Every morning, Muhammad Shefin would brush his teeth and suddenly, his hunger would vanish. He would often wonder why.
“That used to happen to me every day. I’d wake up feeling hungry, but the moment I brushed my teeth, it was like my appetite would no longer exist. It started affecting my digestion. That’s what led me down this whole rabbit hole,” said Shefin.
That rabbit hole is what eventually became Thira Wellness, a conscious lifestyle brand based out of Trivandrum. However, to fully appreciate this story, it’s essential to understand Shefin’s background. I am not talking about his birthplace or upbringing, but rather the environment in which he operates and how it has influenced his perspective on achieving a better lifestyle.
For over a decade, he’s worked as a photographer and DOP in the advertising world, and is currently a creative director at an agency in Dubai. “I know how the industry works,” he told me. “We’re the ones who make brands look good. We build stories, we play on emotions, and we sell trust. So I knew exactly what goes behind the labels of the so-called ‘natural’ and ‘healthy’ products.”
This insider knowledge made it harder for him to turn a blind eye.
When he said that, I was shocked because you don’t really find many people in the advertising world who tell the truth. In all honesty, it’s their job to sell lies; I can’t blame them for that. For Shefin, however, his words weren’t coming from a place of judgment, but rather from honest self-awareness. “Seeing the truth behind the brands I have worked with, I knew somewhere I had to change the way I consume things. I had to find a better way to live for myself by seeking alternative, more organic, and sustainable products, both for myself and for a better tomorrow,” he says.
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The Birth of Thira Wellness
Shefin didn’t set out to start a wellness brand. His first company, Etosha, offered organic innerwear for women and children, which was simple, breathable, and chemical-free. “That was my entry point,” he tells me. “It was about creating naturally dyed, pure, organic, eco-friendly innerwear. While my tryst with this brand taught me a lot and opened my eyes to the world of better living, I soon realised I needed to go deeper. What about the products we use every single day, right on our skin, in our mouths?”
So Shefin started with small swaps. With Thira Wellmess, it began wth a toothbrush. This simple tool is the first thing nearly everyone grabs each morning. So, he replaced his plastic toothbrush with a bamboo one. The next most common plastic item used for personal care is the plastic comb, so he switched to neem combs, which he also created. However, the next significant change in his journey was related to toothpaste, which had a major impact on the way he thought about alternative products.
“I realised that the toothpaste I was using was causing a digestive problem. Every time I brushed my teeth, I would feel that my digestive system was off. My hunger would vanish. Over time, I tried to reduce the amount of toothpaste I used and even switched to plain, flavourless options. However, the issue didn’t go away.” Like many people, Shefin hadn’t given much thought to the ingredients in his toothpaste until they began to affect his health.
What’s Actually in Your Toothpaste?
In his quest for answers, Shefin learned a great deal about toothpaste and its ingredients. He shared with me that many commercial toothpaste brands contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), a chemical used to create foam. “It’s there to provide that lathering effect,” he explained. This ingredient is not only found in toothpaste but also in facial washes, dishwashing liquids, shampoos, and various other products we use daily. Another common ingredient is fluoride, along with sugar.
Additionally, there’s the issue of plastic packaging. Most toothpaste tubes are rarely recyclable, often ending up in landfills or, worse, in the ocean.
Motivated by these concerns, Shefin started to eliminate conventional toothpastes from his routine in search of a trustworthy alternative that was both eco-friendly and effective. In 2023, he launched Thira Toothpaste Tablets. These tablets resemble mints; simply pop one in your mouth, chew it, and then brush your teeth with a wet toothbrush.
“These tablets solve three key problems,” Shefin explains.
- Cleaner Ingredients:
“Our base is sodium bicarbonate and not filled with chemicals like SLS or Fluroid. We use stevia for sweetness, not sugar, and natural flavouring extracts,” he says. - Controlled Usage:
“Most people use too much toothpaste. It’s something you can’t really control. Since our tablets are pre-portioned, that guesswork is removed. They’re also waterless. Conventional toothpastes are 60% water,” he points out. - Sustainable Packaging:
“Each glass jar contains 60 tablets. That’s a month’s worth, without a single plastic tube in sight.”
“One thing I noticed during my R&D,” Shefin says, “was that people loved the tablets, but many said they missed that ‘burning’ sensation they get from regular toothpaste. They felt like their mouth wasn’t clean without it. They weren’t saying it didn’t work. They were saying it didn’t feel like the toothpaste they’d grown up using.”
But that burning isn’t freshness in reality. It’s actually irritation, he says. “We’ve been conditioned by marketing to believe that burning equals clean. But that sensation harms your taste buds. It’s all part of the illusion.”
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Rewriting Habits
Shefin realised quickly that his biggest challenge at Thira Wellness wasn’t developing a product. It was unlearning an entire culture of consumption. By re-educating customers about this deeply ingrained belief, he hopes to create a shift not just in products but in mindset. “I don’t just market Thira,” he says. “I spend more time educating people about why there’s a better, more eco-conscious alternative.”
But he believes change begins with one person. “If I can help someone switch just one product in their daily routine, that’s a win for their health and the planet.”
From my conversation with Shefin, I realised that he wasn’t here to guilt people into buying or switching to organic. But he just wanted people to see the quiet damage that happens when we never question the things we’ve been doing since childhood. And perhaps that’s the deeper message behind Thira, not just wellness, but awareness.
Thira Wellness, at its core, is still a one-man show. Every product is born from a personal problem that Muhammad Shefin has faced. Each solution is something he has tested on himself before sharing it with the world. His journey doesn’t end with toothbrushes or toothpaste as he continues to explore new alternatives. If it works for him, maybe it can make your life better too.
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