Here’s how Gen Z consumers are rewriting India’s beauty story

India’s beauty and cosmetics industry is undergoing a quiet yet powerful transformation. What once revolved around celebrity endorsements and one-size-fits-all beauty ideals is now being redefined by creators and the community.

Gone are the days when you would see only movie stars on billboards endorsing beauty brands. The new face of beauty is a YouTuber explaining ingredients, a ‘reel’ creator testing products in real time, or a micro-influencer from a Tier II city decoding skincare routines in a regional language.

Aspiration to Information

Young Indian consumers are no longer buying beauty to look like someone else. Ingredient-led skincare, retinols, niacinamides, ceramides, peptides and sunscreens have replaced vague promises of ‘fairness’ or ‘instant glow’. Doctors, dermatologists and skin care experts are regularly using social media platforms to raise awareness, which was previously only available to those who could afford experts.

“Young Indians now are fully aware of skincare and home devices and are open to preventative care and treatments for their concerns,” says Dr Kiran Sethi, Celebrity Dermatologist & Director of Isya Aesthetics. “Younger generation does ask tougher questions,” she adds.

Sungjemlila Longkumer, a certified cosmetologist, believes that influence has now shifted decisively towards creators and communities because creators do not fear showing flawed but real skin. “People are tired of the ‘perfect’ airbrushed skin on billboards. They want to see how a foundation actually sits on textured Indian skin in 35°C heat. My community trusts me because I’m a real person, not a star living in a bubble,” she says.

The influencer economy has played a decisive role here. Unlike celebrities, creators offer context, education, and relatability. They break down labels, compare price points, talk openly about acne, pigmentation and hair loss, and normalise trial-and-error. Beauty consumption has moved from aspiration to information.

Affordable Luxury

Another defining trend is the rise of affordable luxury brands that deliver premium formulations and packaging without luxury pricing. Young Indians are willing to spend, but they want value, transparency and performance.

This has opened space for digital-first brands that bypass traditional advertising, invest in community-building, and rely heavily on creator-led discovery. Beauty, today, is less about impulse buying and more about curated routines.

“Brands like Minimalist or The Ordinary blew up because they gave us the raw ingredients without the fluff. Also, the homegrown brands that actually understand Indian problems like hyperpigmentation or pollution-proofing are winning. We love brands that feel pharmacy-meets-luxury clinical results with a beautiful, shelf-worthy aesthetic,” says Longkumer.

The Indian beauty and personal care market is poised to reach $34 billion by 2028, up from $21 billion now, driven by a surge in online penetration and a growing preference for high-quality, premium beauty products, according to a report by Nykaa and consulting firm Redseer released last year. As e-commerce democratises the beauty business, beauty and grooming products are fast filling up the online space with more than 3,500 brands, as per the report.

Beauty and lifestyle content creator Rida Tharana says, “The industry is now open to a much wider range of people… different skin tones, skin types, hair textures and everyone brings their own version of what has worked for them.” The audiences also note that these products are already used and reviewed. According to her, that makes people feel closer to them and more confident about trying them, as it feels more believable and real compared to traditional ads.

Tier II India Leads

Perhaps the most underestimated force in India’s beauty boom is Tier II and Tier III cities. Higher disposable incomes, deeper smartphone penetration, regional-language content and social commerce have unlocked massive demand. For brands, growth is no longer metro-first.

Fashion and beauty ecommerce platform Myntra has reported that its beauty business is now growing at nearly twice the pace of the broader online category, clocking over 50% year-on-year growth in the last two months alone. As per the company’s media statements, beauty now contributes one in every five orders on Myntra, fuelled by explosive adoption among Gen Z and Tier II/Tier III customers.

Myntra CEO Nandita Sinha has been vocal about how Gen Z, which now forms 60% of their beauty user base, is highly experimental and spends nearly twice as much as other cohorts.

Myntra has reported that Tier II and Tier III cities are outpacing metros, with growth rates that are almost 50% higher; new segments like K-beauty, J-beauty, fragrances and derma skincare are witnessing strong traction.

Beauty Without Gender

One of the most significant cultural shifts is the rapid growth of male grooming and gender-fluid cosmetics. Gen Z consumers see beauty as self-care rather than vanity - and certainly not as gendered behaviour.

Men are openly engaging with skincare, hair care and even makeup, driven by content that frames beauty as confidence, wellness and self-expression. Products are being designed without rigid gender cues, focusing instead on function, texture and results.

Male skincare is becoming increasingly mainstream. As per Kantar Insights, ‘sunscreen for men’ saw 61K searches with +59% growth, while branded kits like Hair Fact Kit Male grew +32%. At the same time, male-specific nutraceuticals like gummies are declining (–34%), suggesting a shift toward functional, result-backed products. From grooming towards preventive skincare and wellness, by aligning with luxury trends, male beauty market is moving to become mainstream.”

Hyper-Personalised, Hyper-Expressive

What ties these trends together is a deeper shift in the consumer mindset. Beauty is no longer about just following trends; it has become more personalised based on skin type, climate, lifestyle and values.

Algorithms, quizzes, artificial intelligence (AI)-led recommendations, and community feedback loops are shaping routines that feel uniquely individual. In a crowded digital world, beauty has become a language of self-expression. “Personally, I’ve built a skincare routine that’s very ingredient focused. Earlier, things like fragrance or how a product smelled mattered, but now people are far more conscious about what goes into a product and how it affects their skin,” says Tharana.

More people today are researching, experimenting, and forming their own opinions instead of following trends blindly.

“India’s Gen Z beauty consumer today is smart and curious... they are open to trying what’s trending, but confident enough to trust their own experience, form opinions, and stick with what actually works for them rather than blindly following the herd,” adds Tharana.

Looking  Back At Trends

Nykaa’s Beauty Rewind 2025 report, released in the last week of December 2025, indicates that beauty in 2025 wasn’t about chasing what’s next; it was about building routines that last. “Beauty in 2025 wasn’t about chasing what’s next; it was about moving fast, choosing smart, and switching without guilt. Indian consumers explored freely, followed trends unapologetically, and built routines that evolved with them,” it said. From barrier-first skincare to intelligent makeup, indulgent body care and mood-led fragrances, beauty became deeply personal and joyfully flexible.

India’s beauty boom is not being driven by glamour alone. It is powered by creators, data, regional voices, and a generation comfortable with questioning norms. In this new economy, beauty is not about perfection. It is about identity. 

@sakshibatra18