In a world crowded with quick-fix skincare promises, LEAFOBERRYY stands out as a brand rooted in honesty, emotion, and Indian tradition. Founded by Ms. Gazall B Kothari, LEAFOBERRYY was born not in a boardroom, but during one of the most transformative phases of her life pregnancy. What began as a deeply personal realization about mindful self-care evolved into a purpose-driven skincare journey.
Drawing inspiration from her mother’s traditional recipes and strengthening it with scientific formulation training, Gazall transformed kitchen wisdom into modern, effective skincare solutions designed especially for Indian skin. Her belief in “authentic beauty” loving one’s true self beyond filters and perfection forms the soul of the brand.
In this conversation, Ms. Gazall B Kothari shares the emotional moments that sparked LEAFOBERRYY, the market gaps she identified, her philosophy on pricing and transparency, and her long-term vision of creating trustworthy, results-driven skincare. This interview offers an honest look into how emotion, tradition, and science come together to build a brand that prioritizes real transformation over temporary glow.
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How did the idea of LEAFOBERRYY strike you especially during your pregnancy phase?
My pregnancy was an emotional and awakening phase. One day, my daughter gave me a tiny, cute kick almost as if she was telling me, “Mama, be careful about what you’re applying on your skin.”
That moment changed everything. My skin had become extremely sensitive, and it made me rethink the products I was using.
Inspired by my mom’s traditional recipes, I started experimenting with simple kitchen ingredients. Slowly, I took up skincare formulation courses and began creating products at home. Initially, I sold them in exhibitions under a small homegrown brand named after my daughter.
When I saw these products genuinely working on Indian skin, I felt there was a real potential. I wanted to bring Indian traditional skincare wisdom into modern, convenient bottles. That’s how the journey started and eventually, the brand evolved into LEAFOBERRYY, with a nature-inspired identity.
When you were launching your skincare brand, what was the first market gap you identified?
The biggest gap was honest, effective skincare. There were plenty of products in the market but most were filled with chemicals, promising quick results without long-term skin health. I felt Indian traditional wisdom is so powerful; why not bring it into modern, stable formulations? I wanted clean, effective, science-backed skincare that still carries the warmth of Indian tradition. People don’t want temporary glow, they want real transformation.
How do you decide your product pricing premium yet approachable?
For me, pricing is all about balance. I use very high-quality ingredients and advanced formulations, so the product truly delivers results. But at the same time, I believe skincare shouldn’t feel intimidating or financially stressful.
Luxury can be pocket-friendly. Self-care should feel personal, emotional, and accessible not exclusive.
According to you, what is the real meaning of “authentic beauty”?
Authentic beauty isn’t about looking perfect, it’s about loving who you truly are, with the flaws, emotions and everything.
Our tagline from day one was “Love Your True Self.”
Beauty lies in your emotions, your story, your truth. When you embrace yourself fully, that natural glow appears. It’s something the filters and makeup can never replace. Authenticity is the real glow.
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Which consumer behaviour trends influenced LEAFOBERRYY’s growth?
Four major trends shaped our direction:
Ingredient Awareness: Consumers now read labels. They want transparency and clarity.
Emotional Skincare: People want products that make them feel connected and something they can trust. This inspired our founder-led emotional narrative.
Minimal Skincare: Instead of flooding shelves with too many products, people want multi-benefit, result-driven formulations.
Return to Traditional Wisdom: There’s a huge shift towards nature-inspired skincare with modern stability — this perfectly matches our philosophy.
Is there any personal or emotional story behind one of your products?
Yes, and it’s very close to my heart. During my early days, I tested my first formulation on friends and family. I wanted to see real results, especially for issues like pigmentation, dullness, or uneven tone.
One of my pigmentation serums actually gave results similar to expensive treatments that many people had tried earlier. When users told me, “Your product helped me more than clinical treatments,” I felt deeply emotional. Those real results gave me confidence and that’s why the pigmentation serum became one of my most meaningful products.
What is the biggest gap you currently see in the Indian skincare market?
Honesty and clarity. Many products claim a certain percentage of ingredients, but the actual concentration is far lower. The claims and the real formulation rarely match. Indian brands need to speak the truth. Consumers deserve transparency, fair pricing, and real results not confusion.
Trust is difficult to build in the skincare industry. How did you crack it?
For me, trust only comes from results not marketing. I focused on honest formulations, real communication, transparency, and visible transformation. When people use the product and see actual changes in their skin, trust builds automatically.
LEAFOBERRYY is built on honest work and genuine impact.
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Your brand won the Bharat Business Award. What does this milestone mean to you?
Awards are beautiful gestures, but I don’t consider them my real milestones. My milestone is when a customer says, “Your product helped me.” That feeling is unmatched. Real recognition comes from real users not trophies.
How do you ensure the safety and effectiveness of each product before launch?
Once a formulation is ready, we send samples to a lab and then distribute them to 15–20 people with different skin types and tones. Real-use testing matters more to me than just lab tests.
Based on feedback, I adjust the ingredient percentages before final manufacturing. That’s how I stay confident that the product is safe and effective for Indian skin.
You shared a few negative feedback experiences. How do you handle them?
Negative feedback is rare, but important. Sometimes a customer reacts to an ingredient like saffron or galactomyces which is not the product’s fault but a personal skin sensitivity.
I always ask consumers to check if an ingredient suits them. Transparency matters, and I appreciate when people share honest experiences as it helps us improve.
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What is LEAFOBERRYY’s long-term vision?
Our long-term vision is to create honest, effective formulations for Indian skin while staying rooted in tradition and guided by science. We want to make skincare simple, transparent, and trustworthy! Something people can rely on without confusion or fear.
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