~~~Chandrika - Ayurvedic Classic~~~. Review on Chandrika Ayurvedic Soap

My home is only a few kilometers away from the birth place of Chandrika the Ayurvedic soap (Irinjalakuda) which rules the world for last 70 years. The soap and its owner CR Kesavan Vaidyar were famous in our area and we are all proud of his achievement. The soap has fast achieved world wide recognition and it was one such product which got exported from India early and managed to keep its identity despite heavy competition.

The Company now based in Bangalore and proudly announces, 'Chandrika, the real secret of natural beauty for the past 70 years. Original vegetable oil Soap, since 1940. Does not contain any animal fat and is not tested on animals.' Kerala been blessed with a lot of Keras, i.e. coconut plants and no wonder the product is made using coconut oil as its basic mix. Besides Coconut oil, wild ginger, Lime peel oil & Hydnocarpus oil too is used in the mix. (Except for lime other components in the mix are common in Kerala lands where Lime is easily available in the market.

The promise by the product is that it nourishes, moisturises and lightens your skin, soothes it and prevents infections and rashes, gives a refreshing cooling effect, prevents skin problems and rashes, tightens pores, helps prevent pimples and blackheads. When there are thousands of brands compete each other and the art of soap making is no more a secret, keeping a brand unique is not easy. Thankfully Chandrika is managing to do that. The reason behind its success is the the product fulfills its promise which created a net of trust.

The best plus of the product is that it serves all the purpose an ordinary soap provides including a good smell in addition to the protection it offers to the skin from the attack of gems, fungies etc. In the olden days, most parts of human body were exposed to the attack by sun (let it be man or woman) and the skin were more prone to diseases related to exposure to natural forces. The founder of the soap, CR Kesavan Vaidyar (Vaidyar means Doctor) was an Ayurvedic physician. His desire to find a permanent solution to these diseases gave birth to the first Ayurvedic Soap, Chandrika. He fast observed that the best clue for solving human diseases is looking into nature. His experiments gave him confidence that the product protects the skin of people without any side effects. Doctors generally help the patients to react to a disease. Here is a doctor who pro-acted against the disease. Chandrika was successful as a product.

The challenge however was to advertise and distribute the product at a time the transportation facilities are limited. The doctor would carry wooden boxes of soap either by walking, some times by bullock carts or by bus to different places. The passion for the product made him a good salesman as well. He starts early and often he used to wait for the shops to open to deliver the goods. Chandrika was gaining its confidence with each passing day. Its name and fame increased. The brand got its regular business from all over India and from abroad. The success Saga of Chandrika begins.

Another plus point of the product is that it maintained an affordable price always. Even today, the product is much cheaper compare to other soaps. In a market where less price means poor product the soap may have lost some charm but the quality remains the same.

I am not a regular user of Chandrika but an occassional user, especially if I am getting some skin fungies, thanks to my continuous exposure to the burning sun of 50s with a book in hand. The soap always responds positively by stop spreading it if not curing it.

I know many fans of Chandrika and many thanksgiving souls. If you are one yet to test the soap, I will ask you to do so for a sample and then I am sure you know the product closer to look in need. There are new products coming out of the Chandrika brand, but look out for Chandrika Ayurvedic, which is the Chandrika Classic - and classics are the best!!!

Wish you all a happy Chandrika bath!!!