Clean, no-nasties segment shines in beauty business

New Delhi: Clean, no-nasties and diligent are the terms now being used in the context of beauty and are shaping the trajectory of a booming and dynamic sector.

Diligent beauty shoppers, particularly millennials and centennials, are increasingly preferring natural beauty and personal care (BPC) products, those which are cruelty-free, devoid of parabens, silicones and harmful dyes, encompassing organic ingredients. All embodying mostly the essence of 'clean and no nasties'.

Over 47% of consumers in India choose natural ingredients as the key feature in facial skincare products, according to research exclusively shared with TOI by market intelligence agency Mintel.

The shift is reshaping the FMCG industry, prompting brands to reformulate products, prioritise transparency and adopt sustainable packaging. The numbers of consumers who prefer no nasties may still be small, industry experts say, but growth and launches in this segment mirror the shift. Clean label is the future as consumers will embrace brands that believe in transparency, trust, and genuineness, they feel.

Says Abhishek Jugran, executive VP marketing, Dabur India: "Clean beauty is a growing trend across the beauty industry in India. While the numbers may still be small, we are seeing this shift in consumer behaviour with the younger audience embracing brands, retail environments and ecosystems that talk about responsibility, sustainability, social improvement and transparency. ''

Among Indian consumers, plant-based is the most popular clean beauty claim as they greatly value natural aspects. Hence, botanical/herbal claims continue to dominate the category, according to Mintel .

"Clean beauty is a fast-growing segment . In line with this, we have introduced product ranges catering to varied consumer demand spaces with digital-first brands," according to an executive at HUL. Meanwhile, 30% of consumers claim that they are reading ingredients more now before making the purchase than they did six months ago, indicating a steady growth of engagement, the Mintel research adds. "There has been a notable rise in product launches featuring claims associated with clean beauty,'' said Mintel's Tanya Rajani, principal analyst, beauty and personal care, India.