Indian consumers arebecoming more and more knowledgeable about beauty and personal care. The beautyindustry in India is growing at a break-neck pace, almost twice as fast as thatof the markets in the United States and Europe. Beauty industry in India can bedivided into some major segments like baby care, bath and shower, colourcosmetics, deodorants, depilatories, fragrances, hair care, men’s grooming,oral care, sets/kits, skin care, and sun care. The number of beauty salons inthe country is increasing at a rate of almost 35 percent annually. Theprospects of the Indian beauty industry look bright, with the colour cosmeticssegment predicted to continue its dominance over the market landscape.
Cosmetic ingredientsprovide physical and functional properties to personal care products likeshampoos, conditioners, creams, lotions and make-up cosmetics. Exponentialgrowth in personal care market in India, coupled with increasing use of naturaland multi-functional ingredients in these products, has been driving thecountry’s cosmetic ingredients market. India continues to be one of majortarget markets for various cosmetic chemical companies due to the country’shuge consumer base.