Mona, Naina, Roshni
Founders, Hibiscus Monkey
Love is often revealed not in grand gestures, but in the way ideas are nurtured and decisions are made. Hibiscus Monkey emerges from a rare alignment of generations, disciplines, and purpose, with tenderness and care.
Some brands are born out of ambition. Others emerge from attentiveness, from listening closely, questioning what has been accepted for too long, and choosing to build differently.
Hibiscus Monkey belongs to the latter.
Founded by Mona Mehta and her twin daughters, Naina Mehta, and Roshni Mehta, Hibiscus Monkey is a homegrown skincare brand that turns its focus to a part of beauty long overlooked: body skin. Not as an afterthought, but with the same seriousness, science, and care usually reserved for the face. At its core, it offers face-grade, research-backed solutions for concerns many quietly live with, like strawberry skin, ingrown hair, cracked heels, uneven texture, and hyperpigmentation.
The story deepens when you meet the women behind the brand. Mona brings decades of experience as a Chartered Accountant and former corporate banker. Naina, a Harvard MBA, spent years shaping global brands at Unilever. Roshni holds a dual MBA–MPP from MIT and Harvard, and has worked closely with the Government of India. Each left behind well-established careers, choosing instead to build something slower, more thoughtful, and deeply personal, more importantly, together.
The Heart of Hibiscus Monkey
Hibiscus Monkey was shaped through rigorous research, incubated at institutions like Harvard and MIT, where the founders engaged with Indian women across age groups and lifestyles. What emerged was a clear gap: while face care had evolved, body care remained largely functional, fragranced, and under-formulated. The brand was born to change that narrative.
Their products are clean, plant-powered, dermatologically tested, and intentionally free from synthetic fragrances, parabens, sulphates, and fillers. They choose ingredients like hibiscus, probiotics, squalane, and gentle exfoliating acids, not for trend value, but for efficacy and skin harmony. The range includes cult favourites such as the Velvet Spray In-Shower Body Moisturiser, Probiotics Body Wash, and Ingrown Hair Treatment. Their recent launch, Velvet Spray Squalane, mirrors the skin’s natural sebum using olive-derived squalane, offering lasting hydration while gently renewing the skin through a balanced blend of AHAs and BHAs, including hibiscus-rosa sinensis and salicylic acid, and the Foot Balm, a mess-free, vitamin-fortified stick, continue the brand’s commitment to bringing face-grade innovation to the most underserved areas of body care.
In a world of loud launches and faster beauty cycles, Hibiscus Monkey feels refreshingly composed. It is a story of women building with intention, of knowledge passed between generations, and of care that begins with listening; to skin, to science, and to one another. A quiet, enduring bond, translated into skincare.
WWeaV in conversation with the women behind Hibiscus Monkey. On care, science, and the bonds that shape both.
Although it’s a cliché question and you’d have answered it so many times, both during the process of founding Hibiscus Monkey, and till date; what made you make the shift from something secure like good jobs that’s a result of good qualifications, to Hibiscus Monkey?
Mona
I am a Chartered Accountant and former corporate banker who began my career at HSBC. At the peak of my professional journey, I made the decision to step away to raise my twin daughters, Naina and Roshni. Two decades passed in what felt like an instant, and at 60, I found myself at a powerful turning point, eager to rediscover purpose and build something meaningful once again.
Hibiscus Monkey is more than a business for me; it represents a personal rebirth. The world has changed dramatically, and I’ve chosen to re-enter it with curiosity, courage, and a renewed sense of adventure; this time alongside my daughters. While finance and operations are second nature to me, what truly excites me is the art of storytelling: building a brand from the ground up, shaping its voice, and bringing it to life. Hibiscus Monkey speaks to young, modern Indian women, with Naina and Roshni proudly leading as the faces of the brand.
Naina
I spent the last decade in the US, beginning my journey as an engineer at MIT before moving into management consulting in New York City, where I worked closely with several luxury beauty clients. The engineer in me became deeply intrigued by how prestige beauty brands leveraged technology to craft meaningful, consumer-centric experiences. This curiosity led me to Unilever Arabia, where I joined their first-ever Digital Marketing Transformation team.
I later went on to manage iconic beauty brands such as Dove and Simple as an Assistant Brand Manager. After completing my MBA at Harvard, I knew with clarity that I wanted to build in the beauty space. That conviction brought me back to India to co-create Hibiscus Monkey with my mother and sister.
Roshni
Like Naina, I spent the past 10 years in the US. After completing my undergraduate studies at Cornell, I began my career as a management consultant in corporate America. However, driven by a desire to contribute meaningfully to India’s growth story, I made the decision early on to move back and work with the Indian Government.
During my time there, I was part of a high-impact war room responsible for rolling out the Prime Minister’s priority welfare initiatives. This experience shaped my belief in the urgent need for India to evolve from a job-seeker economy to a job-creator economy. To deepen my ability to drive change at scale, I returned to the US to pursue a joint MBA and Master’s in Public Policy at Harvard and MIT. This education equipped me with the strategic, policy, and executional skills that I now bring to building Hibiscus Monkey.
The name Hibiscus Monkey is pretty interesting. And monkey and beauty or kindness, don’t exactly go together. Tell us the story behind it.
Roshni: The name Hibiscus Monkey carries deep personal meaning for us. Our very first product, the HM Love Scalp Oil, is inspired by a cherished recipe passed down by our Nani, with fresh hibiscus flowers at its heart, a ritual rooted in care, tradition, and love.
And “Monkey”? That comes straight from Nani too. She lovingly called Naina and me bandarias, her mischievous little monkeys. Hibiscus Monkey was born at the intersection of these memories: a tribute to our roots, to our Nani, and to the playful, joyful spirit that continues to drive everything we create.
Mona is a Chartered Accountant, and a former corporate banker. What does she bring to the table?
Mona: It has been important to me that we build Hibiscus Monkey with intention, not impulse. We are building something that we want to last for generations. We want Hibiscus Monkey to become a legacy brand that Indians are proud of. Naturally building a financially sustainable business from the onset is a priority for us. We are not in the business of cash-burn…we believe brands are built with trust and overtime.
Does Naina, as a Harvard MBA and a former Unilever executive, add to the beauty of Hibiscus Monkey? Does the Unilever philosophy influence the thought process?
Naina: Very strongly. My time at Unilever taught me how rigorous product development needs to be, especially in personal care. The emphasis on consumer insight, testing, and consistency directly informs how Hibiscus Monkey builds its formulations and communicates results. This is why we build all our innovations in house. We are extremely demanding about our formulations and fastidious about every ingredient that goes into our products. We don’t cut corners. This uncompromising approach is costly, but we believe discerning Indian consumers are ready for a higher standard. They seek results and holistic care, and we’re here to deliver.
Roshni, holds a dual MBA-MPP from MIT and Harvard, and has previously worked with the Government of India, does this experience help in shaping the brand or the products?
Roshni: My time in government was invaluable. It fundamentally changed how I think about building a consumer brand in India. In government, you quickly realise that policy and implementation are two very different things. You can design the perfect program on paper, but if it doesn’t account for ground realities, like infrastructure gaps, behavioural patterns, distribution challenges, it fails. That’s exactly what building Hibiscus Monkey is like. As a brand that aspires to be a world class global brand headquartered in India, we are very aware of the fact that our success is intertwined with that of the communities and stakeholders we operate with here in India, and we take ownership for empowering them and building them along with us.
Sustainability is the buzzword, and it shows care for the future. How important is sustainability to Hibiscus Monkey, and where can one see this being infused in the products?
Mona: For us, sustainability is woven into everyday decisions rather than positioned as a headline. It begins with clean, plant-powered formulations that avoid synthetic chemicals that would wash down the drains and pollute our environment. It also extends to our packaging, where most brands opt for plastic, majority of our products come in 100% reusable glass or metal packaging. And whenever we do use plastic for safety reasons, such as our shower products, we have opted for PET plastic bottles that are 100% recyclable.
Mom and daughters, women from two generations, arguments and differences are not uncommon. Where exactly do these happen, do these affect your work, and how do you resolve these to create win-win-win?
Roshni: Differences do arise, often around pace, risk appetite, or creative direction. But those differences are also what make our decision-making stronger.
What helps is a shared foundation of trust. We listen closely, debate openly, and always anchor discussions in what serves the brand best over time. Because we come from different life stages and professional backgrounds, our disagreements often lead to more balanced outcomes rather than conflict.
How supportive has the family been?
Naina: Our family has been a quiet but constant source of strength. From encouraging conversations to patient understanding during long, uncertain phases, their belief in the vision allowed us to stay focused. Knowing that we had emotional backing made it easier to take calculated risks.
What is your take on beauty in the modern times?
Mona: Beauty today is becoming more thoughtful. Consumers are no longer chasing unrealistic ideals; they are seeking honesty, efficacy, and care. Modern beauty is about supporting the skin rather than correcting it, and about building confidence rather than concealing flaws.
Roshni: For far too long, the beauty industry has treated body care as secondary, pouring innovation into the face while leaving the body behind. At Hibiscus Monkey, we set out to challenge that thinking entirely. Our approach to body care is uncompromising: we are rigorous about our formulations and meticulous about every ingredient we use. We refuse to cut corners.
Yes, this level of precision comes at a higher cost, but we believe today’s discerning Indian consumer is ready to demand more. They want real results, thoughtful formulations, and holistic care; and that’s exactly the standard we’re committed to delivering.
What does the future look like for Hibiscus Monkey? How would the range expand and grow?
Naina: The future for Hibiscus Monkey is firmly research-driven. We aim to expand into more specialised body care solutions, strengthen our scientific capabilities, and gradually take the brand to global audiences.
Most recently, this vision has translated into the launch of our Foot Balm Stick, a first-of-its-kind, mess-free, vitamin-fortified innovation bringing face-grade science to one of the most neglected categories in Indian personal care. Long dominated by greasy jars and outdated formulas, foot care has seen little meaningful innovation. Our fast-absorbing, buttery-soft balm heals cracks, softens calluses, and revitalises tired feet, without mess or discomfort.
With more innovations in the pipeline, including a new product launching very soon, this is just the beginning.
Many families have their beauty secrets. It could be the way kajal is made, or in what proportion oils are mixed, how many drops of essential oils to add, many home remedies that the world would like to know and experience as well. Can such people dream of creating a beauty brand? What should they keep in their mind?
Roshni: Traditional knowledge is a powerful starting point, particularly in our Indian culture, but it must be validated through research, safety testing, and modern formulation science. Together that is an unbeatable combination.
For anyone dreaming of building a beauty brand, the key is balance: honour tradition, respect science, and stay patient. When built with integrity and discipline, personal wisdom can evolve into something truly impactful.
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