Here is a reproduction of an article published about Romantaque and Mrinmayee in Femina in the issue of 06th October 2010, written by Panna Saroopa. It is on page 178-179 Femina of October 06, 2010 issue.
What’s the big idea?
We, as women, innovate every day. The only way to stay in the game is by discovering smarter ways to do everything. But imagine if your brainwave transformed your community or created a vision for the future. Our campaign celebrates such ideas and the women behind them. We bring you their inspiring stories in every issue. And if you already have a Big Idea or know of someone who has, write to us at femina@wwm.co.in with ‘What’s The Big Idea’ in the subject line. Happy inventing!
Off with Her Hair
Mrinmayee Bhushan’s Hairminator is a herbal cream that promises to permanently and painlessly put your razor and waxing strips to rest. By Panna Saroopa
To never have to wax again is a dream that drives women in hordes to laser clinics. It propels them to hand out wads of cash without flinching, since when you do the accounts, a lifetime of waxing jobs probably add up to more than any clinic would charge you to nip the problem in the bud. But imagine a hair cream, available over the counter, that postpones those waxing jobs by stunting hair growth? Mrinmayee Bhushan’s invention, the Hairminator, a herbal cosmetic cream, promises to do just that. It is probably the first of its kind in India. The Hairminator is patented hair growth inhibitor and promises you‘ll be hair-free for months.
ROOT IT OUT
The Hairminator has been 37-year-oldPune-based microbiologist Mrinmayee’s pet project for over a decade. “The Cream to be applied after hair is removed by waxing, epilation, plucking or threading. It has to be used daily for week, twice a day,” explains Mrinmayee. “The actives present in the product seep into the follicle and stunt its capacity to grow hair.” If you repeatedly use the cream on your skin after each waxing / threading session, the results Mrinmayee promises are gratifying. She says,”Even when the product use is not so consistent, the regrowth is weaker, thinner and lighter. You can go months without hair removal.
INSPIRED INVENTING
Mrinmayee’s aunt inspired her invention. “During my post-graduation a relative of mine was going through menopause. She was so conscious of her facial hair that she didn’t to step out of her home” says Mrinmayee. “Unwanted hair is the bane of modern women- both old and young – and I decided to do something about it. At that time I was in college, studying protein synthesis and protein synthesis inhibitors, and it suddenly struck me one day that this particular category of substances could be used for hair growth inhibition. That was the moment of truth.”
NOT JUST IN INDIA
The patenting process for Hairminator was a long and expensive one, but it resulted in Mrinmayee appearing for the patent agent examination herself. Till date, her product has been credited with four patents – in India, Australia, South Africa and the UK. “I received a grant from the Department of Science and Technology and from the head of Techno-Entrepreneurship Promotion Programme. Which helped me improve the product even more.” says Mrinmayee.
AYURVEDA NEXT
Mrinmayee and her husband Bhushan floated a company called Mindfarm Novatech in 2003. “We documented innovative concepts and products, but the idea of hair growth inhibition topped my chart as the big idea,” says Mrinmayee whose perseverance was rewarded when the Maharashtra Government’s Food and Drug Administration gave them the license to manufacture the product in 2006. Soon the product – Romantaque, nicknamed – Hairminator was ready to be patented and hit the market. It’ll be available in stores like Apna Bazaar and Reliance. Deeply influenced by the different take Ayurveda offers to modern scientific researches like her, Mrinmayee is planning to use the ancient science to open up new leads to health issues like obesity, cardiovascular disease, lipomatosis and chemoprevention. As she puts it, “My dream is to create cost effective, all natural and side effects free cures that will link modern science and Ayurveda closely”.
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