Activist and Influencer Diipa Büller-Khosla's Skin Care Brand, Indē Wild, Is an Ode to Desi Women

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Diipa Büller-Khosla is a social justice activist, the founder of Post For Change, an online platform that harnesses the power of human engagement online to spearhead and promote a myriad of causes, from gender equality and mental health to sexual rights, worldwide, and the creator of Indē Wild, a conscious beauty ecosystem integrating Ayurvedic superfoods and clean chemistry. The brand was made with Brown people in mind, using ingredients that can cater to and celebrate their skin tones. The beauty and fashion influencer turned entrepreneur grew up in Delhi, India, surrounded by ancient Ayurvedic remedies for the mind, body, and spirit. Her mother, Sangitha Khosla, is an Ayurvedic doctor and dermatologist, so tradition and self-care coexisted in her household.

Büller-Khosla understands that love-hate relationship with skin care: Throughout her adolescence and into her 20s, she struggled with acne and experienced the agony of purchasing products marketed to help the skin—only to be disappointed with their results. "I had no idea how much research I needed to conduct on the subject of skin care," she says. "I'd completely accept others' opinions when they told me what would be good for my skin, despite the fact that I didn't know anything about it. It made me realize that I wasn't the only one who was bothered by this cloudiness. So, instead of "succumbing to the allure of advertising," Büller-Khosla "cut through the fog and studied everything there was to know." And just like that, the seed for Indē Wild was planted.

The Initial Vision

The Amsterdam-based influencer saw there was a lack of representation in the market for both women and men with darker complexions. While this hole drove her brand's origin story, Indē Wild was also an opportunity for Büller-Khosla to express her love for her home country by combining it with science. "It's an ode to a self-love journey that celebrates individual needs, a rich culture, and modern conscious science," she notes of her company's ethos. Another key objective? To develop an honest and transparent beauty and wellness ecosystem that includes people of all skin tones, textures, types, and colors who view accepting differences as self-love. "I wanted to start a revolution of encouraging imperfections to create a new beauty standard," she says. "I wanted to show people that I'm someone they can relate to."

For some, Indē Wild is just a daily beauty ritual, but for Büller-Khosla and her team, it's proof that "diversity is their superpower." "Today, I see that all of my blood, sweat, and tears invested in this brand weren't in vain. Every comment or review we receive gives me an overwhelming sensation, especially when people express their gratitude for living in a time when their community is finally accurately reflected. This drives me to go further into societal stigmas and dismantle every social ideal that promotes 'perfection' over reality—which, by the way, is beautifully imperfect."

Growing Pains

Büller-Khosla started from scratch when she first began developing her brand and quickly realized she was unfamiliar with technical business jargon—when she started attending investor meetings, she was asked questions like, "What is your CAGR (compound annual growth rate)?". This gap pushed her to become a self-starter, she says, and learn the ins and outs of the beauty industry from a business perspective; aside from brand development, she also knew very little about the science of skin care. "Over the past two years, going through the experience of launching a brand truly feels parallel to having undergone an MBA program—going from knowing almost nothing about the industry to building my own brand," Büller-Khosla says.

She remembers launch day vividly: There was fear, excitement, pride, and a little bit of nausea, Büller-Khosla reflects. "Wow: Two years in the making and a life-long dream, Indē Wild was finally being shared with the world. The feeling was a little scary at first, but as soon as we launched and I saw the eagerness of those who had been waiting to join our community, all my stress faded, and I was overcome with pride to have such loyal supporters."

Next Steps

While there is still much to do, Büller-Khosla plans to expand her skin care line, which currently includes two flagship products, the AM Sunrise Glow Serum 15% Vitamin C ($37, indewild.com) and PM Sunset Restore Serum 1% Bakuchiol ($37, indewild.com). She also wants to venture into hair care—but she checks in with her brand's loyalists before making any major decisions. "New research concepts for us to look into are continuously running through my mind. Before implementing any future approaches, we always turn to our audience to learn what they want or would want to see from us," she explains. "Our brand is all about the individuals for whom it was designed." While seeing her name and company on magazine covers is a great marker of success for Büller-Khosla, her ultimate goal is to change people's lives, inside and out. As for the personal motto that guides her every step of the way? "I believe that when I realize that this brand is a true reflection of people's feelings, I become further convinced that the future offers even bigger things."