MomentM, a new ayurveda-inspired supplement brand, is launching direct-to-consumer and on Amazon with four core products: Calm, $40, a lavender latte-flavored gummy to destress; Synthesis, $60, a peach-plum-flavored collagen and hyaluronic acid powder to boost skin health; Equilibrium, $60, a pre, pro and post-biotic capsule for gut health, and Revitalize, $80, a ceramoside, hyaluronic acid and antioxidant-filled capsule for skin glow and elasticity. MomentM is founded by Marise Saldanha, a former brand manager for Dove Skin Cleansing.
“Our product philosophy is basically designing around three core pillars, which is mind, body and vitality,” she said, adding that she is bringing Ayurvedic traditions and botanical ingredients from her upbringing in India into the brand’s formulations as well. “It’s an amalgamation of both natural Ayurvedic ingredients as well as scientifically backed ingredients. In Ayurveda, mind, body and vitality are seen as the core elements of the universe, and each one is constantly influencing the other.”
While Saldanha started her career in skin care, she grew up surrounded by health, as her father has worked in the pharmaceutical industry in India and is the chief executive officer, managing director and chairman of the board at Marksans Pharma. Marksans Pharma is financially backing the brand and advising on product development and formulation, though the products are all manufactured in California. While attending the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, Saldanha became increasingly interested in the wellness space but with a slew of brands and influencers, she quickly became overwhelmed.
“What started as a wellness journey gradually turned into a downward spiral. I literally quickly felt so overwhelmed with a countless amount of options,” she said. “What was worth it? What was snake oil?…I found myself feeling very pressured and insecure, which eventually took a toll on my mental and physical well-being.”
Saldanha was even experiencing adverse side effects from all the products she was trying that promised better health.
“I remember lying in bed. My stomach was physically burning, and I thought to myself, ‘I should have never started this journey in the first place,’” she said.
After years on this roller coaster, Saldanha decided enough was enough.
“One day I opened my cabinet drawn and I saw it overflowing. It was literally overflowing with dozens of supplements from different brands, some half used, some expired, some unopened,” she said. “It was in that moment that I realized I had spent so much time, money and just energy [on] something I had zero clarity about.”
All of this confusion, pain and stress around the wellness industry that was meant to provide the opposite led Saldanha to start a brand centered around Ayurvedic traditions and a more simplified approach compared to what was available on the market.
In addition, the team said its involvement with Marksans Pharma further differentiates it from other supplements on the market, as it ensures it is formulating at a pharmaceutical level with the highest quality ingredients and proper dosages.
“The level at which we test is very rigorous,” said Saldanha. “It’s one of our greatest strengths, but it’s also been one of our biggest challenges.”
While it is launching with four core stock keeping units, Saldanha plans to launch an additional four before the end of the year, including a cognition-supporting gummy. The team declined to share specific sales projections but shared that they have invested around $3 million into building the company.