Aham Life- Why I decided to be in my own skin

When I count my blessings, I definitely include my healthy skin too. After all that I went through, I’m truly grateful for how my skin has turned out to be today.

It was around my 13th birthday that white patches started appearing on the face. For the longest time from then, I refused to look at my face on the mirror. Attending family functions, which were an integral part of growing became a nightmare. Photographers would stare at me as though I just landed from Mars. My self-confidence took a major hit. I was just a normal, plump school student from Kerala who led a typical small-town life. My parents started frantically taking me to skin specialists in town, consulting astrologers for any possible “Naga Dosha” for this apparently huge disaster befallen me.

The only cure in Allopathic treatment then was exposure to Sunlight every day 12 noon for 20-30 minutes so that the Melanin can darken the white patches and create an even tone. These 20-30 minutes prescribed by the Doctor was stretched to 1.5 hours every day by my extremely concerned family. To them, more sunlight meant more dark spots on the white patches and quicker recovery.

While I don’t know if melanin really made an entry or not, the continuous exposure to midday scorching sunlight left behind white patches and an incredibly tanned/burnt skin. Funny enough, this must have given my face a close-to-Dalmatian look, as one classmate nastily taunted once.
Fast forward 2 years later, and a chance meeting with Dr. Krishnanunni, a Homeo Medical practitioner changed my life altogether. I switched to homeopathic treatment and was advised to stop using any cosmetics or soaps for face and body. The first one was easier to do, because it meant no longer getting burnt by the scorching sunlight everyday plus no more embarrassment standing in the school ground every lunch hour to get my dose of Melanin.
Homeo treatment and the traditional skin care had my vitiligo cured, and I eventually stopped the medication as well. But those words from the doctor still ring in my ears- Do not put chemicals on your skin anymore. Use “cherupayar” (moong), not soaps. A few years later, I was detected with Alopecia Areata, and the same traditional routine with homeopathic medicine came to my rescue. Life in a small town in a very orthodox set up and ecosystem can be hugely tough when you have such stigmas to deal with- ones with your complexion, looks or size.

I had completely switched to home remedies for skin care from then, my mother trying frantically all permutations and combinations to redeem my skin a tad better than what it was, I was already crossing my teenage by then. It was obvious for her to worry when in family circles, people would make near-sadistic remarks about her daughter’s skin tone and how a girl with below average looks or a dark skin with a plump body will end up rejected in marriage proposals. She would add turmeric and neem and what not to my moong paste just so that the tan would go away slightly. In hindsight, I find all those cringe-worthy moments the best learnings of my life and my perception of looks hasn’t ever been the same.

I would say, aham roots was born then, as a result of a life-long experiment with natural ingredients from my kitchen that helped my skin repair itself. When people talk about that glow on my face today, I am extremely thankful and tell them they don’t have to Re-invent the wheel. All they have to do is to use aham roots. Its been close to 27 years that I have not applied soap or any cosmetics on my face, primarily because I was frightened my skin would react terribly. With aham roots, all that I thought is, if I could use them on my children on a daily basis, then it better be the best. There began our journey at aham roots to become the brand with India’s best chemical-free skin and hair care range of products.

 

Mini Menon, Co-Founder