An Interview with Prasanna Vasanadu, Father or mother Educator and Founding father of Tikitoro

An Unique Interview with Prasanna Vasanadu, Father or mother Educator and Founding father of Tikitoro, one of many main D2C manufacturers

On this unique interview, Prasanna Vasanadu, dad or mum educator and founding father of Tikitoro, shares her inspiring journey from homemaker to constructing India’s first private care model made particularly for youths and youths, pushed by her mission for sincere, science-backed, and secure options.

What impressed you to create Tikitoro, and what hole out there did you goal to fill with this initiative?

Prasanna Vasanadu: I’m Prasanna Vasanadu — a Pc Science engineer with a post-graduation in Advertising. I by no means anticipated to change into an entrepreneur. After 14 years as a homemaker, my journey shifted once I turned a dad or mum.

My ardour for aware parenting led me to change into a licensed Father or mother Educator with Parenting Issues, Chennai, the place I spent years guiding households to construct deeper connections.

As my son grew older, I observed a severe hole in private care — child merchandise had been too mild, grownup merchandise too harsh. Regardless of deep analysis, I discovered that really clear, efficient merchandise for youths and youths had been onerous to come back by — both too costly, solely partially secure, or obtainable solely overseas.

Having confronted my very own well being challenges, together with PCOD, hypothyroidism, infertility, and alopecia, I knew firsthand the hazards of endocrine disruptors and hormone-disrupting chemical compounds. I couldn’t ignore what children had been being uncovered to.

When nobody else was fixing the issue, I selected to be the change. That call led to the beginning of Tikitoro — a model constructed on science, security, and sincerity, providing dermatologically examined, age-appropriate care for youths aged 4 to 16.

In the present day, Tikitoro is trusted by over 1 lakh households worldwide — what started as my mission as a mom has now change into a motion for safer childhood care.

As a dad or mum educator, what’s your core philosophy with regards to educating dad and mom about little one improvement and parenting methods?

Prasanna Vasanadu: As a dad or mum educator, my core philosophy is rooted in two key ideas: Parenting with Connection and Science-Based mostly Parenting.

Parenting with connection means understanding how a toddler’s mind develops and realizing what is true for them at every age—what behaviours are regular, what they want, and what values we are able to train them at that stage.

I additionally consider that good parenting begins with the dad or mum. When dad and mom take time to know and heal themselves, it helps them change into extra calm, assured, and related of their parenting. This self-awareness makes an enormous distinction in how they relate to and reply to their little one over time.

Once we perceive mind improvement, it turns into simpler to attach with the kid and likewise information the dad or mum in a extra considerate means. That is what I deal with—setting boundaries with kindness, utilizing information backed by science, and bringing consciousness into on a regular basis parenting.

How does Tikitoro differentiate itself from different parenting sources or platforms obtainable right this moment?

Prasanna Vasanadu: Tikitoro was born out of an actual parenting want. As a mom, I struggled to search out merchandise that had been really secure and efficient for my rising little one.

Child merchandise had been too delicate, and grownup merchandise had been too harsh. Most manufacturers weren’t providing something age-appropriate — simply intelligent packaging round grownup formulations.

When Vinita Singh known as Tikitoro an sincere model, it stood out — as a result of honesty is strictly how we’ve constructed this. We aren’t white-labelled.

We formulate every part ourselves, and each single product is dermatologically examined and authorized for security.

In contrast to many manufacturers that certify a couple of merchandise and promote it as a brand-wide declare, Tikitoro certifies every product individually. No shortcuts. No exaggerations.

This model is utilized by our personal workforce for his or her youngsters — together with mine. It’s not only a enterprise for us; it’s a accountability. Tikitoro exists to provide children and youths entry to wash, science-backed care made only for them. Nothing extra, nothing much less.

What challenges did you encounter whereas establishing Tikitoro, and the way did you overcome them?

Prasanna Vasanadu: One main problem was breaking by means of the misperception that “children don’t want skincare” or that “no matter works for adults is ok for youths.”

Educating shoppers in regards to the significance of age-appropriate care took time, consistency, and quite a lot of affected person storytelling.

One other problem was formulating merchandise that meet the best security requirements—dermatologically examined, endocrine disruptor-free, EU-compliant—whereas nonetheless being enjoyable, sensorially pleasant. We needed merchandise that weren’t solely secure but in addition efficient

Our Deo Mist was fastidiously formulated to satisfy the EU requirements for allergen-free fragrances. Initially, the EU listed 20 elements that wanted to be averted for a perfume to qualify as allergen-free. Later, this listing expanded to 80 elements, making the standards a lot stricter.

To make sure that our Tikitoro Teenagers Deo Mist continued to satisfy these up to date requirements, we needed to reformulate and rigorously check the perfume to make sure not one of the 80 listed allergens had been current in our product.

Regardless of the challenges, we stayed dedicated to delivering a formulation that’s not solely allergen-free by EU requirements, but in addition secure, clear, and efficient for teen pores and skin.

We don’t rush to launch. Each formulation is examined rigorously with inner focus teams—particularly workplace mothers and dad or mum circles—and solely strikes ahead as soon as it’s confirmed to be each secure and aligned with actual person expectations.

This course of can take time, but it surely’s important to make sure our merchandise aren’t simply clinically sound, but in addition emotionally and virtually related.

Balancing security, efficacy, and expertise meant prioritizing allergen-free fragrances, naturally derived elements, and textures appropriate for delicate, rising pores and skin. It wasn’t straightforward—however staying true to our mission made all of the distinction.

How do you have interaction with dad and mom to make sure that the content material and sources supplied by Tikitoro are related and useful?

Prasanna Vasanadu: We preserve an ongoing dialogue with our neighborhood by means of focus teams, dad or mum interviews, and direct suggestions loops on a number of communication channels like whatsapp, electronic mail telephone, social media

Tikitoro isn’t inbuilt isolation; it’s formed by the on a regular basis considerations of fogeys navigating puberty, hygiene habits, and wellness for his or her children & teenagers.

Our content material displays these actual conversations, and we evolve constantly primarily based on what we hear from dad and mom and their children/teenagers

New product concepts at Tikitoro usually emerge from the queries and strategies we obtain from dad and mom—and generally even from children and youths—by means of our communication channels. These ‘real-life wants’ assist form our product improvement pipeline.

Earlier than launching any product, we contain focus teams of fogeys to collect sincere suggestions, and the ultimate resolution to launch is at all times primarily based on their collective enter.

We additionally maintain common suggestions classes with clients who’ve bought our merchandise, and their insights are invaluable in refining formulations and guiding future improvement.

What are some widespread misconceptions about parenting that you simply encounter, and what recommendation would you give to oldsters to assist them navigate these challenges?

Prasanna Vasanadu: One large false impression is the concept that children needs to be shielded from conversations about physique care, hygiene, or adjustments till “later.” The reality is, the sooner we set up wholesome habits, the extra assured and succesful youngsters change into.

My recommendation? Begin early, normalize the dialog, and select merchandise and practices that empower slightly than overwhelm. Children and youths aren’t mini-adults — they deserve options made only for them.

What are your future aspirations for Tikitoro? How do you envision the platform evolving within the coming years?

Prasanna Vasanadu: Tikitoro will proceed to develop past merchandise and change into a trusted authority in children’ and youths’ physique care schooling.

We’re increasing our content material library to assist dad and mom and youths navigate private care with readability, confidence, and a way of empowerment.

On the coronary heart of all of it is our message: “You’re stunning the way in which you might be.” Via secure skincare and sincere conversations, we goal to construct confidence from an early age.

On the enterprise entrance, we’re gearing up for big scale hyperlocal growth and progress, worldwide growth, entry into retail shops and salon chains to extend accessibility.

Lengthy-term, I see Tikitoro shaping the narrative round secure, science-backed private take care of the subsequent technology—wherever they’re.

How has your personal journey as a dad or mum influenced your work as an educator and the event of Tikitoro?

Prasanna Vasanadu: This isn’t only a enterprise for me — it’s deeply private. It’s my mission as a mom.

After going by means of my well being challenges , from PCOD and hypothyroidism to infertility, I turned deeply conscious of how a lot hurt hormone-disrupting chemical compounds could cause. After I turned a dad or mum, I knew I didn’t need my son, or any little one like him, to be uncovered to the identical dangers.

As I regarded for secure, efficient private take care of him, I discovered nothing that really felt proper — child merchandise had been too delicate, grownup ones too harsh. What existed was both partially secure, unaffordable, or unavailable in India. That’s once I realised: if nobody else is fixing this, I’ve to.

Each product I create is one thing I belief sufficient to make use of on my little one. If I can’t stand it as a dad or mum, I gained’t launch it. That’s the usual I maintain myself to — not simply as a founder, however as a mom first.

This mission — to carry clear, secure, endocrine disruptor-free care to children and youths — is what drives me on daily basis. It’s what provides me the readability, ardour, and objective to construct one thing really significant, and to maintain exhibiting up for households like mine.

Prasanna’s story is a testomony to purpose-driven entrepreneurship, resilience, and her dedication to little one well-being. As Tikitoro grows, she continues empowering households and redefining take care of the subsequent technology.

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