Malika Aswani is the creative brains behind one of Greenwich Market’s most beloved natural treatment brands – MotherEarth’s Beauty. By her side is her daughter, Prerna, very much the business and marketing guru of the outfit. The name, highlighting this mother-daughter bond, also has a second meaning: MotherEarth’s proudly sources all its ingredients from the planet’s natural generosity.

Malika and Prerna use only high-quality ingredients for their ‘natural, organic and hand-made skin- and hair-care products’. Prerna explains, ‘We very much believe in the philosophy that all of our skincare and haircare needs can be met from the Earth.’ Their products are also hand made in ‘micro-batches’, ensuring freshness and quality: ‘anything you buy will have been made in the last couple of weeks’. It’s all made in Malika’s studio in Northwest London, where she and Prerna live. In business as in life, mother and daughter walk side by side.

The Aswanis are passionate advocates of treating the body’s largest organ, the skin, with proper care. MotherEarth’s recipes combine Eastern and Western traditions, drawing on Ayurvedic medicine in particular. As Prerna explains, ‘ingredients such as liquorice and saffron belong to an eastern tradition and aren’t usually found in products you might see in the supermarket.’ You’ll find many of these pure ingredients – mango perhaps, or saffron or cucumber – on display at their beautiful Greenwich Market stall.

Fair trading and sustainability are also non-negotiable for MotherEarth’s. All their ingredients are organic, ethically sourced and sold in heavy glass jars ideal for repurposing as vases, candle holders or spice jars. Reusable jute bags, grown using minimal water, are another sustainable initiative.

Malika has long been interested in natural remedies. So, when Prerna left home to study philosophy, politics and economics, she encouraged her mother take a course in naturopathic nutrition. Mother and daughter graduated in the same year – but while Prerna progressed to economic consultancy in London, Malika took further courses in skin care, and began devising her own treatments.

At first, MotherEarth’s was a hobby: friends and family would come to Malika with problems, and she would formulate solutions for them. Her hobby only became a business in 2020, when she first began selling products lovingly concocted for those close to her. One example is facial cream, ‘Glow Me’, developed by Malika for Prerna, and still her daughter’s favourite product.

MotherEarth’s started trading at Greenwich Market in the summer of 2021. Face-to-face contact allowed Malika and Prerna to educate their customers in the properties of different natural ingredients and preparations. Prerna gets great satisfaction when they return – either to buy more or simply to say how much they love MotherEarth’s products. ‘It’s a personal connection you don’t get online. Getting to know your customers as people is what makes Greenwich so special.’

Online sales, however, have been responsible for growing MotherEarth’s clientele beyond the UK. Soon, Prerna aspires to have her Mum’s treatments stocked directly by global retailers who align with their values. This is wonderful news for both loyal customers and newcomers alike. As the Aswanis grow Mother Earth’s beyond its spiritual home, Greenwich Market, everyone will benefit.