InnerSoul Beauty Turns Pandemic Self-Care Into Award-Winning Indie Brand
Nasreen Bhatt's InnerSoul Beauty won the People's Choice Award at NYSCC Suppliers' Day 2026. The brand grew from pandemic "innersoul Sundays" rituals into bestselling facial oils and new makeup.
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The takeaway
- Nasreen Bhatt won the People's Choice Award of the Indie 360 Pavilion at NYSCC Suppliers' Day on May 20, 2026.
- InnerSoul Beauty launched six years ago with a hair oil containing Indian gooseberries, rose herb and sesame seeds.
- Bestsellers include InnerSoul Shine Vitamin C Rosehip & Ginger Root Facial Oil and Vegan Gheee Lip Butters; the brand has recently expanded into color cosmetics with Brow Blade and matte lip liners.
Nasreen Bhatt won the People's Choice Award of the Indie 360 Pavilion at the New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists' Suppliers' Day on May 20, 2026, six years after launching InnerSoul Beauty from a homemade hair oil.
Bhatt built the brand during the pandemic, when, as she recalls, consumers hunkered down at home finally had time to prioritize self-care. Her starting point was personal: mother-daughter wellness rituals rooted in her Southeast Asian ethnicity that involved minimalistic beauty routines. She called them "innersoul Sundays."
The first formula came from those rituals. As a DIYer, Bhatt dabbled in hair oil. One iteration contained Indian gooseberries, rose herb and sesame seeds to promote hair longevity. Indian gooseberries strengthened roots and enhanced natural color. Rose herb helped soothe the scalp and balance moisture. Sesame seeds provided essential fatty acids to protect hair strands from damage. That hair oil helped launch her brand.
Bhatt's training backs up the formulation work. She holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Delaware Valley College, with a background in organic chemistry and agriculture.
She grew up in a small village four hours from Ahmedabad, the largest city in the state of Gujarat, India. "I'll always have a part of me in my village where I grew up," she said.
Bestsellers
InnerSoul Shine unscented Vitamin C Rosehip & Ginger Root Facial Oil is a bestseller. According to the brand, rosehip improves collagen levels and reduces wrinkles and fine lines, while ginger root's antioxidant properties prevent free radical damage and protect against aging. The oil can also be mixed with facial moisturizers and foundations for a dewier complexion.
The Vegan Ghee Lip Butters are also popular. The tubes are packed with hydrating ingredients such as sweet honey oil, coconut milk and watermelon juice.
"Skincare is self-care," said Bhatt. "Our body is mostly water, and we need to hydrate it."
InnerSoul Glow-Turmeric Orange Peel Facial Mud Mask is an all-natural mask that heals, hydrates and tightens pores to lift excess oil and leave skin glowing and soft.
Move Into Color
More recently, InnerSoul Beauty segued into color cosmetics. In addition to matte lip liners, the brand's Brow Blade is a pencil that helps create natural defined brows using an array of Indian-inspired ingredients including beetroot powder, coffee grounds, coconut and soybean oils.
The Suppliers' Day win and the brand's expansion from skin care into makeup signal that Bhatt's ritual-driven formulations are resonating with both industry chemists and consumers — a trajectory that positions InnerSoul Beauty for continued growth across categories.
Source: Happi; Source: shopinnersoul.com
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Correspondent covering media and advertising at Eurasian Beauty Journal.
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