PUBLISHED December 15th, 2021 06:00 am | UPDATED July 17th, 2024 09:58 pm
By now, we all know there’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all for any wellness solution. But that hardly means it’s easy to find remedies tailored to our minds and bodies. In an industry clogged with hero products and confusing claims, it’s a long road to building a wellness routine that works for you – all while grappling with health concerns and side effects.
Sisters Mili and Maya Kale know this pain only too well. Since the age of 15, Maya has struggled with PCOS, pouring years of research, doctor’s appointments, and money into managing her symptoms. It was only in natural medicine that she finally found a tailor-made solution that worked for her.
Meanwhile, Mili was stricken with a bad bout of adult acne when she was 27 – “the kind you’re supposed to get when you’re 13”, she jokes. She was immediately told to take Roaccutane, but horror stories about the side effects and the way she felt on it turned her off the medication. Instead, she decided to carve out a more holistic route for herself through supplements and dietary changes.
These experiences formed the inspiration behind Moom – their women’s health platform that’s changing the game with personalized supplements. Rather than simply matching ailments with remedies, Moom adopts a holistic view with a comprehensive quiz on your diet, fitness habits, health concerns, and more. You’ll then receive tailored recommendations for daily supplements that draw on both modern science and Ayurvedic wisdom. Your subscription can come delivered to your doorstep each month, cutting out untold amounts of time and hassle.
Personalizing Wellness
Maya’s background in women’s health, together with Mili’s expertise in education policy, gave the sisters an ideal starting point for their pioneering platform. To develop their quiz, they set out to find an advisory board of medical practitioners – a naturopath, a nutritionist, and an Ayurvedic specialist. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. To ensure they were getting a wide range of expertise, they also worked with five other medical practitioners, including a gynecologist, dermatologist, and hormonal health specialist.
“Each expert contributed to their particular field of expertise,” Maya explains. “A dermatologist for the skin portion, a hormonal health specialist for sex drive and PCOS… Ultimately, we were able to all come up with one comprehensive – yet digestible – set of questions and recommendations that fit everything in!”
Once Moom’s supplement library had been developed, the team ran a closed six-month beta for a hundred women to test and refine their personalized recommendations. It took 1.5 years of creating, formulating, and collaborating, but they finally launched their labour of love this June.
A World of Alternatives
Though Moom only became a reality this June, the inspiration for it took seed many years ago. At its heart lies a belief in the importance of alternative medicines like Ayurveda, alongside the teachings of modern science. “Our parents grew up in India, so we’ve always been exposed to traditional healing modalities,” Maya says. “‘Haldi doodh’ (hot turmeric milk) has been an anti-inflammatory tool for generations!”
Moom aims to make traditional medicine more accessible to a younger – and often more skeptical – generation. You’ll find Ayurvedic herbs like ashwagandha and shatavari in their supplement library, packed alongside common supplements like magnesium and zinc. “A lot of skepticism,” Maya points out, “comes from people not believing traditional medicine has been ‘tested’ or ‘scientifically proven’. That’s what we work to debunk. We use patented ingredients, get all our supplements clinically tested, and formulate for efficacy!”
The sisters believe that while Ayurveda may not work as fast as a prescription, but has lasting effects – while often being kinder on the mind and body. Ultimately, they hope that Moom can become a go-to brand for natural remedies for the modern Asian woman. “We believe there is a huge gap in wellness, especially in this region. Products are often from brands our parents told us to take, ones with exorbitant price points, or simply aren’t available to us – and we’re here to fill that gap. We want to create a culture of wellness that speaks to each and every person!”
Check out Moom here.