I'm Popeye the Sailor Man,
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man,
I'm strong to the finich,
Cause I eats me spinach,
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.
I don't think there's anyone out there who hasn't heard or read about Popeye the Sailor Man. A lovable sailor with a pipe in his mouth and Olive Oyl on his arm, a can of spinach is all he needs to become super strong to duke it out with just about anyone who does anything wrong. Parents back in the day would use this to their advantage to get kids to eat their leafy greens. Now, Vibha Harish is no fairy godmother who promises to transform your life in a matter of minutes, however, this 26-year-old from Bengaluru promises to make your life healthier with her brand of superfoods, Cosmix.
Cosmix, Vibha says, was born a year ago, out of her own need. "I had PCOS a few years ago. So instead of depending on steroids or a surgery, my mother, who is a homeopathy doctor, suggested that we deal with it holistically," she says. Currently, Cosmix sells a variety of herbal mixes that can be consumed orally for different body needs. For instance, there are mixes for better sleep, better digestion, better skin and healthy hair. Vibha says that she currently consumes the 'Happy Gut' and 'Healthy Hair' mixes. A teaspoon of these powders can be mixed with milk, water, juice — pretty much anything edible. However, Vibha cautions not to mix it with coffee or anything hot!
While Vibha is an engineer, she has a dedicated Research and Development team constantly working on new mixes and improving the old ones, overseen by her mother. Of late, she has started studying herbalism herself. She says that specialisation in manufacturing and supply chain management helps her manage her business better. "It's important that I know where my products come from. We work with farm partners from different states in India. I go myself to these farms and show people how it is all done," she says. "The ingredients are herbs and berries, sourced from India and abroad," she adds.
Using the herbs and the mixes, Vibha says these have holistically improved her life and health. "So, I wanted to spread the word," she says. Vibha is now planning to dabble in healthcare and skincare products as well. "It is all focused on health. For instance, these products will nourish your hair, rather than make it silky overnight. Similarly, it makes your skin healthy," she says. These mixes are also available for the students in 16 anganwadis across Karnataka. As part of a project, their unit makes nutritious peanut bars and they distribute it to children.
When we were about to wrap up our conversation, Vibha again stressed on the fact that her products contain no magic. While she had a tough time making people understand that nothing happens overnight, she says that her customers have now taken the responsibility upon themselves, "We have grown up watching product ads that make promises of clear skin or zero hair fall in a week. But that is just bad marketing. I tell people that there is no such magic product around," she says.
Reach Out: Cosmix.in
