Founder and CEO of Light Up, Meenakshi Ganesh

Meenakshi Ganesh is the founder and CEO of Light Up, a Superfood-inspired Smart Skincare line that seeks to provide Dermatologically Approved, toxin-free formulas at an affordable price point that encourage long-term radiance. This PETA Certified brand wants its clients to embrace their natural beauty and say goodbye to filters and heavy cosmetic applications.

Meenakshi Ganesh had the opportunity to engage and work alongside CEOs of prominent beauty multinationals while managing the beauty category for Zalora, one of Southeast Asia’s largest online shopping platforms with locations in Singapore, Hong Kong, Philippines, Malaysia, and Taiwan. She discovered what made a successful brand tick, as well as the importance that brands have on formulation quality. She couldn’t find a single brand that satisfied my skincare requirements when she returned to India. Because the brands available were either excessively expensive or compromised on formulation quality to be price competitive, they did not provide any tangible benefits.

This void inspired her to found Light Up Beauty, a direct-to-consumer beauty company. The company sells a Smart Skincare system that uses superfoods and natural ingredients as active ingredients to deliver results without the use of toxins or harsh chemicals.

To ensure that all of the compositions are fully toxin-free, the brand follows the ’10 Clean Commandments.’ No parabens, sulfates, harsh lighteners, urea, talc, mineral oil, or alcohol are used in any of their products.

Given the fragile status of the industry and lack of awareness surrounding the brand, launching the startup during COVID was difficult. However, she worked hard to educate clients about the distinctiveness of the chemicals used in the formulation, and orders gradually increased.

Light Up debuted on Amazon just before 2021 and claims to have served more than 3,000 consumers in its first year.