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At a time when masks of different textures – medical, silk, cotton cloth and gold - are being tried and tested, a group of three women have designed and developed a skin-friendly herbal protection mask - Manjappai, with an eye on wellness.
The hand-crafted product has been certified by the South India textile Research Association (SITRA) for breathability and bacterial infiltration, says 26-year-old Sindhu Parthasarathy, the brain behind “Manjappai” mask.
The trio, she said, tried herbs infusions as it would not only protect their immune system but also be beneficial in many ways, as people complained of discomfort over wearing the protective gear for long hours. “Masks act as a medium between the air we breathe and our lungs, besides acting as a shield from infectious bodies. Breathe of freshness is therefore vital.”
“Manjal (turmeric) has a rich tradition, is used in everyday life, is an antioxidant notwithstanding its anti-inflammatory property. The inner-layer of the three-layered mask is dyed using natural/ medicinal herbs such as manjal, thulasi, vetiver and other infusions, keeping in mind – protection, comfort and well-being of the user, while the outer-layer – which is a designed fabric is sourced from outside and the middle-one – being a filter layer,” Parthasarathy explained.
Infusion variants include immunity booster (which is a combination of lemon grass, peppermint and karpooravalli), tension free (some tribal herbs), refreshing (combination of lavender and jasmine), and healthy skin (combination of kumkumaadi and manjal).
“The processes are different for each of these. We source the herbs from the tribal community and agri-produce such as manjal and black manjal from farmers in Erode and Meghalaya, and give away 60 percent of the proceeds back to the tribes,” Parthasarathy, who incidentally is a national level rifle shooter and co-founder of NGO LOoP
The production capacity is 2,000 masks/ day.
The product has been launched online, through the firm’s website www. manjappai.com.
The trio – Bharathy, Sindhu, her sister Priyadarshini Parthasarathy have invested ₹12 lakh on this project.