Story

I grew up in Southern California with a backyard full of fruits, vegetables, and herbs, and spent summers in India with my grandmother. These ingredients were simply part of everyday life.

As I got older, I thought taking better care of my skin meant doing more: more products, stronger actives, more steps. Instead, my skin felt stripped, irritated, and unpredictable. I began to wonder if all that “more” was the problem.

I turned to my auntie network. Each auntie had an ingredient to try, something to mix, or something her own mother had taught her. My mom also introduced me to an esthetician from India who taught me to pay attention to what my skin actually needed.

I began making masks for myself, then for friends and family through high school and college. I wasn’t planning to start a skincare brand. I was curious about what these familiar ingredients could do.

Five years ago, living in Brooklyn, I realized how hard it was to find skincare made with those ingredients and ready to use. Friends would say, “Oh, my mom told me to do that,” followed by “but I don’t have the ingredients” or “I don’t know how.”

I wanted to make that kind of skincare easy to reach for: simple, recognizable ingredients, thoughtfully prepared and ready when your skin needs them.

That idea became JAYA, named for my grandmother, Jaya.

Simple, nourishing formulas made in small batches with real, recognizable ingredients.

Because better skincare needs real care.