Beauty and skincare aficionados in India have good reason to cheer as we see, not just a myriad of excellent homegrown brands now grace our shelves, but as many international beauty brands that we’ve been pining for making a foray into the Indian beauty market.
We take a look at five such international beauty brands that’ve made a splash in the Indian market recently… And yes, we’re happy to share that they’re all skincare brands that are clean, organic and cruelty-free.
PRAKTI
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What we know: Launched just last year internationally, and arriving on Indian shores earlier this year, Prakti is a relatively new skincare brand founded by international fashion model, Pritika Swarup. The brand fuses traditional ingredients from Indian remedies and the Ayurvedic texts with the contemporary technologies of the West to create a hybrid beauty brand.
Prakti is a true representation of the founder’s roots – hybrid of mixed cultures, heritage, experiences, goals, and dreams. Pritika, who is also a Columbia University alum, investment analyst, and now, beauty entrepreneur, believes Indian beauty deserves to be centre stage. The brand aims to inspire users not just to embrace and celebrate their unique identity and unique beauty, but also to go beyond and achieve their dreams and goals.
What’s in the name: The name Prakti is a fusion of Pritika’s name meaning ‘loved one’ and ‘shakti’ which stands for ‘female power or energy’. Shakti aligns with the brand’s purpose to inspire women to pursue multidimensional, fulfilling lives.
Bestseller product we’ve got our eyes on: PritiPolish – this glow-enhancing exfoliator uses a finely-milled rice powder that gently exfoliates skin to soft, velvety perfection. The product also comes with a custom-made spoon inspired by traditional spice spoons, and is calibrated to measure the exact amount needed for each use.
Available on: Nykaa Global Store
NEAL’S YARD REMEDIES
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What we know: Set up in 1981 by natural health advocate and teacher, Romy Fraser, Neal’s Yard Remedies is a modern apothecary, creating natural and organic health and beauty products. This aromatherapy-led wellness brand has since grown with 300+ outlets in 26 countries worldwide. All its products are free from parabens, synthetic colours and fragrances, and GMO – music to our ears!
The brand is known for its signature blue bottles and jars – where the blue pigment in the glass reduces the light reaching the product, helping to protect the delicate aromas and herbal properties. Its collection includes skincare, wellness, bath & body, men’s, mom & baby, and hair products under variants such as Wild Rose, Calendula, Frankincense, Bee Lovely, etc.
What’s in the name: The first shop was located in a small courtyard, Neal’s Yard, in Covent Garden, London where several other organic businesses were cropping up at the time. That is how the name came about, and today the flagship store and its quaint, colourful courtyard are even sightseeing attractions!
Bestseller product we’ve got our eyes on: Wild Rose Beauty Balm – a multipurpose balm made with pro-vitamin A-rich organic wild rosehip seed oil from Serbia, that helps your skin glow, it is a one-pot wonder that can be used as an exfoliating cleanser, intensive moisturising treatment, eyebrow tamer, cuticle oil or lip balm!
Available on: Boddess
CAUDALIE
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What we know: This brand’s story began in 1995 on a vineyard in Bordeaux – the Château Smith Haut Lafitte – which belongs to the family of co-founder Mathilde Thomas. A French skincare company, specialising in vinotherapy, Caudalie (pronounced ko-da-li) is now known the world over for its high-quality skincare products which harness extracts from the grape and grapevine.
The brand’s collections include skincare, body care, fragrances, masks, mists and a lot more, with collection names such as Vinopure, Vinoperfect, Vinoclean and so on. The brand also launched the Caudalie Vinothérapie Spa in 1999, which offers treatments with grape-derived products. It has grown to eight Vinothérapie Spas and more than 36 boutique spas around the world.
What’s in the name: The founders, couple Mathilde & Bertrand, were looking for a French name connected to the wine-making roots. That’s how the brand was christened Caudalie – a wine term that refers to the unit of measurement for the time the flavours of a wine linger on the palate after tasting it.
Bestseller product we’ve got our eyes on: Beauty Elixir – this cult favourite, launched in 1997, is a toning mist that sets makeup, provides an instant burst of radiance, and tightens the appearance of pores. Interestingly, it was inspired by Queen Isabelle of Hungary’s famous elixir of youth, which according to legend was a mythical water that preserved her youth well into her 70s!
Available on: (Online) Sephora, Nykaa, Tata CLiQ Luxury, Myntra, Boddess, Shopper’s Stop
(In-store) Nykaa, Sephora, Boddess & Shopper’s Stop.
JUICE BEAUTY
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What we know: An organic skincare brand launched by entrepreneur Karen Behnke in 2005, Juice Beauty is what she calls a ‘Farm to Beauty’ initiative. With stringent standards for clean, efficacious and a sustainable beauty brand in mind, the founder and her husband even purchased the first-ever Juice Beauty Sonoma County farm in California in 2018 and began sourcing its ingredients from mission-driven organic farmers.
All the skincare products are formulated without any parabens, petroleum, pesticides, propylene or silicones, or any other artificial dyes and fragrance, as well as without any animal by-products, making Juice Beauty a recipient of the PETA Courage in Commerce Award. Internationally, the brand has also recently teamed up with Kate Hudson, actress and proponent of clean beauty, to launch the Kate Hudson Juice Beauty Revitalizing Acacia and Rose Powder Mask. Hope we can get our hands on that one soon too!
What’s in the name: After becoming a mom in her early 40s, founder Karen was surprised to learn about the number of harsh chemicals on the ingredient list of a cosmetics label, and decided she could fix this. Her idea was to use powerful organic botanical juices that would deliver the same benefits as traditional cosmetics brands, and that is how Juice Beauty got its name.
Bestseller product we’ve got our eyes on: Green Apple Peel Full Strength Exfoliating Mask – a patented potent alpha and beta hydroxy acid mask that delivers spa-grade exfoliation for optimal age-defying results. It helps even skin tone and texture, and reduces the appearance of dark spots and discolouration.
Available on: Boddess, Sephora, Tata CLiQ Luxury
ONE THING
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What we know: It’s simple, minimalist packaging definitely got our attention and reading more about ONE THING tells us that this K-beauty skincare brand’s products are made with 100% pure, organic plant extracts, free of artificial additives like colouring and fragrance and only made with ingredients found locally in Korea. The products help address redness, hydration, damage repair, soothing, and other specific skin troubles.
The great news is that ONE THING’s concentrated extracts can be used in multiple ways such as a toner, or by combining extracts, or even adding them to your existing skincare products to tackle specific skin concerns. This minimalist brand aims to remove unnecessary costs and thus eliminates not just unnecessary ingredients, but also any excessive packaging and celebrity endorsement costs. Now, isn’t that refreshing!
What’s in the name: The brand is aptly named for the fact that each of its products focuses on one thing, that is, one single ingredient.
Bestseller product we’ve got our eyes on: Centella Asiatica Extract – this pure extract (95%) helps calm skin, strengthen and repair the skin barrier and keep your skin clear.
Available on: Limese Connect, Kindlife, Sublime life, Nykaa, Foxy, Maccaron, Vanity Wagon
