Opportunities in natural cosmetics in India

“Full of chemicals” is what comes to our mind first when it comes to cosmetics but times have changed. People are becoming aware and today, the search engine is full of keywords like “natural and organic cosmetic products in India” Why? What led to a drastic change? Is natural the future of cosmetics in India? Let’s find out.

The Great Indian Beauty Industry

India is known to be the land of home remedies. For ages till today, Indians follow homemade beauty recipes along with readymade cosmetic products to maintain the glow on their skin. The obsession with their grandma’s beauty secrets is still going strong and the beauty routine of applying face packs, hair packs, scrubs, and oils, is practiced along with other beauty products. Ever thought about why? Because natural is always safe for skin no matter what safest chemical is used to develop a cosmetic product. This is why natural and organic homegrown cosmetic products are grabbing the limelight in India.

According to a research report submitted on ResearchAndMarkets.com, The Indian Organic Personal Care Products Market is expected to grow from USD571.43 million in FY2020 to USD1,239.04 million in FY2026 growing with a CAGR of 14.69% by FY2026.

Causes of Cosmetic Revolution in India

There are a lot of reasons why the people of India have made such a drastic change in their cosmetic preferences. To start with, it is the undying love for natural products. As we said before, Indians are habituated to homemade beauty routines like applying kitchen ingredients such as curd, turmeric, honey, etc., face pack for skin, and castor oil for hair, but, in today’s hectic lifestyle, not everyone gets time to prepare and try DIY beauty recipes which is why they look for natural and organic products.

Many homegrown brands are now providing natural cosmetic products containing the same-old natural ingredients as their key ingredients in order to make Indian customers fall for them. Like, you will find castor oil derivatives in the ingredient list of numerous skin and hair products.

Secondly, the generation is getting smarter every day. With increasing literacy, access to the internet, easy information access, and urbanization of the country’s population, the awareness of the ill effects of chemicals and synthetic ingredients such as parabens, phthalates, propylene glycol, and formaldehyde that are used extensively in personal care and cosmetic products on the human as well as environment’s health are spiraling upwards like never before. Thus, ditching the chemical-based products, many are opting for natural and organic products that are cruelty-free, vegan, contain toxic-free natural ingredients, and have an environmentally friendly manufacturing process.

The third surprising reason that is booming the need for natural cosmetic products is the growing interest of men in them. Yes, you heard it right. Cosmetic products were always associated with women, but it turns out that the current population of men is equally beauty conscious. Indian men have started taking skincare seriously and are spending a lot on men’s beauty products that include skincare, makeup, grooming, fragrances, hair care, bath, and oral care which is the reason why the Indian cosmetic market is experiencing a sudden boom.

The Rise of the Locals

Now, coming to the biggest twist that has led to the drastic shift in consumer preferences – The Covid-19 pandemic. You might be wondering what is the connection between the pandemic and the sale of cosmetics? Well, the Covid-19 pandemic was undoubtedly devastating but it encouraged businesses to go online. When offline businesses came to standstill and many lost their jobs, a lot of online startups emerged which are going strong post-pandemic as well, and among such startups are homegrown natural and organic cosmetic products. Moreover, with customers preferring online options much safer and are even ready to shell out extra bucks for at-home services, the Indian cosmetic market is experiencing a multifold rise in online sales.

Not Everything That is Green is Natural

With Ayurveda being the roots of the Indian beauty industry, the misconception that people have in mind regarding Indian cosmetic products is that if they are natural cosmetics then they would have all ingredients sourced from nature. Although it has to be that, a lot of customers are having trouble finding a genuine product because in the name of “natural” and “organic,” many brands are selling chemicals in disguised forms which means the outer packaging will describe 100% natural ingredients but somewhere on it there might be the real list of ingredients which are often petrochemicals.

Moreover, many of the brands do not even show the sourcing ingredients, the location where they are grown, how ethical they are in the entire process, or what they were marketed as which are very important in castor oil products and certain cheap castor oil manufacturers avoid displaying it all. This is creating trust issues among customers and the brands that are genuinely natural are suffering the damages.

So, What’s in the Future?

The future of natural and organic cosmetics in India is without a doubt flawless because people now realize how chemical-based products are capable of causing health and environmental issues. Also, the way Indian brands are innovating products that appeal to all skin and hair types and are 100% natural and organic yet give outstanding results similar to chemical ones, there is no denying that the Indian beauty and personal care market will reach the sky in terms of sales and satisfaction.

Takeaway

The expectation doubles among people when a product is organic and natural because they think it’s pure as obtained from nature, free from any toxins or pollutants, will be skin-friendly, cost-effective, and so on. We at Ambuja Solvex, understand our customers’ emotions and attachment towards the natural ingredients and hence do our best to meet those expectations.

Our castor oil and its derivatives are true to its form and there are no hidden chemicals that we add to mask it from you which might be the reason why we are known as the best castor oil manufacturers in India.