Our Story

Beauty is
conscious
living.

Founded on a 5,000-year-old skincare recipe from India — and a belief that business and conscious living are two sides of the same coin.

What we believe

The world we
come back to.

R

Rooted

In nature, ancient wisdom, and cultural memory. Our recipes are not invented — they are remembered.

P

Pure

Clean ingredients, zero waste, less is more. Nothing hidden behind a pretty label.

R

Radiant

Impact, openness, glow from the inside out. Skin that remembers what it was always meant to do.

A warm, loving gift received during the 2022 holidays — in the form of handmade bar soap — transformed into today's Petals & Pods face wash sticks. This business has become one of the ways my life expresses itself. Business and conscious living are not extreme ends — but two sides of the same coin.
— Leena Valleru, Founder
Our Story · In Her Own Words

The why behind every stick.

5,000
Year old recipe
100%
Natural ingredients
Hand
Pressed in the US
Zero
Synthetic fillers
How it began

The journey from gift to ritual

2022

A gift that changed everything

A handmade bar soap received during the holidays sparked a question — why don't more people have access to this? The Nalupu / Ubtan recipe from India, 5,000 years old, became the foundation.

2023

First batches, pressed by hand

Small-batch production began in San Francisco. Every stick pressed by hand, sourced from traceable ingredients, packaged with zero-waste intent. The Glass Skin Miracle Cleanser was born.

2024

Jazba Collective · Farmers Markets · Craft Fairs

Petals & Pods found its community — at farmers markets, handmade craft fairs, and through the Jazba Collective Accelerator. Real customers, real stories, real skin transformations.

2025

Two sticks. Two rituals. One belief.

The Brightening One-Step Glow Cleanser joined the collection. Expanding the range while refusing to scale the soul of what makes each stick special — hand-pressed, small batch, always.

Now

Exploring more ancient recipes

We are yet to explore more recipes. A formula creator intern from Milpitas is joining to research and revive time-proven skincare traditions from diverse global cultures. The journey has just begun.

The people behind the sticks

Meet the team

Leena Valleru — Founder
Leena Valleru
Founder

Explorer of self-knowing. Conscious living advocate. The vision, the recipes, and the heart behind every stick we press. San Francisco — London.

Varsha — Co-Founder
Varsha
Co-Founder

Co-architect of the Petals & Pods vision. Brings the operational depth and collaborative spirit that turns ancient recipes into a thriving modern brand.

L
Lokesh
Virtual Assistant

The operational backbone that keeps everything running smoothly — from communications to coordination — so the founders can focus on what matters most.

D
Dhruv Parashar
Growth Partner · ClutchFox

Digital growth strategist at ClutchFox. Building the digital infrastructure — website, Amazon, marketplace expansion — that takes Petals & Pods to the world.

Photos will be updated soon — reach out at hello@petalsandpods.com

What drives us

Our principles don't change
with the seasons.

01

Earth first, always

Every ingredient, every package, every decision is filtered through one question: does this honour the earth we come back to?

02

Ancient wisdom, modern trust

We don't invent — we revive. Time-proven recipes from diverse global cultures, brought to modern skin with full transparency.

03

Buy less, choose well

Anti-consumerism isn't a marketing line for us. One stick, two uses, morning and evening. Less is genuinely more.

04

Business as conscious living

We are living proof that commercial success and ethical practice are not at odds — they are the same path, walked with intention.

Begin your ritual

Two sticks. Two ancient recipes. One belief — that the slowest, oldest way of making skincare is still the best one.

Shop the collection