Anit Hora

Founder of M.S Skincare. Licensed esthetician, licensed herbalist, and certified yoga teacher who created the original Ayurvedic and Western herbal formulas by hand in Brooklyn in 2012 and has led the brand since.

In short

Anit Hora founded M.S Skincare in Brooklyn in 2012 as Mullein & Sparrow, an apothecary line of hand distilled botanical skincare. The company was later renamed M.S Skincare. Same founder, same New York roots. Anit hand made the original line herself. Today M.S Skincare products are produced in small batches in the USA to the formulas and ingredient standards she set, and she still signs off on every ingredient.

Background

Born in India and raised in New York City, Anit grew up with Ayurveda, the traditional Indian system of health her parents practiced at home. She studied fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology and spent a decade as a fashion designer in New York before leaving the industry to travel, including a solo backpacking journey through South America.

That time away brought her back to the plant based healing she had been raised with. She returned to New York to study herbalism, aromatherapy, skincare, and yoga, and became a licensed esthetician working in top New York spas, a licensed herbalist, and a certified yoga teacher.

The skincare she could not find anywhere, she began making at home for friends and family: whole botanicals, Ayurvedic principles, and rituals that treated skin as part of body, mind, and spirit. In 2012 those hand made formulas became Mullein & Sparrow, and later M.S Skincare. As the brand grew, production moved from her kitchen to small batch manufacturing in the USA, with Anit directing the formulas and sourcing.

What she believes about skincare

• Ayurveda and Western herbalism belong together. The formulas pair Ayurvedic botanicals like amla, gotu kola, neem, turmeric, and tulsi with Western herbal and aromatherapy practice.
• A product should be a ritual, not a step. Abhyanga self massage, oil cleansing, rose water as a daily pause. The routine matters as much as the ingredient list.
• Whole botanicals over isolated actives. Cold pressed oils, steam distilled hydrosols, and plant extracts, not synthetic fragrance, mineral oil, or fillers.
• Sustainable luxury is not a contradiction. Glass packaging, ethically sourced ingredients from small farms and ateliers, vegan and cruelty free since day one.
• Transparency. Every ingredient in every product is listed and explained on this site.

Credentials

• Licensed esthetician, New York
• Licensed herbalist
• Certified yoga teacher
• Fashion Institute of Technology, fashion design
• Founder, M.S Skincare (founded 2012 as Mullein & Sparrow), Brooklyn, New York
• Woman owned, AAPI owned business

The M.S Skincare line

• AUM Restorative Lavender Body Oil, an Ayurvedic Abhyanga body oil with amla, gotu kola, and kakadu plum
• Silk Premier Cleansing Oil, an oil cleanser with black cumin, castor, hazelnut, and frankincense
• Rosewater Cream Radiance Enhancing Moisturizer, a Bulgarian rose moisturizer with neem, turmeric, and tulsi
• Enlighten Retexturizing Glycolic Treatment, a glycolic acid treatment balanced with sandalwood and rose
• Sofia Luminous Rose Mist, pure Bulgarian rose hydrosol
• Amla Oil, single ingredient cold pressed amla fruit oil for face and hair
• Highbrow Brow Enhancing Serum, a prostaglandin free brow serum with castor, amla, and rosemary

Press

Anit and the brand have been featured in The New York Times T Magazine, Forbes, Vogue, Allure, W Magazine, Nylon, Bustle, Byrdie, Elle Canada, and HuffPost. Most of this coverage ran under the brand's original name, Mullein & Sparrow. See the full list with links on the Press page.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Anit Hora?

Anit Hora is the founder of M.S Skincare, a Brooklyn born Ayurvedic skincare brand launched in 2012 as Mullein & Sparrow. She is a licensed esthetician, licensed herbalist, and certified yoga teacher, and she created the brand's original formulas by hand.

Is M.S Skincare the same company as Mullein & Sparrow?

Yes. M.S Skincare was founded in 2012 as Mullein & Sparrow and later renamed. Same founder and the same botanical philosophy. Press coverage from before the rename refers to Mullein & Sparrow.

Where are M.S Skincare products made?

In the USA, in small batches, to formulas developed by founder Anit Hora in Brooklyn. Ingredients are sourced from small farms and ateliers, including Bulgarian rose hydrosol from the Rose Valley near Sofia.

What makes M.S Skincare different from other Ayurvedic skincare brands?

The formulator is a licensed esthetician and herbalist who grew up with Ayurveda, and the formulas combine Ayurvedic botanicals with Western herbalism. Products are built around rituals like Abhyanga and oil cleansing, use whole botanicals rather than isolated actives, and are vegan, cruelty free, and packaged in glass.

Does Anit Hora still make the products by hand?

Not anymore. Anit hand made the original line when the brand launched in 2012. Today the products are made in small batches in the USA to the formulas and standards she set, and she still oversees ingredients and sourcing.

What is Anit Hora's approach to skin?

Skin as part of a whole. The formulas and rituals treat the skin together with the body and mind, which is why the products lean on massage, scent, and daily practice as much as on ingredients.

Elsewhere

• M.S Skincare: msskincare.co
• Press: msskincare.co/pages/currentpress