India luxury beauty market: Why Skin-Intelligence is winning

India’s beauty market is projected to reach $34 billion by 2028 – fuelled by rising disposable incomes, a large population of digitally savvy youth, and expanding e-commerce networks bringing global brands to every corner of the country.

Alongside this commercial growth, a more significant shift is underway. Indian consumers are becoming distinctly ‘Skin-Intelligent. They are self-educating and becoming more informed and increasingly ingredient-conscious. They are moving beyond aspirational marketing. Instead, they are gravitating toward science-backed skincare and evidence-led decisions.

Buying decisions influenced by education

Glossy celebrity endorsements no longer influence buying decisions of Indian consumers. Instead, consumers are turning to candid digital content on social media to know how beauty products actually work on real people. Their growing interest for transparency and ingredient education has given rise to a new class of influencers that can make or break the trust of Indian beauty consumers in any product.

Some of India’s most influential creators build content around simple, repeatable formats that resonate strongly across the country’s diverse demographics. Get Ready With Me (GRWM) is one such popular format, where creators livestream or record their daily routines while demonstrating a product’s usefulness and show whether it is able to deliver on its promises or is even worth trying. By capturing real-life results, beauty content creators help viewers decide if a high-claim product actually fits their specific needs.

These video journeys resonate deeply with Indian audiences and command massive viewership as reflected in a YouTube analysis, which claims that short-form ‘GRWM’ videos crossed 7.2 billion views in India .

India’s consumers are becoming Skin-Intelligent.

Indians are developing greater ingredient literacy and becoming Skin-Intelligent by actively researching the components of their beauty and cosmetic products.

According to an independent study by Luxury Volt in India, There has been a consistent rise in the search volume of  beauty ingredients from 2022 to 2026.

Salicylic Acid, Nicotinamide, Retinol, Ascorbic Acid and Alpha Arbutin were the most searched ‘viral ingredients in beauty’ in India during this time.

Popular searches included Salicylic serum and Salicylic face wash, alongside brand-specific search-terms like FoxTale niacin-amide serum, Re’equil retinol night cream, and Pilgrim products with Arbutin.

Luxury skincare to benefit the most with Skin-Intelligence

In the luxury segment, skincare category (including sunscreens) is forecast to be the fastest growing beauty category, driven by informed, ingredient-led consumption. Skincare accounted for only 19% of the total Indian luxury beauty market in 2023, but by 2028 it will grow to 27%.

The skincare category has seen a rising interest in India on YouTube; short videos with ‘skincare’ in their title got more than 4 billion views in a single year, in India, while videos referencing ‘serum’ crossed 872 million views.

Medical professionals, particularly dermatologists, have built large followings on social media translating clinical knowledge into accessible, everyday language. Though women make up the majority of this audience, men are increasingly searching for grooming and skincare content, indicating a gradual shift away from traditionally gendered consumption patterns.

Embracing A-beauty

How Indians practice skincare is visibly shaped by the country’s cultural diversity. Younger Indian consumers, too, are increasingly embracing indigenous remedies for skincare. Luxury Volt, an independent Indian luxury market analyst, conducted in-depth research on India’s beauty trends. The study reveals that A-beauty (Ayurveda)-related search terms, such as “Turmeric (Haldi) for skin” and “Neem for skin,” continue to attract high search volumes on YouTube even in 2026.

As a result of this interest, beauty influencers are reimagining India’s wellness traditions for younger consumers. On YouTube, creators particularly from smaller cities are presenting their A-beauty practices in practical everyday-use formats, as new-age beauty tips. They show how simple kitchen or garden items like Turmeric, Neem, and Coconut oil can be powerful ingredients in  skin-care rituals.