Omved – Pure Natural Living {Brand Focus}

Omved has always been the most special brand for me. My journey towards green living  started with Omved because this was the first brand that introduced me to the concept of living well. Using products that are chemical free is something that I have begun to follow and yes, I also advocate it. Why? Because this is something I strongly believe in and if we don’t choose to keep the planet a better place, we’ll end up ruining the environment.

I have talked extensively about Omved on my blog.  Massage oils, hair care, skin care, aromatherapy, you name it and Omved has an answer for you to live a wonderful and a holistic life. It was but natural for me to get Omved to be a part of Brand Focus series. Here I am, in conversation with Priti Mehta, who is the founder of this brand.

Brand Focus – Omved – Pure Natural Living

PM: What was the idea behind Omved?

Omved: The dream was to create a space to promote pure natural living. The idea was to establish a ‘business’ that would translate ancient Vedic sciences into products and services to aid a healthy balanced lifestyle. ‘Om’ means absolute and ‘Ved’ is consciousness; to live with knowledge and compassion. Omved is an extension of my own personal belief; to live and let live in complete awareness.

My journey into motherhood inspired in me a new-found awareness for natural, non-toxic and safe products. It steered to living a holistic lifestyle that would boost health, well-being and joy. It was this pursuit that led me to the Vedic traditions of India, its depth and breadth of knowledge, time tested remedies, living masters and inexhaustible herbal pharmacopeia.

And Omved was born! Omved’s range of ‘living aids’ are natural, cruelty-free, fair trade and eco-friendly. They aim to help you regain lost balance, a prerequisite to good health.

Do you think more people are steering towards a holistic living? How does Omved fit in the lifestyle of such people?

Omved:Yes certainly, people today, are more aware of what they are using and consuming. They are consciously opting for safer, non-toxic and natural lifestyles. With the rise in cancers, hypertension, diabetes and other lifestyle related ailments, there is a mindful movement towards ancient living sciences and herbal solutions. People are going back to their roots.

Omved is a perfect fit for people in this transition. Our wide variety of products from personal care, aromatherapy,yogic tools to herbal bath ware and linen are –
Pure – unadulterated, authentic
Natural – from organic produce, non-toxic and safe
Living – not heated, radiated etc.

We guarantee the products you use will be not just safe for you but also safe for the earth!

Why is green living becoming so popular today?

Omved: Although ‘green living’ seems like a trend from our modern times, it is actually the natural way of living in the days of the past. It was the only way people knew. Green living is all about living our personal lives in harmony with nature; without causing damage to ourselves or the Earth.

Today with our hectic schedules and fast-paced lifestyles, with the dependence and obsession with ‘screens’ and gadgets, with all that we eat and use being adulterated, synthetic and commercial and with our sheer distance from nature, people are feeling the ill-effects on their health. They have begun actively to search for alternatives that are natural and green. There is a rising desire to live a better life. The successful results of using herbal remedies and green solutions further motivate us and boost their popularity. As more and more seek these products and services, the cheaper, and more available and accessible they become.

How transparent are you with your ingredient list?

Omved: EXTREMELY. Omved is the first and only company to pledge with ‘Safe Cosmetics’ a part of the EWG (Environmental Working Group),  an organization that specializes in research and advocacy in the areas of toxic chemicals, agricultural subsidies, public lands, and corporate accountability. This is a pledge to avoid banned chemicals, avoid harmful ingredients and fully disclose product ingredients.

Some countries like India do not require all ingredients to be listed. We list EVERYTHING on our labels, versus the all-pervading, legally allowed, ‘Q.S.’ which you see on product labels in India – which is a blanket term for all the ingredients companies choose not to explain! Chances are that our Omved labels look long and exhausting because of this. 

Do you work with small scale industries for your products ensuring that you are giving back to the society?

Omved: At Omved, we commit to the highest standards of free trade and working conditions in the sourcing of our products. The goods we retail are all naturally made, just as they have been for generations, by local artisans and small scale setups. The goal behind fair trade is sustainability: improving the quality of life in disadvantaged communities while preserving the planet’s resources.

We purchase directly, individually selecting every supplier to ensure that these products not only satisfy your material needs but are also infused with a subtle energy which uplifts and radiates positivity.

From our inception, our primary philosophy has been to maintain the highest ethics in all aspects of business, in accordance with the true meaning of living with consciousness.

Omved and all our suppliers have signed the ‘Conscious Supplier Compact’. Beyond fair-trade, this also includes pledging to not support Child Labour or bonded labour of any sort. It upholds non-discrimination, gender equity and freedom of association among other values.

What green initiatives does Omved take to promote green living?

Omved: Omved’s founding philosophy – ‘live and let live in complete consciousness’, is the guiding principle behind all our initiatives to be the change in the communities in which we operate. We believe in promoting wellness, empowering the people who create our products, protecting the other living creatures of the earth while always respecting our planet.

All our products and services have been created and packaged with deep concern for the society and the environment. We have a green company policy in stores, warehouses and in our managing offices that emphasis recycling, saving energy and going paperless, among other strict environmental-friendly practices. 

Some of our ‘green’ active programs that help us walk towards the path of conscious living are: 

Recycle & Reward – From earth to earth; we consciously aim for a Karmic cycle for all that we make. We reduce, reuse, recycle and reward. In the short time since we began this program, we have collected hundreds of empty product containers from our shoppers for recycling in exchange for free products and promotions.
Plant a Tree – Offering products as natural as ours, we would be doing no justice to our mission if we didn’t value and protect the source of all our ingredients. We work actively with our ‘green partner’; Grow-Trees by planting a tree for every air or ship couriered transaction we make. We also plant trees during the year for no reason at all!
B.Y.O.B (bring your own bag) – For each time you shop at Omved and bring your own bag we plant a tree.

I am sure there is never a dull moment at Omved. As Priti says, “It is a cycle of continuous development of adding more products that are popular and enhancing the ones that are not 100% effective and replacing the ones that have better alternative ingredients available in the industry.”

There are changes that are happening by leaps and bounds in the natural space. More people are understanding the beauty of green living and making a conscious decision to move towards a better living. Are you one of them?

You can read all the earlier Brand Focus posts here. 

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*All of my reviews are based on my own personal experiences with the brand/products. If it is a sponsored post, it is indicated. Most of the brands and products reviewed are what I have tried and tested and truly recommend! All Photographs are (C) Pratibha unless stated otherwise.*