The Changing Face of Beauty Products in India

The beauty industry has various techniques, methods and products to keep moving it forward. The beauty products market comprises of a big portion in the beauty industry. Various brands keep popping up from time to time, providing beauty products which are what consumers want to invest their money in. Chemical based products were what was available to the consumers till some time back as there was no other option available. With the advancement in technology and birth of new ideas to innovate, brands have come up with beauty products which are a part of Mother Nature. There are various segments in this category and consumers do need to understand the difference between all of them to ensure proper utilisation.

Categorising Products by Mother Nature
With so many changes happening in the products section of the beauty industry, choosing products good for the skin and which have the benefits of Mother Nature are not hard to decide on. There are basically four major segments which have all of the attention of the consumers at present- organic, herbal, ayurvedic and natural. Though these segments are flooded with products respective to their names consumers do need to distinguish between them in order to reach out to the ones which suit their needs perfectly.

Factors for the Changing Consumer Preference
The preference of consumers is changing and this has brought a shift in the way beauty products are looked at. Products in organic, natural, ayurvedic and herbal have garnered a huge consumer following as they are far better than chem8icak based products. Safe products are the need of the hour as consumers are looking at using products which provide some benefits to the skin. The shift towards the product with natural, organic, herbal and ayurvedic tendencies has increased and this is definitely challenging the chemical based products market as consumers are now more aware of their well-being and want to invest in beauty products which yield good results.

What the Future Holds?
As consumers are focusing more on products based on natural and safe ingredients, the future seems to look quite promising. Consumers have realised the need to accept products which are safe to the skin as well as to nature. Chemical based products not only harm the skin but also snatch away the natural beauty from it. With the increasing demand for safe products, especially under the four major categories, the market looks promising and will grow further.

Brands Venturing into the ‘Safe Products’ Segment
Various brands have stepped into the market to provide products that are gentle to the skin and provide various other benefits. Brands like The Body Shop, Seasoul, Patanjali, FabIndia, Lotus Herbals, Forest Essentials, Kama Ayurveda, Himalaya Herbals, Herbalife, Biotique, Khadi Naturals and many others are competing to reach success and consumer’s favourites list.

Expert Speak
There are four major words that have been abused quite a lot in India which starts from organic, herbal, ayurvedic and natural. The thing that is happening in today’s time is that lot of products on the shelf are available which could be tagged with either of these. Some consumers are not so educated to know the difference between them but they just trust a brand and buy the product which they think is herbal. The biggest challenge today is that the truth is written in the ingredients section in the smallest font possible because the manufacturer doesn’t want you to read that as the product contains chemicals, says Manisha Chopra, Managing Director, Seasoul Cosmeceuticals Pvt. Ltd.

All these mean different things but you actually have to realise that. There is a vegan movement which is all about being vegetarian. This overlaps a bit with organic because people want to be vegan and organic. Organic basically tends to mean things which are grown without harmful chemicals like insecticides and pesticides. It does not necessarily mean that it will deliver to you anything else apart from food benefits. Ayurveda basically delivers health benefits. It will either take care of the problem if you have any and if not, it will maintain to optimise your health. Ayurveda is more about longevity and organic is more about chemical free, says Anurag Sharma, Managing Director, Shree Baidyanath Ayurved Bhawan Pvt. Ltd.

Conclusion
Beauty products are something which has a direct contact to our skin. Using products which are high on chemicals and do not provide any benefits can leave the skin looking and feeling deeply damaged. Consumers have shifted their interest in safe products as they have understood the real requirements and needs of the skin. With the changing time, products have also evolved and there is no doubt that the change in the products is for good.