Indian intelligence
Ingredients India has trusted for generations, used where they earn their place and stated honestly.
Our story
The Story ofOsmeKos
A skincare essential brand, made in India with a simple belief: everyday care should be effective, honest, and rooted in Indian skin and climate.
Why it exists
A search that becamesomething bigger.
OsmeKos did not start with a business plan. It started with a search that came up empty.
Two years ago, I was looking for good quality body care for my wife.
I tried many international and imported brands. They were heavily priced. I looked for an alternative I could trust and could not find one.
“Then the question came to me: why not start making it ourselves?”
At the time, I was also looking to diversify our family business, where I work as Executive Director. OsmeKos was where the two ideas met.
The product that search eventually produced.
What we believe
Four things we will not move on.
Not certifications, and not tested claims. These are the four standards the founder set for the brand before it had a product to apply them to.
Belief 1 of 4: Indian intelligence. Ingredients India has trusted for generations, used where they earn their place and stated honestly.
What it took
Good things takethe time they deserve.
More than a year from the first idea, and more than nine months on the body lotion alone. This is where that time went.
1 year+
Bringing OsmeKos to life
Worth getting right
It took me over a year to bring OsmeKos to life, with more than nine months dedicated to perfecting our very first product.
I chose not to rush, because I believe the little details make all the difference.
50+
Manufacturers spoken to
The search
I faced many challenges: the formulation, the design, the packaging. The biggest was how to manufacture a top-quality product.
I spoke to more than 50 manufacturers before shortlisting our final factory.
20
Formulation rounds
Twenty formulations
Before the final formula, we went through 20 rounds of formulation.
Every decision has been part of a larger pursuit: creating body care that feels as considered as it is personal.
10+
Sampling and refinement rounds
Ten rounds of sampling
Our body lotion went through more than 10 rounds of sampling and refinement.
Every iteration brought us closer to the experience we envisioned: how it is formulated, and how it feels on your skin.
Formulation rounds and sampling rounds are counted separately, because they are different work.
The first product
The first expressionof our philosophy.
OsmeKos Body Lotion
One product, not a range: a body lotion built around a triple ceramide complex and niacinamide, for skin that is dry, dull or simply asking for more than it is getting.
- 0.9%
- Triple ceramide complex
- 2%
- Niacinamide
- 6%
- Glycerin
What went into it
Every detailhas a reason.
Eight actives, each printed with its concentration. The three ceramides are named individually rather than hidden inside a blend.
8 Active ingredientsWith precise concentrations
- Shea Butter3%
- Niacinamide2%
- Coconut Oil2%
- Ceramide EOP0.2%
- Ceramide AP0.2%
- Ceramide NP0.5%
- Vitamin ETocopherol0.5%
- Glycerin6%
The three ceramides together make up 0.9% of the formula. The complete INCI declaration, the fragrance allergens and the usage and storage notes are all set out there.
- Three ceramides,
individually named. - Ceramide NP 0.5%, Ceramide AP 0.2% and Ceramide EOP 0.2%.
- Every concentration
disclosed. - Niacinamide 2%, Glycerin 6%, Shea Butter 3%, Coconut Oil 2%, Vitamin E 0.5%.
- A fragrance people
liked first. - Before this product had a name or a label, we put the fragrance in front of 50 people. Every one of them liked it.
- Packaging with
care. - Your order arrives in a black velvet potli, made to be kept.
The name
A name builtaround an idea.
I put the whole vision inside the name from the beginning.
Body care is where we start. The house I am building is larger.
Salil Yadav, founder
- Osme
- from the ancient word for scent and essence
- Kos
- from cosmetics
The person behind it
The person behindthe purpose.
I am Salil Yadav, the founder of OsmeKos.
I studied for my MBA at Leeds Beckett University in Leeds, United Kingdom.
OsmeKos began partly as my way of diversifying what our family builds.
It also began as a personal search: finding good body care for my wife. That search is why I care so much about what goes into each bottle.
My aim is a global beauty brand coming out of India, and this body lotion is where it starts.
- MBA
- Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, United Kingdom
- Executive Director
- Of the family business
- Aim
- A global beauty brand coming out of India
Salil Yadav
Founder, OsmeKos
What comes next
This is onlythe beginning.
OsmeKos is only at its starting line.
This body lotion is our first product, not our destination.
I want to build a global brand, and I know we have a long way to go. There is a lot to learn, a lot to build and a lot to earn.
We will keep taking the time to get each detail right, the way we did with this one.
- First product
- This body lotion, not our destination
- The way there
- A lot to learn, to build and to earn
- Vision
- A global beauty brand coming out of India
Where to next
Now you know what went into it.
More than a year of work, twenty rounds of formulation and three named ceramides. Here is where all of it ended up.