On a warm afternoon in Bengaluru, a young mother picked up a bottle of ‘natural’ sunscreen for her six-year-old, trusting, as any parent would, that it was safe. But a closer look at the ingredient list told a different story. Behind the soothing green claims were synthetic chemicals she never expected to find. That moment of confusion and concern became a turning point. It pushed Divya and her husband, Jiten Grover, to ask a simple but powerful question: Why isn’t baby care truly transparent? That question became the foundation of Earthbaby — a Made-in-India brand built on honesty, natural ingredients, and modern scientific integrity. What began as one parent’s search for safer choices soon grew into a movement that’s redefining baby and mom skincare across India and beyond . “I was waiting for serendipity to strike, and that sunscreen became the lightbulb moment. It made us realise we wanted to create something truly safe and honest for babies and mothers,” says Jiten, Founder of Earthbaby, to The Better India. Founded by Divya and Jiten Grover in 2016 (officially registered in 2021), Earthbaby is more than just a company; it is a movement towards conscious parenting. At a time when the words ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ are tossed around easily, Earthbaby does something revolutionary: it discloses 100% of its ingredients and even shares the percentage of natural origin for each one, aligned with ISO 16128 — a global standard. Earthbaby operates in a category crowded with natural and consciously formulated claims. Their true differentiator is transparency. “ At the heart of Earthbaby is one promise: transparency. We’re not claiming our shampoos are 100% natural, because that isn’t scientifically possible. Instead, we say, this one is 95% natural. You choose. We believe that, sooner or later, customers will value us for that honesty,” adds Jiten. Meet the founders who rewrote the rules of natural baby care in India Earthbaby’s story began not in a boardroom, but in an everyday parenting moment, one that revealed an unspoken crisis in India’s baby-care market. When Divya discovered that the ‘natural’ sunscreen she bought for her kid contained hidden synthetics, it triggered two realisations: first, that most brands were not fully transparent; and second, that parents had no reliable way of knowing what was truly safe. This became the seed for Earthbaby. Jiten Grover, who had been wanting to start something of his own and step away from the corporate grind, was actively searching for an idea that genuinely mattered. The growing realisation about how misleading many ‘natural’ brands were, combined with his own long-standing struggle with adult eczema (a chronic, non-contagious skin condition that causes the skin to become dry, intensely itchy, and inflamed), planted the earliest seeds of what would eventually become Earthbaby. “I was dealing with eczema myself; I obviously did not think I had this issue, and I will solve the problem by creating a company out of it,” Jiten shares with a laugh. Being a CA, Jiten wasn’t someone who backed down easily. Paired with his strong entrepreneurial drive, he always knew he was meant to build something of his own. During his job in the US in 2005, he even stumbled upon an idea similar to BookMyShow. But when he returned to Bengaluru and pitched it to a leading theatre owner, the idea was dismissed. That moment, however, stayed with him. “So that became a lesson I carried with me, no matter what people say, if I want to do something, I just go ahead and do it. And honestly, entrepreneurship is exactly that; the world is full of people who just take the leap,” adds Jiten. Earthbaby grew from real parenting needs, with its founders raising two children while building a clean baby-care brand. Co-founder Divya, with over 20 years of corporate experience, shares a similar instinct for entrepreneurship. Today, she and Jiten are parents to two children, and she recalls how she always gravitated toward building something of her own. “Even after my first child was born, I couldn’t sit idle. I knew I couldn’t go back to a corporate job immediately, so I started something called Rent Me Toys. The idea gave kids the chance to rent toys instead of buying new ones every time,” tells Divya. From corporate roles to early entrepreneurial experiments, the couple steadily shaped their path. “It has been emotionally challenging. If I had simply climbed the corporate ladder, I would probably be earning a lot more than I am now, but this is my passion, and it makes me happy,” says Jiten. Earthbaby: Products and the promise of natural care The brand’s philosophy, ‘nature is safe & enough’ , runs through every product, from the traditional sunni pindi ubtan and virgin cold-pressed oils to Ayurvedic massage blends and edible-ingredient bath powders. Most formulations rely on olive oil and coconut oil-derived ingredients, with five key natural-origin components: two from olive oil — Cetearyl Olivate & Sorbitan Olivate and Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate with Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, both made with 100% natural-origin ingredients. Three from coconut oil — Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate (98% natural origin) , Disodium Cocoamphoacetate (81% natural origin) , and Coco Glucoside (100% natural origin) . Alongside these are fully natural ingredients such as shea butter, kokum butter, and almond oil, known for their nourishing and skin-soothing properties. Earthbaby products use olive and coconut oil–derived ingredients, with clear disclosure of natural-origin percentages. Despite this strong focus on clean, nature-led formulations, the range remains accessible, with products typically priced between Rs 250 and Rs 1,299, making gentle, ingredient-honest care easy to include in everyday routines. Complementing this heritage side is modern science: shampoos, body washes, moisturisers, and lotions formulated with COSMOS-approved actives and safe preservatives that deliver performance without compromising on safety. Artificial fragrances, parabens, silicones, talc, and petroleum derivatives are completely excluded. “A baby’s skin is 30% thinner and far more sensitive than adult skin, so we were extremely particular about the ingredients we chose,” says Divya. Where preservatives are essential, only safe, edible-grade options are used. “We took a stand from the beginning that we would not be adding preservatives and fragrances for babies below the age of one,” adds Jiten. Parents appreciated the decision to avoid harmful chemicals, harsh preservatives, and artificial fragrances, but some kids still wanted products that smelled nicer. Feedback has always been central to Earthbaby because, for them, customers come first. “We changed the preservative that didn’t smell good and replaced it with a neutral one, so the child enjoys it while the skin stays safe,” shares Jiten. Earthbaby shampoos use COSMOS-approved actives and edible-grade preservatives suited for sensitive baby skin. Since launching in 2021, Earthbaby products have been trusted by nearly 20,000 babies , reflecting a steadily growing parent community. Operating in the early-revenue stage typical of young D2C baby care brands, the company has seen consistent year-on-year growth in turnover since its inception. Pallavi, who has been using Earthbaby products for her newborn and her eight-year-old for over a year now, shares her experience. “I started with the massage oil, but today I’ve tried several other products from the range, and I can see the difference, not just in their transparency with ingredients, but also in the effect on my babies’ Pallavi shares that while many brands claim to be natural and organic, Earthbaby stands out for its transparency, affordable pricing and natural ingredients. For Vidya, another parent, chemicals were the biggest concern. “I’ve been using Earthbaby since 2019; their shampoos, body wash, and soaps are great, giving us no reason to switch,” she says. Both parents noticed visible improvements in their children’s skin and hair, which helped ease their worries. “We wanted to give our kids the kind of natural care our grandparents gave us, and with Earthbaby, we’ve finally found that,” Vidya adds. At Earthbaby, the care goes beyond what’s inside the bottle. Just as the products nurture, the packaging respects the planet through aluminum tins, glass jars, bamboo containers, recyclable PET bottles, and zero-waste shipping. Decoding ingredients, impact and building trust Earthbaby may be a young homegrown brand, but it’s steadily building its presence with thoughtful and conscious growth. Ever since they launched their ingredient decoder just two months ago, the website has drawn over 73,000 visitors , all deeply engaging with the educational content across the site and social platforms. Transparency that’s not just a value, but a USP Every Earthbaby product is built on four strict principles: 100% Ingredient Disclosure No Artificial Fragrance Only COSMOS & Made Safe – Approved Ingredients for guaranteed safety and biodegradability. Skin Microbiome–friendly formulations designed to respect delicate baby skin. The brand chooses quality with plant-derived keratin from Germany instead of cheaper animal alternatives, along with investing in a COSMOS-approved plant-based preservative system that’s far pricier but much gentler. Skincare labels are confusing, especially when even natural-origin ingredients sound chemical (like Sodium Lauroamphoacetate , which is actually 100% natural origin ). The Earthbaby ingredient decoder cuts through this confusion, letting parents decode every ingredient themselves. “Consumers don’t want to know what ingredients the shampoo has; they want a solution to their hair fall. So instead of scientific jargon, our communication is kept clear, simple, and solution-oriented,” says Jiten. What began as a mother’s search for truth has grown into a quiet movement, one reshaping India’s baby and mom-care space with honesty, scientific rigour, and deep cultural wisdom. Today, Earthbaby is steadily expanding its footprint across India and beyond , proving that when purpose meets innovation, growth follows naturally. “We want to reach people’s hearts. With the right messaging, natural products, and conscious choices, we hope to expand internationally,” Jiten shares. Beyond milestones like COSMOS certification in 2022, support from the Startup India Seed Fund and angel investors in 2023, and Middle East export partnerships in 2024, Earthbaby has now become a trusted choice not just for babies, but for the entire family. From constant product innovation to global expansion, the brand is preparing to launch a mineral sunscreen for babies above six months and a kids’ hair conditioner soon. Today, Earthbaby is available on Amazon, FirstCry, Myntra, Smytten, Vanity Wagon, The Mom Store, and select offline stores like Healthy Mother Sanctum and Go Native. Internationally, it is already present in the UAE through Mumzworld, Noon, Amazon, and FirstCry, with Saudi Arabia set to launch in 2025. Earthbaby’s story shows that when a brand is built on truth, care, and an uncompromising commitment to safety, it can do more than sell products; it can restore trust, empower parents, and create a gentler world for every child. All images courtesy Jiten Grover