Ayush Shukla explores an important question about consumer behaviour, brand positioning, and the economics behind premium products through an interesting observation about Forest Essentials. Why does one bottle of premium hair oil sometimes cost significantly more than what other brands charge for an entire bottle? The answer may not always lie in packaging, marketing, or brand recognition. Sometimes, it begins with the ingredients themselves.
In a marketplace where consumers frequently compare products based on price, understanding what goes into making a product becomes equally important. Ayush Shukla brings attention to this distinction through a conversation with Samrath Bedi of Forest Essentials, a company founded by his mother in 2000. Their discussion highlights how a brand’s pricing strategy can reflect its manufacturing choices, sourcing practices, and commitment to controlling the quality of its ingredients.
The Difference Between Price and Value
Consumers often associate expensive products with attractive packaging, premium stores, or established brand names. While these elements influence purchasing decisions, they do not always explain the actual value of a product.
Ayush Shukla highlights how Forest Essentials approaches its oil production differently. Instead of purchasing ready-made oils from external suppliers, the company moved towards pressing its own ingredients, including almonds and sesame seeds. This approach gives the business greater visibility into its raw materials, production processes, and ingredient costs.
The distinction is important because the cost of producing a product is not always comparable across brands. Two bottles may look similar on a store shelf, but their contents, manufacturing methods, and ingredient quality can be entirely different.
Ayush Shukla uses this example to encourage consumers to look beyond the price printed on a label. A lower price does not automatically indicate better value, just as a higher price does not automatically guarantee superior quality. Understanding the product requires understanding what is actually inside it.
Why Manufacturing Control Matters
One of the central lessons from the conversation is the importance of controlling the production process.
When a company depends entirely on external suppliers, it may have limited visibility into how certain ingredients are produced and processed. By bringing essential production activities in-house, a brand can develop a clearer understanding of its raw materials and maintain greater control over consistency.
For Forest Essentials, pressing oils internally represents more than a manufacturing decision. It connects the company’s product philosophy with its operational structure.
Ayush Shukla draws attention to how this decision changes the economics of production. If the raw ingredients required to make a product cost more than the retail price of a competing finished product, the two products may not be operating with the same ingredient standards.
This does not mean that every affordable product is inferior. Different businesses operate with different sourcing arrangements, formulations, production efficiencies, and target markets. However, consumers should recognise that products with similar appearances can have very different compositions.
The Importance of Reading Product Labels
Another important point raised by Ayush Shukla concerns ingredient awareness.
Many consumers purchase personal care products based on fragrance, appearance, advertisements, and familiar brand names. They may not spend much time reading the ingredient list printed on the packaging.
The example of mineral oil illustrates why this habit matters. A product marketed as hair or skin oil may contain a formulation that differs considerably from what consumers imagine when they hear the word natural oil.
The fragrance of a product can also influence perception. A pleasant smell may create an impression of richness or authenticity, even though fragrance alone does not establish the quality of the ingredients.
Ayush Shukla encourages a more informed approach to purchasing decisions. Reading labels, understanding ingredients, and comparing formulations can help consumers distinguish between products that appear similar but serve different purposes.
For businesses, this creates an important responsibility: product communication should be clear enough for customers to understand what they are purchasing.
Premium Pricing Needs a Reason
The discussion about rose water provides another example of how pricing reflects differences in positioning and production.
When a product is available at multiple price points, consumers naturally question why one brand charges significantly more than another. The answer may involve sourcing, formulation, production methods, quality-control processes, packaging, distribution, and brand positioning.
Ayush Shukla highlights that premium pricing becomes meaningful when a company can explain the value behind it.
Simply attaching a higher price to a product does not create genuine differentiation. Customers eventually want to understand what makes the product different and whether that difference matters to them.
Brands that invest in their production processes must communicate those investments effectively. Otherwise, consumers may see only a price difference without understanding the reasoning behind it.
This is particularly relevant in competitive industries where businesses frequently compete through discounts and promotional offers. Instead of focusing exclusively on being cheaper, companies need to establish what makes their products worth considering.
Emotional Connections and Consumer Memory
The most interesting part of Ayush Shukla’s observation is the connection between product quality and personal memories.
He recalls the familiar childhood experience of mothers warming oil in a small bowl, applying it to their children’s hair, and filling the house with a distinctive fragrance on a Sunday morning.
For many people, that smell became associated with care, comfort, and tradition. However, the fragrance itself was not necessarily proof of the ingredients or effectiveness of the oil.
This distinction reveals something important about consumer psychology. People do not purchase products based only on functional benefits. Their decisions are also influenced by memories, emotions, habits, and cultural associations.
For brands, understanding these emotional connections can help create meaningful communication. However, emotional storytelling must be supported by the actual product experience. A memorable advertisement may attract attention, but the product must deliver on the expectations it creates.
Lessons for Entrepreneurs and Modern Businesses
The conversation offers several practical lessons for entrepreneurs.
First, businesses should understand their product economics. Knowing the cost and quality of raw materials helps companies make informed decisions about sourcing, pricing, and profitability.
Second, operational transparency can become a competitive advantage. When brands understand their production processes, they are better positioned to explain their differentiation.
Third, marketing should educate rather than simply persuade. Customers who understand the reasons behind a product’s price may make more informed purchasing decisions.
Finally, businesses should avoid competing only on price. Constant discounting can make it difficult to communicate the unique value of a product. A clearly defined product identity, consistent quality, and transparent communication provide a different approach to building customer trust.
Looking Beyond the Price Tag
Ayush Shukla’s discussion of Forest Essentials presents a useful reminder that the visible price of a product tells only part of its story. Behind every finished product are decisions about ingredients, sourcing, manufacturing, positioning, and customer expectations.
For consumers, the takeaway is straightforward: read the label, understand the ingredients, and compare products based on what they actually contain rather than how they look or smell.
For entrepreneurs, the lesson goes deeper. Building a brand requires more than creating attractive packaging or establishing a premium image. It requires understanding the product from the inside out and communicating its value honestly.
Ayush Shukla’s observation ultimately encourages a shift in perspective. Instead of asking only why one product costs more than another, consumers and businesses should ask what creates that difference.
Because in a market filled with similar-looking products, the real distinction may not always be visible on the outside. Sometimes, it begins with the very first ingredient.
