Growing up, I was exposed to the wonders of Mother Nature, the untouched wilderness evoking romanticism smeared in tranquillity. These experiences got an encouragement after I got married to a family which was into agriculture, medicinal and aromatic plantations, growing exotic herbs and mango orchards. One of the most remarkable things about the life of the royals is that they have always remained in touch with nature.
I still remember this tradition in our house in Nehtaur, UP, where women, when they are expecting their first child, go to their ancestral house to spend time amidst nature. This has been a ritual in our family, so that the expecting mothers are taken adequate care with traditional beauty practices, helping them to balance their physical and emotional wellbeing.
During this time, I was introduced to something very pure and magical. I was given buttermilk baths, refreshing massage therapies with infused oils made with fresh blooms and herbs from our family plantation. Sometimes, rose petals, essential oils were sprinkled in the bath which was very soothing and refreshing. It works on the complexion, enhances appearance, tightens pores, and hydrates the skin.
Besides the beauty rituals, we enjoyed long walks in the mango orchards enthralled in the aroma of juicy and raw mangos, fresh produce from the farms, and milk from our own dairy. These experiences were so invigorating that I started reading about them and learnt the endless possibilities of natural healing.
I remember, having some detoxifying sessions in jute woven bed and soaking up the warmth of burning coal laid below the bed. From munching some homegrown beetle leaves after a meal for digestion to using henna leaves for cooling, I cannot be more grateful that these experiences happened to me.
I was a software professional, but the regular visits to our family-owned aromatic plantations and mango orchards stoked my interest in aromatherapy which led me to pursue the discipline in-depth and become a qualified aromatherapy practitioner and perfumer from London. Wikka’s journey has been one of zero compromises in the formulation of products that are guaranteed to work miracles on the mind, body and soul. Most of the products of my wellness brand are inspired by the traditional beauty rituals I experienced in Nehtaur. We use a lot of farm honey for moisturisation, blends of honey and oil for the face pack, natural fragrances to evoke mysticism and give you that natural and dewy look.
Talking about the use of natural fragrances, I would like to highlight that I am a firm believer that our perfume is the biggest advocate of our own self. It expresses one’s personality and vibe carrying the trait of bringing back cherished memories. People should always wear perfume that adorns their personality traits. Well, the practice of wearing a signature scent is prevalent since ages. Every tradition in history has placed these signature scents at a very high pedestal. My great-grandfather-in-law Prince Dalip Singh of Nehtaur, who was also a Bar-at-Law in London for over 25 years, used to designate his presence at every gathering with his signature smell. It was a blend of wild musk with roses which complimented his personality, a powerful yet caring individual. He used to narrate his memories related to the fragrance of his signature attar and how it helped him stand out in the crowd of royalties, where each person had a unique fragrance of their personality. Hearing these age-old tales and the anecdotes from history inspired me to dig deeper into this subject and I landed up in England to study perfumery. I was already very passionate about perfumes since 2002 and fortunately took up a professional education for a better understanding of all its aspects. For me, technical knowledge is very important in any line of practice. There, I lived in the outskirts of the country and practised under a master perfumer.
For me, Wikka has been a healing journey, a product of ancient knowledge and treasures of the royal household—brewing beauty concoctions with the wisdom of family traditions and advanced with the modern virtues of aromatherapy. We grow the herbs, get them distilled and the purest of oils we incorporate in the Wikka products. Every product has been well-thought-out.
As an aromatherapy practitioner and perfumer for over 15 years now, my vision was always to create a world of purer times. A brand which people can rely on and products that are completely natural and free from adulteration.
The writer is the founder of Wikka Perfumery. She is married into the zamindari of Nehtaur based in Uttar Pradesh.