Personal Care Products

10 Best Hair Oil In Indian Market

2020-04-07T21:50:00.000+05:30

Hair forms your most flaunt body parts. You always dress it to look beautiful whether at home or outside. Healthy hair is your body asset that you will always be proud of and won’t fail to boast of it.

The most important way to take care of your hair is through bi-weekly massage of scalp and hair with a good quality Hair Oil that prevents hair fall and promotes growth or regrowth. Leave your hair oiled overnight and wash in the morning with your favorite shampoo and conditioner.

Oiling provides essential nutrients and protein to hair to make it stronger and shinier. It also removes dead skin from the scalp, relieves your scalp of bacterial infection and also prevents premature graying of hair.

Before I recommend 10best Hair Oil, you may be interested to know the composition of hair.

The overall chemical composition of hair is 45% carbon, 28% oxygen, 15% nitrogen, 7% hydrogen and 5% sulphur. Hair also contains water and traces of minerals like calcium, cadmium, chromium, copper, zinc, iron and silicon. The hair shaft is essentially composed of Keratin, it also contains other elements and molecules that contribute to its appearance and behavior. Hair Keratin is hard, compact and strong. A fibrous protein is gradually formed inside cells from the germinal layer. The hair also contains lipid components that come from the secretion of sebaceous gland: Sebum. If too little of it is secreted, the hair becomes dry, dull and damaged. Excess secretion makes your hair oily and heavy.

Ok, so let us now see the 10 best hair oil available in Indian market. These would be the best hair growth oils and also the best oil to prevent hair fall.

1. Indulekha Bhringa Oil

With Indulekha Bhringa Hair Oil, you can keep hair healthy and nourished. The ingredients are infused to male an ayurvedic concoction that promotes healthy hair growth. It contains ingredients known to grow hair, to nourish the scalp and to reduce dandruff. This oil is applied for hair straightening, split-ends, and anti-hair fall. As it is in the selfie bottle, it directly applies on the scalp and is best for its massage. This applicator also reduces wastage of oil.

2.Angiras Onion Oil for Hair Frizzy and Damage with 13 Natural oil

This oil is suitable for men and women and for all hair types – normal and damaged. It is applied for Hair Frizzy and damage, anti-dandruff, split-ends, hair straightening, healthy scalps and stress relief. It is applied for hair growth. It is sulfate-free.

3. Parachute Advansed Ayurvedic Hot Oil

This oil is enriched with malakangani and black pepper, deeply conditions your hair, leaving it soft and manageable. This hair oil is designed for winter dryness, heals the damaged and nourishes dry hair. Hot oil penetrates 90% into hair-strands, increasing their strength while reducing breakage by 60%. It helps to repair damaged hair by reversing up to 50% of internal structural damage, in a single application. A warm blend of coconut and ayurvedic ingredients provide a protective layer, keeping hair strands moisturized, nourished and deeply conditioned from within making them softer. This oil is ideal for women.

4. Parachute Pure Coconut Hair Oil

It is nothing but 100% pure coconut oil. It does not contain added preservatives or chemicals. It has a long-lasting fresh nutty fragrance of pure coconut oil. It is produced by the 5stage purification process for 100% purity every time. It is suitable for men and women and for all hair types. It is applied for hair growth and hair straightening.

5. Mamaearth Onion Oil for Hair Regrowth and Hair Fall Control Hair Oil

Mamaearth’s onion hair oil helps to combat the problem of hair fall. Onion oil, rich in Sulphur, Potassium and antioxidants reduce hair fall and accelerate hair regrowth. One of the newest breakthrough ingredients, Redensyl, unblocks hair follicles and also boosts new hair growth. The oil is free of harmful chemicals and toxins such as Silicones, Parabens, Mineral Oil, Dyes and Synthetic fragrance. This oil contains Onion Seed Oil, Almond Oil, Amla Oil, Redensyl, Bhringraj Oil and Castor Oil.

6. Kesh King Scalp and Medicinal Ayurvedic Hair Oil

Kesh King Ayurvedic Hair Oil is a proprietary medicinal preparation. It is prepared using Tel Pak vidhi as prescribed in Ayurveda using 21 precious herbs cooked in sesame oil. It is prepared according to the principles as laid down in Ayurvedic textbooks such as Charak Samhita, Panchkarma and Siddha Medicine. Kesh King Ayurvedic Medicine oil is a proven solution for hair fall, dandruff, dryness. It is also helpful in sleeplessness and headache. It helps is hair regrowth too.

7. Trichup Hair Fall Control Hair Oil

Trichup Hair Oil – Hair Fall Control contains the natural goodness of sesame and coconut oil. It is further enriched with herbs such as Amla, Licorice and Bhringraj which are known to help reduce hair fall. Amla has a great number of essential fatty acids, which strengthen hair follicles, giving your hair strength and luster. For effective control and prevention of hair fall, Trichup is a preferred choice of millions as it is one of the best hair growth oil.

8. Nature Sure Jonk Tail – Leech Oil

Nature Sure Leech oil is 100% Leech oil. It is highly effective in hair regrowth and also prevents hair related disease. With its curative properties it is helpful in treating alopecia and baldness. The constituents of Jonk oil increases blood circulation in bald areas. It enhances the concentration and delivery of nutrients that make hair follicles strong and promotes hair growth. With its antibacterial properties jonk oil combats fungal infections and hence is an effective treatment for dandruff.

9. Biotique Bio Bhringraj Therapeutic Hair Oil

Biotique brand was founded in 1992. It is a unique blend of centuries-old Ayurveda and the latest biotechnology. It is a perfect oil for the treatment of falling hair and for intensive hair regrowth. It features Bhringraj, Butea Frondosa, Amla and Centella blended with coconut oil and the healthfulness of goat milk to help treat alopecia and other causes of hair loss. Nourishes scalp and strengthens hair strands to encourage fresh growth and help diminish greying. It is organically pure and preservative-free.

10. Khadi Trifala Hair Oil

This product comes from the stable of renowned producer of organic products, Kadi Naturals. The herbal ingredients of this oil are best for nourishment of scalp thereby giving perfect strength to roots. IT contains Harad Extract, Amla extract and Baheda extract. The nutrient requirement of hair strands from roots to tip is fulfilled. Apply it twice-thrice a week with proper massage and leave it overnight to get silky and shiny hair. It helps hair to regrow once lost.

For the growth of hair, you must ensure that the selection of right oil should also be combined with other habits like what is the right method to apply oil (massage) and which is the right shampoo for your hair. Holistic treatment of hair will go a long way in keeping it in the best of health and beauty.

I hope that you found the information useful. Leave your comment here. Also, share this article with your family and friends. Do subscribe to my blog to directly get my posts in your mailbox.

Inside Bathing Soaps

2020-04-03T17:47:00.004+05:30

Soap has always been a core aspect of your personal hygiene routine. So, in this article, I will share with you information about it so that tomorrow morning when you go for a bath you will know your product more than what you do today.

First a little history of soap...

Soap has been used since ages but its current form came into being in the nineteenth century.

Candle-maker William Proctor and Soap manufacturer James Gamble came together and founded Proctor & Gamble in 1837.

In the nineteenth century, Italy, France & Spain were the soap capitals of the world.

In the 1970s, liquid soap was invented as luxury products and in the 1980s it was rolled out for everyone.

Composition of Soap…

When we talk about soap, what keywords come to your mind instantly – cleaning, foam, hard cake, water to rinse it, etc, right? These characteristics are due to one or many of its ingredients. Some ingredients act individually and some in combination with other ingredients.

So, let's understand it. Soap is made by combining an alkaline substance with fats. This process is called saponification. The alkali reacts with fatty acids to make a long molecule whose one end is hydrophobic (water-hating) and the other end is hydrophilic (water-loving). This molecular structure gives the soap its cleaning properties. The hydrophobic end is attracted to oil and grease and the hydrophilic end is attracted to water. Mixed together soap pulls oils into very small globules creating an oil-water suspension that is washed away from surfaces with the help of water. Alkali used is sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide (commonly known as potash). The former is used for harder soap and the latter is used for liquid soap. A combination of the two is used for softer soaps also called cream soaps.

Fats are obtained from animals and vegetables. Animal fat is Lard or Tallow obtained from beef or pork. Vegetable fat is obtained from coconut oil, palm oil, peanut oil, olive oil, and soyabean oil. Soap made from animal fats is hard. On the other hand the soap made from coconut oil is soft. A combination of various fats gives varying degrees of hardness and lathering during the use of soap.

Additional ingredients are added to enhance soap characteristics. These include Aloe, Honey, Perfumes, Fragrances and colorants.

The foam/ lather seen during the use of soap is due to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.

To give smooth texture and hydration to soap, Glycerine is included which also acts as an emollient (skin softener). The same purpose to a large extent is served with Sorbitol also.

The slippery nature of soap is due to its ingredient called Sodium Stearate.

To provide opaqueness and whiteness to the soap cake, Titanium dioxide is added.

As soap contains oil, it is important to prevent it from becoming rancid (foul smell), so preservatives are added - BHT/ Triclosan.

Sodium Palmitate and Sodium Lauryl Isethionate are added to ensure that fats and liquid ingredients blend well.

Herbal Soaps…

Harsh chemicals that constitute soap may have an adverse impact on the skin over a while. This realization led to the development of another niche variety called organic soap or herbal soap. These have lesser chemicals and are inclined towards the use of herbal ingredients (extracts of various herbs found in Ayurveda).

The herbs infused in these soaps have therapeutic and healing characteristics. Different herbs used in making these soap includes – burdock, comfrey, eucalyptus, hyssop, oat straw, plantain, red clover, rosemary and witch hazel. Herbal soaps do not contain a chemical preservative (that has health hazards), rather tea tree and peppermint oil for the same purpose. Most herbal soaps have pleasant smells because the herbs themselves have a good invigorating smell.

Chamomile as a herb is used in healing cuts and burns. It helps relieve stress and trauma. Peppermint helps clear airways. Lavender helps to soothe sunburn and make mind peaceful. Sandalwood hydrates dry and aging skin. It also helps relieve irritation and itchy condition of skin.

If you have dry skin, you should select a soap that is made of oatmeal or avocado extracts and containing lavender, peppermint and spearmint oils. If you have oily skin, look for a herbal soap made of almond oil and calendula oil. Soaps containing teal oil are also found to be effective in curing oily skin conditions.

Concluding remarks…

Ok, so pick up a fresh piece of soap and read its ingredient list. I am sure you will be able to relate to what you read above. Love your soap and enjoy bathing.

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Know your Edible Oil and select wisely

2020-04-01T15:49:00.003+05:30

Edible Oil is among the most abundant cooking ingredients in the world. Depending on oil type, they are used in baking and frying food and for non-cooking products such as salad dressing, margarine spread, and dips. In addition, edible oils are used to produce non-food products such as cosmetics and feedstock for making biodiesel fuel.

They are extracted from seeds (like soybean, canola, sesame, sunflower, and corn); from nuts (like walnut and macadamia); and from fruits (like palm, coconut and olive). In current times refined oil is the most widely consumed oil. Do you know if it is good or bad for your health (which is your most precious asset, if you consider it that way)? In order to know if your oil is good or bad, you should be aware of its constituents, i.e. saturated fats, trans fats, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. So, if these constituents are within prescribed norms, you can be assured to be having the right oil.

Eating foods that contain saturated fats raises the level of cholesterol in your blood. High levels of LDL cholesterol in your blood increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. Replacing bad fats (saturated and trans fats) with healthier fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) is good for your heart. One way you can do this is by choosing healthier non-tropical vegetable oils for cooking and preparing food. Use these oils instead of solid fats (including butter, shortening, lard and hard stick margarine) and tropical oils (including palm and coconut oil), which can have a lot of saturated fat.

You would be astonished to know one of the adulterants which are mainly used in refined oil is palm oil (contains 50% saturated fatty acids, mainly palmitic acid). We are consuming it every day and night without being aware of it. Oils that are easily available at a cheap rate such as palm oil, cottonseed oil, etc. are mixed with other oils for increasing the production by very low investment, leading to higher profit for the manufacturers and loss of your health.

What are saturated fats?

From a chemical standpoint, saturated fats are simply fat molecules that have no double bonds between carbon molecules because they are saturated with hydrogen molecules. Saturated fats are typically solid at room temperature. Coconut oil is 92%, palm kernel oil 82% and palm oil 50% saturated fat.

What are trans fats?

There are two broad types of trans fats found in foods: naturally-occurring and artificial trans fats. Naturally-occurring trans fats are produced in the gut of some animals and foods made from these animals (e.g., milk and meat products) may contain small quantities of these fats. Artificial trans fats (or trans fatty acids) are created in an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid.

The primary dietary source for trans fats in processed food is “partially hydrogenated oils."

Trans fats are easy to use, inexpensive to produce and last a long time. Trans fats give foods a desirable taste and texture. Many restaurants and fast-food outlets use trans fats to deep-fry foods because oils with trans fats can be used many times in commercial fryers.

Trans fats raise your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and lower your good (HDL) cholesterol levels. Eating trans fats increases your risk of developing heart disease and stroke. It’s also associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

You can determine the amount of trans fats in a particular packaged food by looking at the nutrition panel at the back of pack. However, products can be listed as “0 grams of trans fats” if they contain less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. Trans fat is also written as “partially hydrogenated oils.”

What are polyunsaturated fats?

From a chemical standpoint, polyunsaturated fats are simply fat molecules that have more than one unsaturated carbon bond in the molecule, this is also called a double bond. Oils that contain polyunsaturated fats are typically liquid at room temperature but start to turn solid when chilled. Olive oil is an example of a type of oil that contains polyunsaturated fats.

What are monounsaturated fats?

From a chemical standpoint, monounsaturated fats are simply fat molecules that have one unsaturated carbon bond in the molecule, this is also called a double bond. Oils that contain monounsaturated fats are typically liquid at room temperature but start to turn solid when chilled. Olive oil is an example of a type of oil that contains monounsaturated fats.

Polyunsaturated and Monounsaturated fats can help reduce bad cholesterol levels in your blood which can lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. They also provide nutrients to help develop and maintain your body’s cells. Oils rich in monounsaturated fats also contribute vitamin E to the diet

Foods high in polyunsaturated fat include a number of plant-based oils, including:

● soybean oil

● corn oil

● sunflower oil

Foods high in monounsaturated fats include plant-based liquid oils such as:

● olive oil,

● canola oil,

● peanut oil,

● safflower oil and

● sesame oil.

In general, choose oils with less than 4 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon, and no partially hydrogenated oils or trans fats.

The American Heart Association recommends aiming for a dietary pattern that achieves 5% to 6% of calories from saturated fat. For example, if you need about 2,000 calories a day, no more than 120 of them should come from saturated fat. That’s about 13 grams of saturated fat per day.

Here are some ways to achieve that:

● Eat a dietary pattern that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish and nuts. Also limit red meat and sugary foods and beverages.

● Use naturally occurring, unhydrogenated vegetable oils such as canola, safflower, sunflower or olive oil most often.

● Look for processed foods made with unhydrogenated oil rather than partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated vegetable oils or saturated fat.

● Use soft margarine as a substitute for butter, and choose soft margarines (liquid or tub varieties) over harder stick forms. Look for “0 g trans fat” on the Nutrition Facts label and no hydrogenated oils in the ingredients list.

● Doughnuts, cookies, crackers, muffins, pies and cakes are examples of foods that may contain trans fat. Limit how frequently you eat them.

● Limit commercially fried foods and baked goods made with shortening or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Not only are these foods very high in fat, but that fat is also likely to be trans fat.

Treat fats as below

Love It: Unsaturated (Poly & Mono)

● Lowers rates of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality

● Lowers bad cholesterol & triglyceride level

● Provides essential fats your body needs but can’t produce itself

Limit It: Saturated

● Increases risk of cardiovascular disease

● Raises bad cholesterol levels

Lose It: Artificial Trans Fat, Hydrogenated Oils & Tropical Oils

● Increases risk of heart disease

● Raises bad cholesterol levels

Following is the amount of all types of fats in various oils/ ghee presently available in market

per 100gm of oil

S.No.	Brand of Oil	Polyunsaturated fats (gm)	Monounsaturated fats (gm)	Saturated fats (gm)	Trans fats (gm)
1	Patanjali Mustard Oil	17.2	76.27	5.54	0
2	Fortune Kachi Ghani Mustard Oil	16	36	12	<1
3	Fortune Sunflower Oil	49	14	17	2
4	Swaad Sunflower Oil	61	25	12	<2
5	Gemini Sunflower Oil	62	26	12	<1
6	Safola Gold Oil	41	39	20	<2
7	Fortune Rice Bran Oil	22	38	31	2
8	Gemini Rice Bran Oil	34	42	24	<2
9	Govind Pure Ghee	2.9	32.6	64.4	<0.01
10	Ruchi Palmolein Oil			48	<0.5

So, you may use the knowledge imparted in this post and club it with your knowledge and wisdom and choose the best oil for your family because maintaining good health is the lowest premium for health insurance.

I hope that you have enjoyed this post. Please let me know your feedback in the comments section. Subscribe to this blog to receive my futures posts directly in your mail-box. Don't forget to share it with your loved ones....

Reaction of FMCG companies in the times of Covid-19

2020-03-30T12:29:00.000+05:30

Here, I have captured how various consumer products companies are reacting in this time that is saddled with the outbreak of pandemic caused by a novel Corona virus called Covid-19. It includes Indian companies as well as those located outside.

1. Marico: Product availability amidst lockdown is the biggest priority, not pricing.

2. ITC - ramping up production of sanitizer, handwash liquids and food items.

3. Amul - has increased its production by 20%. This increase in on account of two reasons :
consumers are hoarding out of panic; secondly consumers are shifting to milk-based products because there is an advisory against egg and meat.

4. Godrej Consumer Products - was planning to increase the price of its soap due to a 30% increase in input costs but has now shelved its plan and has increased production to meet the increase in demand. It has also increased the production of handwash and sanitizers.

5. HUL - has reduced prices by 15% for Lifebuoy sanitizers, Lifebuoy liquid handwash and Domex floor cleaners.

6. Amazon in India - has halted supplies of non-essential items to prioritize customer's critical needs.

7. In a few places, people have started to shift from the offline purchase of groceries to online purchases. This has prompted companies to reprioritize their supply-chain and investment.

8. A consumer company in China - As the timing of stores differs in various regions and also by the individual buildings in which they are housed, in this time of uncertainty, the on-ground team of stores was authorized to decide their timings without consulting their supervisors.

9. Starbucks - in-store menu ordering is stopped. The patrons have to order on mobile and collect the food on the counter. In the lobby, the number of seats was reduced to maintain the prescribed safe distance.

10. Budweiser Brewing Company in China - it made 7day, 30day and 100day plans. The 7day plan focused on employee welfare and social responsibility, including the distribution of protective gear. The 30day plan aimed to reshape the business and resume operations. The 100day plan seeks to grow the Chinese business post-crisis.

11. French luxury conglomerate LVMH has announced that it will repurpose its factory where it makes fragrances & cosmetics, instead, it will now produce hand sanitizer. This is a great opportunity for consumer goods companies to put aside short-term profit aspirations and become better corporate citizens.

12. Spirits manufacturer Radico Khaitan has reduced the price of ethanol to help manufacturers of sanitizers to reduce the cost of the product.

13. In the USA, spirits major Aneuhser Bush and Diageo have started to produce hand sanitizers in its factories to support meeting the sudden increase in demand.

14. A survey in Belgium showed that soon after the government announced on 12th March about the pandemic, crowd increased in supermarkets. Value of basket increased by 19.3% as people started to stock essential items at home. Normally, Saturday happens to be the biggest sales day but in this case Friday happened to the biggest sales day after the pandemic was declared on Thursday (12th March).

15. While Covid-19 has put millions of jobs at risk, there are few companies that are scrambling to fill positions. In the US, grocer delivery company Instacart is looking to add 3L gig workers and Walmart and Amazon are looking to hire 1.5L & 1L workers to meet the increased demand for online shopping.

This should have been my first blog.....

2020-03-27T13:29:00.002+05:30

Hello Everyone,

Ideally, this should have been the first post in my blog to enter into the ecosystem of the latest craze called blogging. But actually it is my 6th post simply because it struck me late to write as below.

From my photo above (actually, it is a selfie in a restaurant at Navi Mumbai), you can guess that I would be around 40years old and you are right. So far in my life I have worked with numerous industrial conglomerates and helped them grow, Gillette, Coke, Pepsico, Dabur, Nerolac Paints. Quite a fabulous line-up isn't it. In this professional journey, I continued to skill myself to prepare for the times ahead. Prior to that, I qualified as a mechanical engineer from a premier institute, NIT Kurukshetra and to study there remains one of my good decisions ever.

Then arrived a time when across the globe, everyone was told to do just one thing and that was "don't do anything and sit at home" because we were struck by a tiny creature, virus called Covid-19, it brought everyone including superpowers to knees. This was March-2020. So, people started to look for alternate ways to positively engage themselves in the idle and I thought of starting to blog. I knew some of my friends were already into it and so I decided to try it myself. It will give me an opportunity to express myself (who otherwise is an introvert person). The most difficult part in any endeavor is to take the first step which in this case was to find a topic on which I will write a blog. But without much difficulty, I was able to zero-on to "Personal Care Products" which had developed as my fascination in the last few years thanks to my earlier professional stints. In my blog, I will put forth what is in personal care products that charms everyone, in all age groups and in all strata of society. I will continue to learn in this journey and keep coming to you with newer info in this field. As I further explored about blogging, I realized that it has mechanisms to generate passive income also. Now, is anything more needed to make it exciting? Boss, I am into it. The address of my blog is "personalcareproducts1.blogspot.com".

I will put up one post each on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, i.e. 3posts per week, this should be sufficient for you to absorb/ enjoy. Today is Friday. I will highly recommend and appreciate you sharing your comment on my posts. This will encourage me to write more and will also help me to improve the quality of content. Well, please don't hesitate to share disagreements also. Please also share it with your family and friends to give it a compounding spread. Remember, we were taught that knowledge and happiness increases when shared with others.

All actions have to be oriented towards a goal, right naa. So, I have targeted this blogging journey to head for 1lac viewership within the first 7months, i.e. by Dussehra that falls on 25.10.2020. Also, by then I should start to generate money from this career. Wonderful!! now that the goal is set, let's get going.

Cheers,
Sachin Agrawal

Consumer Products at Marketplace

2020-03-25T15:57:00.001+05:30

The Indian Personal Care Market is expected to grow at CAGR 9% from $14Bn in 2018 to $23Bn in 2022. The growth is on account of increasing disposable income in the hands of people due to an increase in salaries/ wages more than inflation. Lately in the budget 2020, the government has tweaked tax slabs to increase money in the hands of people. This will aid the growth of segments of consumer products.

Evolving consumerism has played a significant role in shaping this market. Buying patterns and frequencies help identify consumers as loyalists and experimental. Consumer preference indicates that daily care products are purchased online predominantly due to product standardization, offers and discounts on various portals whereas mid-premium and premium products are purchased offline since consumer still believes in the ‘touch & feel’ of the product.

The personal care products are divided into seven major categories – cosmetics, fragrance, men’s grooming, skincare, bath, hair care & oral care. The seven categories can be further divided into 3 positionings – mass, mid-premium & premium + (includes premium, super-premium & luxury brands). In the period 2012-17, the mass category has shown slower growth as compared to the other two categories indicating the shifting of preference of people towards premium products. The premium+ category is set to grow at 15% with the evolving mindset of consumers and increasing penetration of brands.

The mass category is dominated by Colgate, Axe & Himalaya. Mid-premium category is dominated by Olay, Fiama Di Wills, Biotique. The Premium+ category is dominated by Hugo, Boss, L’Oreal, Armani and Sephora.

*Category*	*Brands by Category*			*Revenue*
	*Mass*	*Mid-Premium*	*Premium+*	*Mass*	*Mid-Premium*	*Premium+*
*Cosmetics*	Lakme Maybelline		Sephora	61%	31%	8%
*Fragrance*	Axe Nivea	DAVIDOFF SKINN	BOSS ARMANI	28%	22%	50%
*Men's grooming*	Gillette Old Spice	Mooch USTRAA	ERNO LASLO	69%	26%	5%
*Skin Care*	Dove Vaseline	Olay Neutrogena	La Prairie	60%	30%	10%
*Bath*	Lux Dove	Fiama Di Wills	Aesop	75%	23%	2%
*Hair Care*	Bajaj Godrej	Biotique L'Oreal	L'Oreal	77%	17%	6%
*Oral Care*	Colgate Listerine	Sensodyne Glister	Oral-B	82%	12%	6%

The sale of these products is through general trade (comprising of local Kirana, general and novelty stores), modern trade (comprising of Big Bazar, DMart, Hypercity, Saloon, Spa) and e-commerce. The general trade sells 75%, modern trade 22% & e-commerce 3%. USP for growth of general trade is its proximity to consumer and the “touch & feel” that it provides at the time of purchase. The modern trade channel is expected to grow significantly with regular tracking-pitching to consumers. The growth drivers for online channels are online ads, social media, DIY videos, etc.

The modern trade channel comprises of Large Format Stores (27% share of the total modern trade channel), exclusive brand outlets (EBO) & multi-brand outlets (MBO) (27%), saloon & spa (9%), direct selling (23%) and others (14%). Large Format Stores like Lifestyle are preferred for bundle shopping and brand discovery whereas stores like big bazaar are preferred for daily care products owing to many deals and discounts. Customers with an idea of which product/ brand they want to buy make up a bulk of the buyers from this format. Hence this format has a high retention rate.

Saloons and spa cater to the elite customers.

The cosmetics and luxury products are purchased from Shoppers Stop & Lifestyle that deals with indulgent customers.

The exclusive brand outlet & multi-brand outlet comprises of Health & Glow, The Body Shop, Lakme, MAC, Sephora etc. Lakme has great penetration in the Indian demographic and has one-fourth of its stores in Tier2 cities.

The online channel with a share of about 3% is segregated into horizontal players (Amazon, flipkart) and vertical players (Nykaa, Purplle) each with about 50% share of the pie. Horizontal players cater to daily care needs and has about 19000 brands and 2million SKUs and vertical players sell cosmetics and fragrances which falls in specialized category and has about 700 brands and 80000 SKUs.

Personal Care market has seen rapid growth in tier2 cities. This is attributed to increased internet penetration and the increasing image consciousness of consumers. Growing demand for exclusive products coupled with attractive offers, greater product authenticity and reliability of supply-chain have driven this growth.

Customers are the most important node in any market. The customer goes through a purchase cycle that starts with him becoming aware of the product and culminates with the customer using the product and providing reviews wherever possible. The 4steps identified in the purchase journey includes awareness, engagement, conversion and delight.

To achieve brand awareness, companies are spending on marketing both online and offline. L’Oreal generates 1% of its sale online but spends about 28% of its annual marketing budget. HUL is penetrating Tier2 cities in offline model because ‘touch & feel’ aspect through demos and trials at stores still carry heavy weightage. Online platforms are using personalized customer experience to convert the customer into a buyer. This also helps to increase customer retention rate.

There is vivid difference in age of cutomers buying online and offline wherein for a customer aged 18-25years, the awareness is achieved through online sources (Facebook, Instagram etc). The same for customer above 35years is achieved through word of mouth and prefer ‘touch & feel’. The final step in purchase cycle is consumption wherein the customer uses the product and based on its experience, becomes a promoter or detractor.

Hand Sanitizer

2020-03-24T12:11:00.002+05:30

Hand Sanitizer is a liquid or gel used to decrease infectious agents on hand. While soap with water also cleanses hand by destroying microbes on hand, however in general parlance sanitizer is the one whose formulation is based on alcohol. Sanitizers typically contain some combination of isopropyl alcohol, ethanol or n-propanol. Best sanitizers have 60-95% alcohol. Glycerol is included in the formulation to prevent drying of the skin and to give a soft texture to the product. It may also contain colorants and fragrances. Nowadays, many alcohol-free sanitizers are also being marketed but they may not equally work for all classes of germs.

Sanitizer kills all microbial organisms. For effective sanitization of hand (i.e. for healthcare), the sanitizer should be rub on the palm, back, between fingers, nails and wrist for about 30seconds. Care should be taken that excessive use of sanitizer will cause dryness of skin, cracks and bleed, which allows germs to enter the body.

Common brands of hand sanitizer include Lifebuoy, Dettol, Dabur and many more. These are available in pump-type as well as squeeze-type bottles for easy usage. For high enthusiasts, you can make hand sanitizer at home thru the below DIY technique..
Ingredients
2/3 cup 91% isopropyl alcohol. Also known as rubbing alcohol available in many pharmacies
1/3 cup aloe vera gel
15 drops of tea tree, lemongrass or eucalyptus oil.
Method
Pour the alcohol in a bowl
Add aloe-vera gel
Add the essential oil
Whisk and beat all ingredients to form a smooth gel.
Your homemade hand sanitizer is ready for use. You will have to rub it longer on your hand to absorb because the aloe-vera gel is thicker.

In this dreaded time of the fight against the virus Covid-19, lot of action is seen globally -
1. Indian companies have reduced MRP of its hand sanitizers.
2. Patanjali Ayurved has launched its hand sanitizer at a very decent price.
3. Govt has a capped price of alcohol used to manufacture hand sanitizer.
4. Spirit major Diageo and Beer major Anheuser-Busch Inbev has ramped up supply of alcohol from its liquor factories and manufacture of hand sanitizer in its beer factories in the US.

As in these days, Hand Sanitizer is one of the most talked-about topics, here I attempted to give you a brief about it. Pl let me have your comments.........

Moisturizer for your type of skin

2020-03-21T17:48:00.001+05:30

Moisturizer for skin is available in the market in the form of lotion, oil, ointment or cream. Dermatology recommends that moisturizers should be applied right after washing the face/ body and patting it dry. Choose moisturizers based on your type of skin. You will know if the moisturizer suits your needs almost immediately after use. It should feel nice and pleasant when you apply it.

Oily Skin – Excessive sebum production results is oily skin. Such skins shine and has open pores. It is prone to blackheads, whiteheads and acne. If you have his type of skin, go for oil-free moisturizers. Creams that contain alpha-hydroxy acids (which are also anti-aging) are good. Look for a noncomedogenic moisturizer that won’t clog pores. People with this type of skin can use Neutrogena Oil-free Moisture with SPF15. Also, Lacto Calamine Skin Balance Daily Nourishing Lotion.

Dry Skin – If you feel pulling and tingling sensation after washing skin, you can be sure to have dry skin. You should use some rich cream, aim for heavier moisturizer and look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid and dimethicone, which help keep skin hydrated. Glycerine, propylene glycol, proteins and urea helps attract water on skin. Lanolin, mineral oil lock in moisture. A good product recommended to people with dry skin is Cetaphil Daily Advance Ultra Hydrating Lotion.

Normal skin – if your skin is neither oily nor dry, you have a normal type and are the envy of the people with other types of skin. Keep your moisturizer neutral, light and non-greasy. Moisturizer made for normal skin contains lightweight oils or silicone-based ingredients like Cyclomethicone.

Combination skin – you have normal skin around cheeks and oily skin around the forehead and nose, also known as T zone. Apply moisturizer accordingly at the different portions.

Sensitive Skin – Use fragrance-free and hypoallergenic moisturizer. In the list of ingredients, look for aloe and chamomile. Dermatologists suggest avoiding “anti-aging” ingredients such as retinoids, alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA), beta-hydroxy acids (BHA). Products suitable for this type of skin will generally have a shorter list of ingredients. Cream that may be good for you is The Body Shop Aloe Soothing Day Cream.

Lastly, there is a plethora of moisturizers that are sold as a one-stop solution for “All Skin Types” that basically works fine for types of skin if the type of skin is not the extreme and the consumer is not choosy.

The Industry Size of "Skin and Hair Care Items"

2020-03-20T17:23:00.000+05:30

The size of personal care products industry in India in the year 2018 was about $14Bn and is on a roll thanks to online sales of beauty products, premiumisation and inclination towards organic and ethical brands. The market distribution of various categories in the sector is .....

Body Care comprises of Toilet soaps, Deodorants, Creams/ Lotions, Derma, Sunscreen and Body Wash. Hair Care includes Oil, Shampoo and Conditioners. Face Cream category is made up of Fairness cream, Shaving Cream, Cleansing agents, Lip care, Foundation etc.

Specialized categories like cosmetics, fragrances, men's grooming and skin care are set to outpace the growth of generic categories and will hold market share of 40-50% by 2022. Generic categories like shower & bath, hair and oral care already enjoy a high penetration and are mature categories because of which they will witness slower growth.

Herbal products are increasingly gaining adoption on the face of increasing awareness to the perils of consistently using chemical formulations. Hence, herbal products are expected to grow 15-20% per annum. Gradually, all companies have adapted to this category in order to not lose on their existing and potential customers.

With India having 22 out of the 30 most polluted cities in the world (2018 air quality data by greenpeace), consumers are increasingly becoming aware of environmental degradation and are switching to eco-friendly organic and natural products.

Types of Personal Care Products

2020-03-19T15:31:00.000+05:30

Personal Care Products are broadly categorized as below
1. Oral Care
2. Skin Care
3. Hair Care

Now, in each of the above categories there are various sub-categories that shall be discussed a little later. As can be understood from the name, Oral care products maintain hygiene of mouth and they provide aesthetics as well as functional support to teeth, tongue, gums and other organs inside mouth. Skin Care products serves the same for our skin and Hair Care products does it for hair and scalp.

Oral Care products are classified as below
1.1 Toothpaste
1.2 Toothpowder
1.3 Mouthwash
1.4 Denture Adhesive

Skin Care products are classified as below
2.1 Moisturising Cream
2.2 Moisturising Lotion
2.3 Cold Cream
2.4 Fairness Cream
2.4 Foundation
2.5 Cleansing milk/ lotion
2.6 Lip cream
2.7 Shaving Cream
2.8 Toilet Soap
2.9 Body Wash
2.10 Sunscreen lotion
2.11 Deodorants

Hair Care products are classified as below
3.1 Hair Oil
3.2 Shampoo
3.3 Conditioner