read different opinions on what exercises should be done. It wasn't easy to know which of them was correct and which one worked for me. After various attempts, I used Ayurvedic medicines as per the advice of my mother," she told a regional news portal.
"It was during this time that I started 'CosMix' after learning deeply about Ayurvedic herbs and gaining an understanding of Ayurveda. There was a good response as it was a completely natural product. CosMix reached this level within a year," she added.
What Does CosMix Do?
Vibha's company manufactures and sells eight types of herbal products related to the digestive system, liver, skin, insomnia and hair care. The supplements can be mixed with water, milk, juice or can be consumed with food.
"A carefully put together line of plant-based mixes that not only nourish you in the areas of your life that need nourishment but also encourage you to approach health holistically. Along the way, you'll also be nudged to look beyond toxic beauty standards and stereotypes, be kinder to yourself, and embrace the magic that lies in being healthy and happy inside out," the company's website states.
"In this house, everyone gets the nourishment they need from within. With these plant-based mixes comes a community of people dedicated to working on themselves without being overwhelmed. There is no overnight fix for a problem that's been a lifetime in the making. But, with consistent, mindful changes, great health is anything but a fantasy," it says.
While Vibha is an engineer, she has a dedicated Research and Development team, which is constantly working on new mixes and improving the old ones, overseen by her mother. Of late, she started studying herbalism herself. She says that her specialisation in manufacturing and supply chain management helps her manage her business better, PTI reported.
In its citation, Forbes had also written, "The Bangalore-based startup makes nutritional powder supplements from fruits, herbs and roots, which it says can help boost immunity and improve sleep."
Nutrition For All
The company also spends a portion of its profits on providing good food to malnourished children in rural areas. It's Nourishment for ALL program aims to fight malnourishment among kids. The team started in a village called Kolala, distributing Spirulina energy bars to children, to move them from 'highly and mildly malnourished' to 'nourished'. This work has been undertaken in association with anganwadi workers in the area. These energy bars are specially created to provide the kids with 10-40 mg superfoods per day, in accordance with a study conducted by CFTRI.
Ten months ago, there were 600 children under the company's care. Today, it has distributed more than 1,80,000 spirulina bars to children, and they will continue receiving this until they are no longer in the danger zone.
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