In conversation with Jennifer Parras, co-founder of The Nature Masons, we got the inside scoop about what it takes to build a sustainable, homegrown brand. Come along. 

Limited Options Lead to Big Opportunities

When you want to buy a product, what is one of the first things you check? Let us guess. The ingredients? The story of The Nature Masons (TNM) began with a similar practice.

Wanting to buy a safe deodorant for her young daughter led Jennifer to a search which ended in disappointment. She contacted her diver friend, Mrinalini Deshprabhu, who was already making handmade, ocean-friendly deodorants and sunscreens. Together the eco-conscious duo built a brand that offers an all-natural, organic, zero waste, paraben-free, and reef safe range of products. They worked on diver-sifying (see what we did there?) their catalogue to add shampoo and conditioner bars, body butter and toothpaste tablets.

Jennifer and Mrinalini believed in something good, something revolutionary. 

Challenges along the way

Starting a small-scale business is tough, but sustaining it is a whole different ball game. On top of that, procuring a minimum quantity of anything from vendors from glass jars to product samples is challenging in Goa. For Jennifer and Mrinalini, remaining sustainable in their practices was non-negotiable. Trying to find glass jars without plastic caps or a vendor that would use less plastic packaging proved to be more difficult than one could imagine. 

Finding an appropriate storage place for their products was another challenge the duo had to face. The products are made with ingredients that require them to be stored in a cool place. The humid weather of Goa proved to be a bigger challenge than expected. 

What the Future has in Store 

At the time of this conversation, TNM were in the middle of a rebranding campaign. While the brand wants to scale up and add new products to their already existing (impressive) catalogue, they do not wish to fall into the capitalist trap. 

“We don’t want a factory-type situation where everything is about volume and not about quality. We want to keep it small.”

Life's a beach. Enjoy the waves…

In 2019, scientists found a plastic bag at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. You read that right. Even the deepest point in the Pacific Ocean is not safe from plastic pollution. 

Looking after the world we live in and to leave it a little better than we found it for our future generation is our responsibility. How do we do that? Let’s start with choosing sustainable alternatives, shall we? 

We need to make better choices, or the choices will be taken away from us. 

The people at TNM believe ‘If it isn’t green, it isn’t our way’ (Can somebody get that on a T-shirt?). They are doing their bit by offering us natural care products made with sustainable methods. Let us do our bit by supporting them.