Today, there are cosmetic creams from all over the world that promise to keep the skin glowing and healthy. But have women ever wondered when the first cosmetic cream came to India and where it came from? What was its name? So let us tell you, more than a century ago, in 1919, a special Indian indigenous skin care product was launched. Its name was Afghan Snow. This cream became so popular that it soon reached every home in the country. At a time when India was under the British rule and the market was dominated by foreign goods, Afghan Snow raised the proud flag of ‘Made in India’. It became a shining example of Indian entrepreneurship.

The man behind this cream was Ibrahim Sultanali Patanwala, better known as E.S. Known as Patanwala. He was born in a small village in Kutch district of Gujarat. He was hardworking and ambitious since childhood. He came to Mumbai at an early age in search of better opportunities. There was very little money, but there was a deep understanding of perfumes and herbs. He started a small shop in Paydhuni area of ​​Mumbai. There he himself used to make perfumes, perfumes and creams. In the beginning he was just experimenting. Gradually their hard work bore fruit and some became loyal customers. People started liking the things made by him.

How did Afghan Snow get its name?

The story of the name Afghan Snow is also very interesting. King Amanullah Khan of Afghanistan came to India in 1919. In Bombay he met many young entrepreneurs. Patanwala was one of them. Patanwala presented a basket of different things made by him to the king. There was also a jar of white cream in it, which had no name yet. The king saw, smelled and touched that cream. He was very impressed and said, ‘It looks like the snow of Afghanistan.’ So white, soft and pure. Patanwala immediately saw the opportunity and asked, ‘Can I name this cream Afghan Snow?’ The king happily agreed. It was named just like that and Afghan Snow was launched in 1919. This was India’s first homemade beauty cream.

One cream, many things

Afghan Snow was sold as an all-in-one cream. It acted as a moisturizer, was used as a makeup base and also protected the skin from the sun. It became a very convenient and necessary thing for Indian women of that time.

Factory and Swadeshi spirit

As demand increased, Patanwala increased production. He set up a big factory in Byculla area of ​​Mumbai, which was then an important industrial area of ​​Mumbai. Even today there are places named Patanwala Marg and Patanwala Industrial Estate, which remind us of him. Later factories were set up in other parts of Maharashtra also. Compared to that time, his factory was quite modern. He promoted local technology without relying too much on foreign machines. This provided employment to thousands of Indians. During the British Raj, when foreign goods were considered superior, Patanwala proudly got ‘Made in India’ written on his cream bottles.

Gandhiji’s support in Swadeshi movement

During the Swadeshi movement, some people started boycotting ‘Afghan Snow’ considering it to be foreign, because the name was Afghan and initially the bottles came from Germany and the labels from Japan. Patanwala sought help from Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhiji himself investigated and found that it was a completely Indian product. The special thing was that the cream was completely vegetarian and did not contain any animal fat. Gandhiji supported it in his newspapers and asked people to use it. Due to this, Afghan Snow became a symbol of the Swadeshi movement and people’s confidence increased further.

Popularity in Bollywood and society

Patanwala used to organize big banquets and parties, where famous personalities like Nargis, Raj Kapoor used to come. India’s first Miss India pageant was sponsored by ‘Afghan Snow’ in 1952 in Bombay. Stars like Miss India winner Esther Victoria Abraham and actress Nutan were seen in its advertisements. The small glass bottle and beautiful label were considered very premium at that time. By the middle of the 20th century, it had become an essential item in almost every Indian household.

due to decline

Afghan Snow’s popularity began to decline in the 1980s and 1990s. Big brands like Hindustan Unilever, Ponds, Fair & Lovely and Lakme came. They gave aggressive advertisements on TV, launched new formulas and invested a lot of money in marketing. Afghan Snow carried on with its old image and traditional style and did not carry out aggressive campaigning. The result was that new brands captured the market. Today the ‘Afghan snow’ has not completely ended. E.S. Patanwala Private Limited still manufactures it, but availability is very limited. Available on some online platforms or select stores.