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Yvonne Strahovski didn’t at all times intend so as to add the superstar investor title to her resume. It occurred in a means many hopeful Hollywood collaborators dream of: with a random knock on the door.
Whereas filming season 5 of The Handmaid’s Story in Toronto, a supply of skincare samples from Canada-based clear magnificence model Sahajan — recognized for being a pioneer in Ayurvedic magnificence — arrived on the actress’ make-up trailer. “Conserving the bag I used to be gifted [was unusual] as a result of ordinarily, I might hand it off. Being a mother of three, I simply don’t need to carry round stuff,” Strahovski tells The Hollywood Reporter.
That was round August 2022, remembers the Australian-born star and mom of three boys. “I put the serum on first, and that’s after I was like, ‘Oh that is actually superb.’ It’s a lovely product. That’s what offered me on attempting the remainder of it,” she says.
It was kismet a 12 months later when her workforce reached out to Sahajan founder Lisa Mattam as the corporate was in the midst of seed funding. One Zoom assembly later, Strahovski was amongst buyers within the firm’s seed funding that additionally included artist and poet Rupi Kaur, Lululemon exec Celeste Burgoyne, Colorado-based Ridgeline Ventures (which has additionally backed outside gear model Cotopaxi and Bobo’s meals merchandise) and Toronto-based Wonderment Ventures. The model is at the moment out there on-line within the U.S. at Credo Magnificence, Detox Market, Amazon and sahajan.com.
Left: Nisha Johny, Poorna Jagannathan, Lisa Mattam, Sasha Exeter; proper: Yvonne Strahovski and Handmaid’s Story co-star Ever Carradine.
Sophia Schrank
“When [Yvonne] first reached out, and that is very honest … so it was fairly wild,” Mattam tells THR. “Her supervisor known as me and stated, ‘She will’t get it out of her thoughts.’ That was her precise sentence. I’ll say we’ve been very blessed alongside the way in which to get some actually neat, notable people like Poorna [Jagannathan] who genuinely loves the model. However when it’s somebody who’s by no means met you, you by no means reached out to them and so they come to you? I do know manufacturers say, ‘I desire a model ambassador,’ and that’s an important strategic initiative. I genuinely imagine that due to the natural nature [that] this was very completely different. … Typically the universe delivers to you whenever you don’t even notice.”
On Tuesday, Mattam and Strahovski celebrated the model’s soon-to-launch Everlasting Glow Cream with an intimate brunch on the Santa Santa Monica Correct Resort. Company together with Handmaid’s Story co-star Ever Carradine, Deli Boys actress Poorna Jagannathan, vogue photographer Nisha Johny, Actual Housewives of Toronto star and Ana app co-founder Roxy Earle, content material creator Sasha Exeter and others loved a South Asian-infused menu of turmeric lattes, buckwheat pancakes, avocado toast drizzled with saffron oil and gluten-free Ayurvedic almond banana bread with a facet of ghee.
Sahajan skincare is seen on the model’s L.A. launch occasion for the Everlasting Glow Cream on June 10, 2025, on the Santa Monica Correct Resort in Los Angeles, Calif.
Sophia Schrank
Mattam based Sahajan 10 years in the past after seeing her then-toddler daughter play together with her anti-aging lotions and “I bear in mind considering, ‘I had no concept what the substances in that skincare goes to do to your younger, stunning pores and skin.’ I bear in mind taking her upstairs and saying, ‘If you wish to play with issues, [this] is what it’s best to play with,’ and there have been these little bottles that my dad and mom had introduced again from a current journey to India. It was in that second that I assumed, ‘OK, if my skincare isn’t [safe] sufficient for her, it seemingly isn’t [safe] sufficient for me.”
Trying again on when she launched the model, “there would by no means have been turmeric lattes for brunch,” says Mattam. “I may see how the world had advanced to [being open to] yoga and the way [people] had been beginning to dive into these South Asian and Jap practices. I used to be like, ‘However we haven’t gone right here but with magnificence.’ I essentially imagine you will get your finest power from these substances, and there was no one speaking about it [then]. And so I used to be like, I do know that I will be this conduit. My dad and mom grew up in Kerala, the southern state of India, and it’s truly the epicenter of Ayurvedic examine. So if you happen to had been to go on an Ayurvedic retreat, 9 occasions out of 10, you’d find yourself the place they’re from. For them, we by no means talked about Ayurveda. It was simply the way in which they did issues.”
Along with moving into the sweetness enterprise, Strahovski is discovering methods to remain busy after wrapping The Handmaid’s Story, through which she starred as Gilead spouse Serena Pleasure Waterford. She has but to see the seventh and remaining season of the Hulu collection primarily based on Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel of the identical title.
As for the way she plans to say goodbye to the girl she’s performed for practically a decade? “Properly, I imply, I do know the whole lot that’s occurred, however I simply want to sit down down and at last watch the factor! I’m gonna do it with my associates,” she says, sans youngsters and in a single marathon sitting.
“On this time of not being on digicam, I’d like to busy myself with the whole lot else I can presumably can,” she provides. Viewers can watch her channel one other sort of mom in her directorial debut, Vlog, a brief movie in regards to the behind-the-scenes lifetime of a mommy vlogger. (It’s set to debut on a soon-to-be-confirmed streaming platform quickly.) She’s additionally set to star in and govt produce A Lady of Intelligence, on which she’s partnering with PatMa Productions founder Nina Tassler and president Joan Boorstein.
How did you go from being a fan of the model to an investor?
It actually was simply an intuitive pull. I truthfully simply couldn’t cease serious about it. And I assumed, Oh, I simply observed myself serious about that. That’s bizarre. I don’t usually really feel that means, nor am I even remotely excited about something like this and so I simply form of threw it on the market. I known as my supervisor truly, and I stated, “I do know this sounds loopy, however I attempted this product and I actually did prefer it. And if there was something ever to do sooner or later, this might be the corporate that I might need to associate up with.”
In order that’s after we reached out and that’s when [Lisa and I] met on Zoom, after which I grew to become an investor.
No one organized or deliberate any of this; it simply was a really natural factor. Other than Lisa sending the product, it wasn’t like she was reaching out to associate up and do something collectively. I used to be the one to succeed in out to her ultimately.
Judging from the introduction speeches you and Lisa each gave earlier than brunch, it looks as if you’re each on the identical wavelength, which may be very a lot wanted if you happen to’re going to be in enterprise with somebody.
It’s simple to see how superb Lisa is, she’s simply acquired such a imaginative and prescient. That is clearly a ardour for her and she or he has a tremendous, distinctive background too — she comes from a science background. Her story too, clearly we linked as mothers. She needed a clear product again when her daughter began taking part in together with her skincare. I completely relate. I’ve been both pregnant or breastfeeding for the final seven years of my life! I need to guarantee that something that’s in my home is [safe]. I’m attempting to do one of the best that I can to remain wholesome and this has been part of it.
Sahajan Important Cleaning Oil + Steadiness Toner Duo
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How would you describe your strategy to magnificence and wellness?
It must be pretty pure and clear and natural. I’ve to genuinely just like the product as nicely. I simply go minimal. I’m probably not an excellent product-y particular person, so after I discover a factor that I like, I decide to it for a extremely very long time. Most ladies would in all probability chortle at my make-up package, it actually simply consists of sometimes-used mascara and a forehead brush and a few basis. On the subject of precise make-up, I don’t actually personal eyeshadow or something like that. It’s simply extra about skincare and retaining it clear and pure.
And sitting within the hair and make-up chair in all probability has you feeling such as you simply need to wipe all of it off on the finish of the day.
Sure. I’ve truly been actually shocked on the cleaning oil, it’s superb on the finish of the work day on set too, the place you do have quite a bit in your face, and it’s superb from taking all of it off and it’s so nourishing. It’s actually stunning, genuinely.
How else do you keep within the know in regards to the magnificence world?
I’m fairly reliant totally on Tamah Krinsky, who does my make-up in L.A. She loves all of the clear magnificence, so she’s a extremely nice useful resource for me. Derek Syuen, who does my hair, and make-up artists alongside the way in which that I’ve labored with at work as nicely. I’m fairly loyal, as soon as I discover the one factor, it’s fairly arduous to get me to vary — I do love listening to about all the brand new stuff within the clear house.
What are another necessities that you just at all times preserve in your particular person?
I imply I’m obsessive about [Sahajan’s Lip Karma lip balm] and I normally preserve Ambre Blends [fragrance]. There’s normally some crayons in my bag, there’s normally some random shock factor that I do know I can use in a pinch if my youngsters want some leisure. A diaper, you realize!
Sahajan Lip Karma Lip Balm
Use code SUMMER20 by way of June 17 for 20 p.c off sitewide.
Along with Sahajan, what different initiatives are you engaged on that you may point out?
I partnered up with [producers] Nina Tassler and Joan Boorstein for a e book [Karin Tanabe’s A Woman of Intelligence] that we’re engaged on a pilot for. I’m moving into the manufacturing house a bit of bit [more] after which we shall be releasing my quick that I made [Vlog] quickly as we cleared a few of these music breaks, in order that’s actually holding us again. … It premiered at Palm Springs after which we did six different festivals. We went to Australia. On this time of not being on digicam, I’d like to busy myself with the whole lot else I can presumably can. There’s one shock mission by way of … however that’ll be form of an extended course of.
What satisfied you to go from a fan of the model to investor?
I believe it was extra Lisa’s story, her personalization and her tradition and that she grew up in South India and she or he was embedded in Ayuvedic tradition after which she has her science background.
Her entire story actually spoke to me and the way it was [inspired] by kids. That was form of the straw that broke the camel’s again earlier than she launched into this entire endeavor. It’s not even essentially that it’s Ayurvedic, it’s simply that she has made a degree to do one thing to a excessive normal that’s clear and it was impressed by the truth that she needed her kids to have assist as nicely, her daughter particularly. I believe that simply actually resonates with me as a fellow mother.