NEW YORK — Ayurvedic skin care brand Sundari has a new flame: a line of candles.
Candles are an entirely new category for the brand, which has built its name on skin care and body care. Most recently, the company also started putting its focus more on the spa industry, creating treatments based on Sundari products for the Hashani Spa at JW Marriott Starr Pass in Tucson, Ariz.; Ajune Spa in New York, and Kamala Spa in San Francisco. Candles, according to chief operating officer Rahul Koul, provide an opportunity for Sundari to expand on its presence in spas since Sundari’s ayurvedic-inspired ingredients and philosophy are naturals for a spa environment. “Ayurveda offers a number of destress and detox applications that are unique to the spa world — the aestheticians really appreciate this [point of difference],” he said. In addition, Koul said expanding into candles provides increased visibility in a spa retail environment. Sundari currently offers its skin and body care products at retail.
The candles are available in three scents: Chameli, a mix of jasmine, lotus flower, lemongrass and cinnamon; Gulkand, which consists of fresh rose petals, honey, sugar and milk, and Amrus, which features mango and fresh basil. They are not only inspired by India, but also by Indian food: Both the Gulkand and Amrus scents were derived from traditional Indian recipes, according to Koul. In addition to Fred Segal Beauty, Apothia Fred Segal and Jeffrey New York, the candles will be available in select spas around the country, such as The Spa at Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, Ariz., and the Hashani Spa at JW Marriott Starr Pass in Tucson. Each candle will retail for $34. Koul expects the candles to generate between $500,000 and $1.2 million in first-year sales, noting that the launch is limited and that the collection is a bit of an experiment for the brand.
Future plans include additional candle scents as well as holiday sets, according to Koul. “It’s a very small collection at the moment, but we’ve been very happy with [industry] response,” he said. “The line will evolve to appeal to the tastes of Western consumers [while remaining] inspired by India.” Koul said that the company also will continue to focus more on spa treatments. “I want to expand more with treatments because [ayurveda] is a 5,000-year-old science with a rich tradition, a rich library of treatments to offer to spas here,” he said.