People are demanding products that do not harm their skin, nor the environment or society; as well as products that are natural, traceable and free from chemical ingredients.
1. Tell us about your journey of Cosmic Nutracos and how did you come up with the idea of launching Skinella in the market?
Launched in the year 2007, Cosmic Nutracos Solutions Pvt. Ltd is an entrepreneurial venture in the health, wellness and beauty space, providing natural innovative solutions for everyday health and personal care needs. Backed by a strong R&D wing, Cosmic Nutracos is one of the leading manufacturers of skin care and personal care products today, serving as third-party manufacturer for many of India’s leading brands such as Lakme, Ponds, Studio West, Faces, Believe, Sugar, Purplle etc.
Cosmic Nutracos is also the parent company to health and wellness brand Gaia which was launched in the year 2007.
But having been part of the cosmetic industry for almost my entire life, it was always my dream to contribute something for the industry. I wanted to launch a brand that will not only be different but also hold strong values and ethos. We started doing our research almost 7 years back from today and we realized that there are endless numbers of skin care products in the market. However, very few were talking to the teens and making products especially designed for their needs. Moreover, there was not any brand that had a complete range of skin care products for the young target group of 15-25-year-old girls. So, after 3 years of extensive research & development, conceptualization and market surveys, we finally launched Skinella in the year 2017.
2. How do you see the beauty market evolved in all these years, do you feel people are now more inclined towards Skincare?
Yes, I think the industry has evolved a lot over the years and people are very much inclined towards skin care. Consumers today are aware of what ingredients goes inside their skincare product and is conscious of using chemical laden products. So, there are a lot of brands in skincare in India today and every other day there is a new brand being launched in the market. But our story is quite different, we offer a complete range of skincare products for the young TG that is made with the power of superfoods and no harsh chemicals.
3. Tell us about the new launches, the new vitamin C range and most selling products of Skinella.
Vitamin C has gained a lot of popularity in skin care worldwide due to its numerous benefits and there are many superfoods that are naturally loaded with Vitamin C. That’s why we have launched this dedicated range which has 4 products – Face Serum, Day Cream with SPF 15+, Night Cream and Facial Foam, to offer our young TG 15-25 year old girls with the benefits of Vitamin C without the baggage of any harsh chemicals. The response from the market has been positive so far because Vitamin C itself is a very powerful story trending today.
Our most selling products are Blueberry Face Wash and Juicy Fresh De-Tan Face Mask. However, our recent launches like Sheet Masks and handmade soaps are also doing phenomenally well.
4. What challenges did you see in the beauty & skincare market?
In recent years, sustainability has become a key concern for many businesses in the skincare industry. People are demanding products that do not harm their skin, nor the environment or society; as well as products that are natural, traceable and free from chemical ingredients. There is a trend of eco-friendly packaging as well.
Embracing the online market is also a challenge faced in the industry. Social media is very powerful in today’s age. While there are benefits of sharing product reviews, experiences with a large audience that can lead to a positive exposure, the reverse of it can really hamper online sales.
5. How has the pandemic impacted the beauty market, please shed light on that?
The beauty industry of course has been impacted post the outbreak of the pandemic. However, skin care was not hit as much as the colour cosmetics industry did. In the initial months of the pandemic, of course the sales figures had dipped. However, we issued messages in the public interest and we received very positive response. One of those campaigns was “The Best Face Mask This Season” where we got lot of applaud. We also did an online contest called “Match Me If You Can” which received 11k+ registrations.
6. What’s next for Skinella, if you can share further plans?
So there are new product launches in pipeline. However, the major work that we are doing currently is starting e-commerce website as well as mobile app. The interesting part is that these two platforms will not only be limited to e-commerce, but for Skinderella (our exclusive pageant which is an anti-thesis of beauty pageant) participation, loyalty programme and more.
7. Revenue and growth expected for the brand in 2021-2022.
We are targeting 300 per cent more than what we have achieved in the FY 2020-21.
Source: Business World
