Beige flag: Do global beauty brands understand Indian skin?

Hindustan Times

13-06-2025

On Nykaa and Tira, the serums are 8% Glycolic, 2% Salicylic and 10% Vitamin C. On Insta, an NRI skinfluencer (ugh, they call themselves that!) is convinced that drinking soy-turmeric latte cured his acne. On billboards, global skincare brands claim that their new moisturiser is formulated for Indian skin, but can't explain what 'Indian skin' means. White women are worshipping sunlight, Asian women are buying anti-UVA face hoodies. Indians, battling nationwide Vitamin D deficiency and a preference for fair skin, can't decide between sun and shade. Meanwhile, grandma has no crow's feet or laugh lines; mum and dad have hyperpigmentation from years of dusty commutes; your older cousin's Insta-approved retinol regime is drying out her skin; and your BFF is at the dermatologist, learning the hard way that Indians need sunscreen too
India's beauty boom in the last decade has put more ideas, products and beauty routines within our reach. But it's also made us more confused about what our skin does (and doesn't) need. Actors such as Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Kriti Sanon and Priyanka Chopra have launched beauty brands. Homegrown lines incorporate everything from K-beauty to Ayurveda. And dermatologists are busy at lunchtime, performing non-invasive anti-ageing, spot correcting treatments. We're moisturised, but we're hardly unbothered.
So, we asked experts the basics. What, given our ethnic diversity, does Indian skin even mean? What is smog doing to city skin that it isn't doing in less-polluted villages? What do Brown people worry about as they age, if not crow's feet? Does the Western formula for fillers and injectables work differently on Indian features? And crucially, which global beauty benchmarks just don't work for India? We're more than our skin colour, see how much more:
Is there such a thing as Indian skin?
Dermatologists typically use the Fitzpatrick scale, a set of deepening skin tones, to determine how much melanin pigment a person's skin contains. So far, so good. But on a scale of I to VI, people from India fall anywhere from Type III to VI. That's half the scale already, and we're only measuring colour.
We're just too diverse to be grouped under a set of skin colours, says Dr Satish Bhatia, board-certified MD, dermatologist and skin surgeon at the Indian Cancer Society Mumbai. Two people, who start life with the same skin colour, can still develop differences in their skin's ceramide levels and the structure, which can affect how the organ reacts to the environment and their own lifestyles.
A study published by market research group Kantar and the skincare brand Dermafique in 2023 identified the following characteristics of Indian skin: Higher melanin content, greater pigmentation, larger and deeper pores, and surprisingly, dryer skin. A bonus: Deeper skin tones also tend to be susceptible to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. So, breakouts leave scars, even vigorous rubbing can leave a dark cast.
They're the kinds of concerns Indians are familiar with, but which international brands (which advertise glow, suppleness and wrinkle-filling) often fail to address.
What concerns do people in India typically have with their skin?
All skin darkens in the sun. But for darker skin, prolonged exposure doesn't just cause a tan – UV radiation can cause dark blotches and can cause oily and dry patches to develop simultaneously. 'High-altitude regions such as parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand may experience increased UV exposure, leading to pigmentation and sensitivity,' says Vivek Sahni, founder of Kama Ayurveda. Those facing the extreme weather variations of North India suffer from dry skin and flakiness. Along the coasts, the high humidity tends to trap bacteria in oily skins, resulting in more breakouts and scalp issues. Meanwhile, those in arid Rajasthan and Punjab, which rely on hard water with high mineral content, grapple with dry, irritable skin.
For those in big cities, air pollution can make skin appear dull and clog pores, making skin look older. 'Even within cities, lifestyle, diet, and stress levels play a role,' says Dr Chiranjiv Chhabra, chief dermatologist and founder of Alive Wellness Clinics, and skincare line Alive & Well. Our melanin-rich complexions make us more prone to hyperpigmentation from acne scars, sun damage or inflammation. So, what might be a quick pimple for someone else could leave behind a stubborn mark for us. The catch-all term Indian skin, it turns out, doesn't just defy geography, it also stumps biology.
What does ageing really mean for Brown people?
'Signs of ageing, such as crow's feet or fine lines appear much later on deeper skin tones compared to lighter ones, but when they arrive, they are often accompanied by textural changes and loss of elasticity,' says Sahni. 'We also tend to develop uneven skin tones owing to high UV exposure, and deal with sensitivity and inflammation triggered by pollution or harsh products.'
Whatever you do, don't run to the kitchen for a natural remedy. Not everything there is meant for your face despite what the soft-focus Insta Reel and an influencer's soothing voice-over says. Indians tend to use lemon juice and baking soda as topical applications, both harsh agents that can cause sensitivity or even burns. 'I don't recommend home, kitchen or Instagram remedies as they may lead to disastrous results without dermatological supervision,' says Dr Bhatia.
Remember those deep dense pores from the Kantar study? They get clogged easily. So, even when they're not causing breakouts, they're preventing expensive serums from sinking deep into the skin and doing their job. 'Exfoliation is key for Indian skin, so that skincare can perform well,' says Dr Geeta Grewal, cosmetic surgeon and founder of Gurugram-based 9 Muses wellness clinic. No. No scrubbing – that's just going to bring on hyperpigmentation. Use a mild chemical exfoliant instead.
Are injectables and professional treatments adapted for Indian faces?
We've seen what botched Botox and excess fillers can do to White celebrities: Too-full lips, comically rounded cheekbones, the eye area stretched back so tight, it looks almost anime. Of course, Indians are wary. Dr Grewal says we're not just afraid of the results, but also of being outed as adopting these measures.
Most clinics that offer fillers and treatments follow a template that was configured for rich, ageing, White women. Dr Chhabra warns against going for a style that is trending. The differences in Indians' bone structure, fat distribution and skin behaviour as we age can affect the way the treatments work.
Recent dermatology journals have highlighted how post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is more common in skin of colour and how we need tailored protocols, especially for lasers and peels. Those haven't been introduced yet.
But some solutions work especially well for us Brown folks. Content creator and lifestyle influencer Gitika Gupta (@StyleStamper.Gitika) says she regularly gets platelet-rich-plasma injections, which inject the plasma from her own blood back into her skin, to give it a more youthful appearance. She also tried (and liked) a mono threads session, in which tiny threads are inserted into the skin to stimulate collagen production and give the face a lifted look. 'These treatments help if you want great skin as you age,' she says. But only a good dermatologist will be able to determine if they work on a particular individual.
Either way, regardless of where you fall on the Fitzpatrick scale, how oily your skin, how humid or arid your neighbourhood, how stressed you are, how your skin develops scars, and how much you're eyeing a collagen injection, 'sunscreen is an absolute must,' says Grewal. And no one should start any skincare routine or treatment without the advice of a licensed dermatologist.
From HT Brunch, June 14, 2025
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