“I was born and raised in India and I moved to the U.S. in 2007 for business school,” says founder Shrankhla Holecek. “I’ve been a lifelong Ayurvedic practitioner, lifelong vegetarian, and a lifelong yogi—I started at the age of 7 or 8. I started UMA because I felt that there was a lot of appetite in the West to truly understand Eastern medicine like Ayurveda, as well as because I saw a fair amount of bastardization of what true Ayureda was. To me, Ayurveda is authentic, it’s a science, it is fact-driven. And my interpretetion of Ayurveda is what I wanted to bring to the West, via UMA.”
All of the brand’s botanicals are raised on its 100-acre meadow, which was carefully chosen for its nutritious soil. “Our dedicated caretakers select only the finest seeds, and nurse their plants through the growing season, making sure to harvest each plant no more than two times before replanting. While this painstaking process results in a lower yield, it ensures the unparalleled purity and therapeutic benefit of our oils.” UMA’s Absolute Anti Aging Face Oil highlights frankincense oil as a key ingredient. “Prized for its rarity and deeply regenerative properties, the anti-aging effects of frankincense oil brought the rulers of ancient India one step closer to the immortal beauty they so desired. Rich in frankincense and other precious essential oils like rose, Absolute Anti Aging uses ancient formulas for beauty that transcends time.”
“Uma was named after my dear aunt, a truly remarkable woman, who played an integral role in raising my sister and me. She was the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known, inside and out, and I hope to honor her with a brand that celebrates her generous spirit and indomitable sense of self. I never saw her wear makeup, and yet she looked radiant until the day she died. Our brand celebrates the Uma in each of us: our ability to find peace amidst chaos, to balance our complex ambitions with our most fundamental emotions, and to find contentment in the knowledge that everything we need is already within us. My aunt taught me that true beauty is found in simplicity, integrity and equilibrium, and our brand strives to honor her by ensuring every drop of our oil consists of the same.”
