Indians have always been known to show up late to the party. By that analogy, we mean trends that have shown prominence globally but have taken their time to reach India. Personal Care as an industry is one such party. Not only have we arrived at the party, we are making it bigger than ever. Although personal care includes make-up, skin care, men’s grooming, hair care, fragrances, bath and oral care, it is only the first three that are dominating the Indian market.
No doubt the likes of Unilever, P&G, Colgate-Palmolive, ITC and now Patanjali have a market share that is tough to compete with, however, there are several startups that are growing in popularity with Indian consumers open to find their niche. Let’s talk about a few that are making a big name for themselves, shall we?
Wild Earth
Mumbai-based brand Wild Earth offers a range of natural beauty products free from sulphates and parabens, an aspect many Indian consumers are now looking for. Founded in 2016 by Shabia Walia, Wild Earth today has 17 categories of handmade and eco-friendly products for hair and skin care ranging from Rs. 199 to Rs. 850, The homegrown brand recorded a whopping annual turnover of Rs. 1.23 crore in 2017-18. Something Shabia must’ve not imagined when she started off making her own body scrub that was a hit just amongst friends and family.
Skin Yoga
Three sisters from Ahmedabad set off to change the game with their personal care brand that offers natural products for face, hair, body and feet. Radhika, Jagriti and Deepika Choudhary launched their company in 2013 with the prime focus on influencing a shift to an organic lifestyle. The brand has won the CosmoProf Las Vegas 2016 Trendsetter Award. Sold over 29 countries, the brand has become a powerhouse in India. Since its inception, the trio’s venture has grown by a whopping 40% year on year in terms of sales.
SkinKraft
Here’s a brand that’s doing things ahead of its time. How? “Data is at the core of SkinKraft – for the first time a cosmetic product has been designed driven by data,” says Chaitanya Nallan, Co-Founder and CEO. SkinKraft creates a holistic assessment of the customer’s skin, charts out the problem areas and recommends a custom skincare regimen fit for their skin profile. Now that’s spot on! This Hyderabad-based startup started business in 2018 and can already boast big numbers with a million women having registered and taken an in-depth skin analysis. The company claims to have grown to $8 million annual recurring revenue (ARR) in a very short time.
Do Bandar
Yes, you read it right. As eccentric as their name, the brand sells erotic massage and lubricant called ‘Love potion’, made purely out of natural essential oils. Do bandar is also one of the very few brands that has spread its wings to make products for pets like paw balms, soaps and health supplements. If this doesn’t make you look it up on Google right away, we don’t know what will. Apart from love and paw-friendly products, they also host an exciting lineup of products for face, body and hair.
mCaffeine
The rise of natural and organic personal care has seen many players build their brands to the top, but none like this. Founded in 2016 by Vikas Lachhwani and Tarun Sharma, mCaffeine is a brand that offers skin and hair care products infused with caffeine. Find it weird? Tell that to the 500K customers the brand has gained since its inception. The founders believe the caffeine-based positioning gives them the edge, so much so that they are planning to roll out a range of green tea products. Not just that, the brand owners have claimed to achieve Rs. 100 crore in annual revenue and 1.5 million customers in the next 12 months.
Plum
Every brand likes to say it, but Plum can actually walk the talk by being India’s first 100% vegan beauty brand. Founded by Shankar prasad four years ago, the brand has established an over-earnest philosophy, with the sole inspiration being the goodness of nature, and driven by the desire to be good and do good. Plum’s product range is made from plant sources, with 40 of them in skincare and body and bath essentials, along with a few colour cosmetics, priced between Rs. 335 and Rs. 1,175. The company is looking to expand its retail presence across India, around 800 stores in their sight in the next three years. Growing at 35% rate every quarter, the founder has said they aim to achieve Rs. 100 crore turnover in the next five years.
The Indian Beauty & Personal Care (BPC) market is now estimated to reach USD 23 Billion by the year 2022, and with the ongoing digital revolution, these startups have found a way to catch eyeballs in the cluttered space occupied by big brands that don’t cater to everyone. In short, watch out giants!
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Sources:
https://yourstory.com/2019/07/hyderabad-startup-skinkraft-data-customised-skincare
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/india/articles/the-best-organic-beauty-brands-in-india/