Women Worldwide : Inspired by the healing power of nature with Nav Kaur

Nav Kaur is the founder of Tamaar Skincare, alongside being a qualified pharmacist. Her goal with the brand is to create results-driven skincare products which she achieves through drawing upon the power of natural ingredients and the technology of modern-day science to address your daily skincare concerns.

She personally suffered acne problems growing up and it was this experience that lead her to launching her brand. With some major achievements under her belt already, Nav is a real powerhouse in the world of skincare.

Here, we spent some time with her to find out more…

Tell us about the journey that lead you to launching Tamaar Skincare?

I was always inspired by the healing power of nature, that’s why I turned to herbs & spices to conjure up concoctions for my sensitive blemish prone skin as I grew up as a teen and young adult. My favourite was a turmeric mask made from a mix of turmeric, olive oil, lemon juice and honey with gram flour.

As a Pharmacist, I found more and more people requesting natural alternatives to help with their skin conditions. This helped me identify a gap in the market for natural – results driven formulations. I then spent a number of years in research and development. Over time I identified the power of natural plant extracts and newer biotechnological complexes that have been shown to be equal to, or in some cases more effective than traditional gold standard products that contain harsh synthetic ingredients. With a vision for developing a skin care brand that was gentle to your skin, rich in natural scientifically proven ingredients and accessible to others around the world – Tamaar Skincare was born. I’m proud to say that since launch we have received a number of awards and being selected as a finalist for internationally acclaimed global awards as well as being featured in Vogue and GQ.

Inspired by Innovation: Creating innovative products using biotechnology – I wanted not just to create a natural skincare brand – but to add innovation using biotechnology. This is a sustainable method of cultivating rare species of plant. This only requires a few millimetres of plant to produce a culture which is then incorporated into our formulations. It’s an ethical way that requires no GMO or large amounts of farmlands. I believe it’s the way forward for skincare & beauty.

Wanting to give back. I’m passionate about helping to create a healthier, greener world for future generations and we’re proud to team up with B1G1 (Buy One Give One). B1G1 is a social enterprise on a mission to create a world full of giving. All projects selected by B1G1 are in line with the UN’s 17 sustainable development goals (SGD’s), which represent the global community’s next steps in ending poverty, fighting inequality and injustice and tackling climate change for the next 15 years. Through working with B1G1, for every product we sell, a forest tree is planted to help support the environment.

You’re a qualified pharmacist which means you’re on the front line during Covid-19, firstly thank you, and secondly, how do you manage to juggle that commitment with running the skincare line?

I have a strong and resilient pharmacy team, the true nature of an individual really shines through in times of crisis and we saw that everyone just wants to help and make a difference where they can.

We do see this across the nation and globally, despite being physically apart we have seen the coming together of people as we all share a common goal.

Our organisation managed communications well and were quick to implement changes so that staff and customers can feel safe whilst observing the 2M social distancing. The first few weeks of the lock down ‘the panic phase’ was rather exhausting, and I speak here for many of my pharmacy colleagues across the nation. Here we found a huge increase in work load, as people were panic ordering their repeat medications, purchasing OTC stock, turning to us for support & advice relating to Covid-19. Managing the safe supply of medicines to patients during these times proved challenging. As the weeks went on people had adapted to the changes, understood the government guidelines and work load started to level off somewhat.

I have an amazing team supporting me in my skincare business. I think it’s important to accept areas where you’re not so strong and delegate these tasks to people that have the skills and expertise in that field.

So really it’s the people around me that have made this happen. It’s important to choose the right people who you’re spending most of your time with and also enjoy what you do. I can’t say that my day is all perfect and stress free, but I do continuously evaluate ways in which I can do things better, especially when I feel like a habit is no longer serving me.

Talk us through the average day in your life?

My day starts at 4.30am, this comes quite easily for me being an early bird. I have a morning routine, it’s not necessarily that I’m being productive, it’s just that I like to relax in the mornings and not rush, so this gives me plenty of time to have a slow paced, relaxed start to my day. This usually involves yoga, meditation then

reading a few pages of a book and checking my business emails. As I commute 1 hour to work, I’ll usually spend this time listening to a pod cast if I’m not talking to one of my friends, who are also on their commute. I work 9-6 at a lovely community pharmacy, where over the years I’ve really developed a strong relationship with the local neighbourhood, businesses and GP surgery. In the evenings after dinner, I’ll have another quick catch up on my business emails and then some relaxed bedtime reading before retiring to bed usually at 10pm.

Our readers love to travel, what destination is at the top of your bucket list?

Being a huge yoga fan, I would love to spend some time in Rishikesh, India – the yoga capital of the world. Rishi-kesh is a mountain town in the Himalayas of India, an ideal place to re-connect with nature. However, I’ve also heard that it’s packed full of adrenaline rush activities too – which satisfies a different side of me ☺

What do you do when you’re lacking creativity?

Stop overthinking and just stop what I’m doing. Quiet time, mediation, getting out in nature and then simply getting started without the feeling of needing to be perfect. I recently attended a personal development training day provided by Mindvalley – in Munich – Germany, they spoke about getting your brain into alpha state – this is the state when you’re in a ‘wakeful- rest’ and there’s evidence to suggest this state increases creativity. This can be done in various ways through guided meditations etc. but I find it easy just to play some relaxing background music.

What does self-care mean to you?

Understanding yourself and honouring and loving that. The relationship with yourself is the most important one you’ll ever have. I’ve been so inspired by Rumi – a persian philosopher, who quotes ‘what you see in others is a reflection of yourself’. It really all comes down to you, and how you see yourself, this ultimately reflects the space around you. You can let your environment affect the way you think and feel, or how you think and feel can reflect your environment. One thing is for sure, the choice is yours.

With the Covid-19 pandemic my heart goes out to those that have lost loved ones and some not even been able to say their final goodbyes. For the rest of us, there’s been no better time to understand yourself. Pre-pandemic, most of us have been on a work work work treadmill, not really getting anywhere other than just leading ourselves to exhaustion. Now is a great time to reflect on how we treat ourselves and ultimately each other and our planet.

For any aspiring artists and painters, what advice would you offer them in order to build a successful and profitable brand?

Dan Buettner the author of ‘Blue zones’, mentions the concept of Ikigai- which is a Japanese term for –‘a reason for being’. He talks about combining our purpose and passion, with something the world needs. I think currently the world would need art that inspires change or movement.

How much does social media play a role in your company?

Huge- an excellent way to connect with your community – you can respond to any questions promptly. It’s a powerful platform to engage and understand your audience. It helps you to build trust and good relationships overtime.

Outside of work, what do you do for fun?

I love to read, it’s a huge part of my life, reading helps me relax and switch off and stretch my imagination.

Spending time with family and friends keeps me grounded, as they don’t hold back with their honest opinions :). I also practice yoga regularly. I must admit I do love ‘me time’ too’. I love travelling with friends and family, but I have done a couple of solo journeys too which I really enjoyed. My last solo journey was in Lake Garda, Italy in summer 2019

With the current pandemic. How has Covid-19 affected your day to day business? What are your hopes for the future?

All meetings that would have been done face to face are now down online- it’s made us think about what things we can change and what things we can keep moving forward. Our business operates mainly online, which thankfully was not affected negatively due to the pandemic.

We’re in times where technology is accelerating like never before and we must continue to allow this to grow and serve humanity in a positive way. I hope that businesses will allow for new ways of working, e.g. working from home where possible to help reduce carbon footprint. Of course we don’t want a world where we can’t travel or meet our colleagues and loved ones, but we can surely look at ways we can reduce unnecessary travel and make our roads safer for bicycles. Technology has transformed the ways of business. I hope that businesses are quicker in embracing these advancements, this doesn’t mean people will be out of work, business leaders should collaborate with staff and work together to re-design job roles. My hope is that businesses will prioritise ways to become greener and more sustainable, with strategic planning and governance, inspired, not just for profit, but driven by a ‘good for all’ purpose.

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