Teal & Terra- Organic Skin Care and Hair Care Products on Fleek

Vidhi Punamiya

Apr 2, 2021 — 6 min read

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When it comes to the cosmetic industry, consumers are always concerned as to what goes behind the scenes while making these products and mainly the concern is about the ingredients. For the same reasons, nowadays we see a huge buzz about organic products or natural hair care and skin care products. To capitalize this buzz and to level up this segment in the beauty care industry, Upma Kapoor launched Teal & Terra in 2017.

Teal & Terra provide a range of organic skin care and hair care products made from purely natural products using the ancient power and wisdom of Ayurveda. Among its unique and popular products is hair oil which brings the benefits of onion oil without its unpleasant smell.

Teal & Terra - Company Highlights

Startup Name	Teal & Terra
Headquarter	Gurugram
Sector	Organic Beauty and skincare
Founder	Upma Kapoor
Funding	Bootstrapped
Founded	2017

Discover more about Teal & Terra:

Teal & Terra - About and How it works
Teal & Terra - Target Market Size
Teal & Terra - Founders and Team
Teal & Terra - How did it start?
Teal & Terra - Startup Launch
Teal & Terra - Business Model and Revenue Model
Teal & Terra - Startup Challenges
Teal & Terra - Competitors
Teal & Terra - Advisors and Mentors
Teal & Terra - Awards and Recognition
Teal & Terra - Future Plans

Teal & Terra - About and How it works

Teal & Terra have a wide array of natural and organic skincare & haircare products. It's the most popular product is the onion and castor oil, which comes with a unique formulation for healthy hair. With an innovative formulation, the team has tried to harness the benefits of onion oil without its unpleasant smell. Also, its Kumkumadi face oil and Moroccan Argan oil are some of the other key products sold by Teal & Terra.

Teal & Terra - Target Market Size

Teal & Terra is a startup in the organic beauty and skin care industry. The organic beauty and skin care industry have tremendous scope in India coming up in the next five years. According to FICCI, the Indian organic skin care market will grow at an annual rate of 25% CAGR.

Teal & Terra - Founders and Team

The founder/Owner of Teal & Terra is Upma Kapoor.

Teel and Terra — **Teal and Terra Founder**

Graduated from Delhi University, Upma has founded one more startup other than her current one- Teal & Terra. Her first launch was a firm named Literati. Literati is a young and aggressive HR firm that specializes in recruiting for middle and senior-level positions in BFSI (Financial Services), IT, Retail and Pharma sectors. It has differentiated itself from others, by focusing on providing and maintaining high-quality standards in recruiting and other HR services.

Teal & Terra - How did it start?

Teal & Terra were born with this idea when, Kapoor realized that the current range of Indian beauty products was no match to the high-end imported foreign skin care products which are so popular with consumers. After undertaking some research, she came to know that by harnessing the natural benefits of the abundant flora in India, as in the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda, she could offer consumers a line of completely pure, organic and natural products at a much cheaper price with greater benefits. This also fits well with the emerging trend for organic skin care in the country and after 15 years in the corporate world, she decided to take the plunge into entrepreneurship. And that’s how Teal & Terra came into existence.

Teal & Terra - Startup Launch

In the initial phases of Teal & Terra, building a client base was tough as the founder faced stiff competition from the big players. In online communities, there were a lot of backlashes but it was again through these online communities that Kapoor was able to get her first customers. “I am fortunate that these first clients appreciated my products and spread the word online, which helped me reach a sizable client base. A majority of our customers are returning ones and my strongest ambassadors.” Says Upma Kapoor. All in all, most of Teal & Terra’s sales occur because of the good-will that it has managed to accrue over the years.

Teal & Terra - Business Model and Revenue Model

Teal & Terra works on B2C Business Model. The founder of Teal & Terra, Upma Kapoor started the firm with her savings and some funds from friends and family. From having a worth of 7.5 lakh in 2017 to 2.24 crore in under two years, she has worked night and day for Teal & Terra to emerge as a brand of reckoning in the organic skin care segment.

70% of its revenue comes from repeat buyers in this highly competitive market. Kapoor is also working extensively towards women empowerment and providing work from home opportunities to women so they can make a living.

The products at Teal & Terra are priced between Rs 500 to Rs 2,690, and the products are primarily for hair care and skin care. With product placement on leading online shopping platforms now, the company is also able to attract a much wider client base.

Teal & Terra - Startup Challenges

The initial days of Teal & Terra had their fair share of challenges. Starting with the founder launching the firm with her funding, was a huge challenge. Then came the milestone of brand acceptance and stiff competition from the established players. There was also a lot of negative propaganda in online communities. Over time, however, Teal & Terra’s products were appreciated by the customers, through word of mouth, it was able to build a client base and also increase revenue. On the personal front too, as Upma Kapoor is a single mother, she had to struggle a lot to maintain a balance between her personal and professional life.

With increasing awareness among the customers for products that are natural and environment-friendly, the challenge will lie in innovating to provide a wider spectrum of products that can cater to the demands of consumers while beating the competition of mass-produced, cheaper, and chemical-based cosmetics.

Teal & Terra - Competitors

Teal & Terra face direct competition from major cosmetic brands that claim to be selling organic and natural hair care and skin care products. These brands range from Mama Earth, Kama Yoga, Soul Flower to big brands like Himalaya and Forest Essentials.

Teal & Terra - Advisors and Mentors

The change from the service industry to entrepreneurship was not sudden for Kapoor as it was something that had always been on the back of her mind for quite some time. Since it was something entirely different from her regular corporate job, she is very grateful for the support and guidance of her friends and family.

Teal & Terra - Awards and Recognition

Conceptualizing the idea of Teal & Terra and making it a brand known to people has also led to recognition and awards. In 2019, the founder, Upma Kapoor received the Priyadarshini Award for Outstanding Woman Entrepreneur 2019 and the Global Business Award for Women Entrepreneur of the Year.

Teal & Terra - Future Plans

As a startup, Teal & Terra is committed to providing quality organic products to consumers who are looking for purity.

Mrs. Kapoor said - The vision for the brand is very clear in my head. Three years from now, I wish to multiply the revenue the company is making now and have a wider range of products. At the same time, being a socially responsible company, it is my vision to employ more women as a policy and create a more conducive working environment for my employees.