Fable & Mane launched at a time when everything old was breaking down and everything new was on hold — especially businesses. So how did siblings Niki & Akash Mehta create a storm in the international haircare industry with ancient Indian remedies? According to them, it’s all because they offer a holistic approach to beauty that’s missing in the market at the moment.
We are different from the traditional brands in India because our formulas are lightweight, smell divine and have the best balance of East meets West. We wanted to create a brand that was universal, easy to wash out and for all hair types, whilst staying true to our South Asian roots.
From the name to the packaging, every element of the brand holds a piece of their childhood with the tiger symbol representing the heart of India’s wild. However, it goes beyond just symbolic significance as the Fable Fund Trust works to reduce the human-wildlife conflict . Truly, Fable & Mane is unique and authentic in its pairing of beautiful hair with beautiful habitats. No wonder then, that their products have already sold out twice and have made impressive six figure gross sales in one week when it went viral on TikTok. Is it a true Gen-Z brand, or one rooted in generational wisdom? Read on to find out, as I chat with the founders.
Fable and Mane launches in India with Nykaa
On going from siblings to partners for a brand
Fable & Mane was created to bring Indian beauty secrets to the world, as a homage to our grandparents and our roots, blending ancient wisdom with modern science. There’s no one better than your sibling to do this with, for we share those healing memories. After suffering from our own hair loss issues during a stressful period, we went back to our traditional childhood hair rituals, focused on oiling.
On crafting bestsellers that became cult favourites
Our best-selling and hero product is the HoliRoots Hair Oil, a pre-wash treatment with potent Ayurvedic plant roots such as ashwagandha and dashmool.It was also the first product in our range.
This oil is unique as it introduced the ritual of hair oiling and is designed to be massaged into the scalp to nourish roots and stimulate blood circulation. This product resonates with so many of us because it’s the perfect self-care step to introduce in our busy lives, with a relaxing head massage as a bonus. It was also formulated with a sensory approach to wellness in mind, featuring a divine scent crafted by the world’s best creative perfumer in Paris: Maduraian utterly sublime fragrance, fit for the gods.
On breakthrough products
The Wild Ginger Purifying scrub is the most creamy, wonderful, gentle scrub you could imagine for the skin on your scalp. It exfoliates with therapeutic pink Himalayan salt and neem, both potent ingredients making it the ideal weekly scalp detox.
On patience while crafting products that take time to perfect
Our HoliRoots Hair Mask took us around 50 submissions. We wanted the same softness and texture that you could get with lightweight masks with silicones and the same shower experience of hair feeling silky soft. It was definitely an innovation challenge but we achieved this by developing a unique, natural ingredient complex called Coconut Cream. It’s a blend of sugarcane, banana, coconut water and plant butters that helps hydrate and repair hair. Our patience paid off as to this day, we get such incredible feedback about the mask and client reviews.
On hair oiling rituals from their childhood
Our fondest memories are of summer when our Nani would come to London from Pune and massage our scalps with her handcrafted blends of plant oils. The method she used had a particular focus on the crown chakra to alleviate stress and tension from the roots. While she massaged, she told us fantastic fables about India’s rich plant and animal kingdom. The combination of the fables and the massage eased our mind so perfectly and it was something we always looked forward to. That’s actually how we came up with the name – Fable & Mane!
On a Fable & Mane hair ritual for someone with frizzy hair
The first step would be to use our SahaScalp Amla Soothing Serum that contains Indian super berry Amla, a potent form of Vitamin C and Bakuchi, and also a natural remedy for soothing dry and sensitive scalps. The natural oil serum softens and smooths hair cuticles, making hair less prone to breakage and penetrates into the follicles for soft, shiny hair. The next step is to use our hydrating, rejuvenating and silicone-free shampoo enriched with coconut. To restore and revive any damaged hair back to its former glory, our The final step is using the mango, butter, banana and coconut cream called HoliRoots Hair Mask.
On product recommendations for hair growth
Definitely our HoliRoots Hair Oil, a pre-wash treatment designed to strengthen and nourish roots, stimulate blood circulation, and promote healthy hair growth. This product contains key ingredients such as ashwagandhawhich means strength of a stallion, castor oil for the health of the hair follicle, dashmool for healthy roots and amla to reduce premature pigment loss. There are also a bunch of other beneficial ingredients such as coconut, jojoba, liquorice, brahmi and bhringraj.
On busting hair oil myths
There are quite a few hair oil myths that people have been believing forever! Like applying way too much oil too often when really, you just need it once or twice a week and the smallest amount. There’s also the belief that oil makes your hair greasy but that’s only because people apply too much and on the lengths when the focus should be on the scalp. The key is to assess the ingredients in your products and use hair oil once every week or every couple of weeks while continuing to re-examine and re-evaluate the condition of your hair and scalp.
On launching in India and returning to the homeland
It’s a full circle moment, paying respect to our heritage and the country that truly inspired us. We’re so grateful for all the wisdom it provides the world, from meditation to yoga, healing foods and natural beauty remedies. We will be visiting in October for a press launch so we’re looking forward it. We will be launching tomorrow (5th August) with Nykaa.
On bringing Ayurveda to the beauty industry globally
We wanted to inspire our consumers to wash hair with intention, not in a rush. Ayurvedic beauty has been infused into our beauty routines for years already. Not many people know this, but the invention of shampoo originated in India, thousands of years ago. The rise of self-care and wellness practices in the world in the past few decades logically demands that the benefits of Ayurveda be brought forward into our lifestyles.
Also read:
Little known hair care tips I’ve learned from hairstylists
Vogue Recommends: 10 hair tools, products and treatments you need from the Editor’s vanity
6 tried-and-tested Indian haircare products for every hair concern