Long hours on sets in make-up, gruelling travel for shoots and promotions meant actor Katrina Kaif’s skin could behave differently every day. Finding a routine that kept it calm, hydrated and ready for the demands of camera and make-up involved plenty of trial and error.

“I’m a huge skincare lover, but I’ve always struggled with sensitive skin. I am quite particular about what my skin needs. If a product is too heavy, I tend to break out. If it has a high percentage of actives, I’ll get redness. Fragrance makes my skin vulnerable to allergies,” says Kaif, who co-founded the Kay Beauty brand alongside beauty and lifestyle retail platform Nykaa.

Her search for products that would soothe and strengthen her skin barrier took on a new dimension after her pregnancy, when her skin became even more sensitive. “It was a very challenging and interesting time because what I was trying on my face had to really be soothing and calming, and if anything was remotely irritating, it would show right away,” she says.

Kaif says this experience also shaped the thinking behind her beauty business. While Kay Beauty’s make-up was developed with an emphasis on skin-friendly ingredients, Kaif’s own experience with sensitive skin eventually led her to explore skincare. The skincare range, Skin by Kay Beauty, was launched last month after three years of development.

A CROWDED MARKET

The Indian beauty consumer today has more options across categories, making it increasingly important for brands to be clear about what sets their products apart.

Adwaita Nayar, co-founder and executive director of Nykaa and CEO of House of Nykaa, says consumer needs are becoming more diverse and nuanced: “Our approach is to identify these evolving consumer needs and areas of whitespace and then leverage the strengths of our brands to create differentiated propositions that can scale."

The way consumers use beauty products is also changing, with skincare and make-up increasingly becoming connected parts of the same routine, Nayar adds.

The first products from Skin by Kay Beauty are the Hydra Glaze Essence and Hydrabase Water Crème. The development involved formulators in Korea and Italy, as well as biochemist Nausheen Qureshi. Given Kay Beauty’s origins in make-up, Kaif says the skincare range was developed with lightweight textures that absorb easily, leave the skin hydrated and can be worn under make-up.

Kaif says she tested different iterations herself, including during her pregnancy, using them as part of her everyday routine and under make-up.

“Throughout the three years, I was constantly trying different iterations, using them in my everyday routine and under make-up, and sharing my feedback with the teams,” says Kaif. “Skincare is something you can’t rush. You need to actually live with a product and see how your skin responds to it over time.”

Long hours on sets in make-up, gruelling travel for shoots and promotions meant actor Katrina Kaif’s skin could behave differently every day. Finding a routine that kept it calm, hydrated and ready for the demands of camera and make-up involved plenty of trial and error.

“I’m a huge skincare lover, but I’ve always struggled with sensitive skin. I am quite particular about what my skin needs. If a product is too heavy, I tend to break out. If it has a high percentage of actives, I’ll get redness. Fragrance makes my skin vulnerable to allergies,” says Kaif, who co-founded the Kay Beauty brand alongside beauty and lifestyle retail platform Nykaa.

Her search for products that would soothe and strengthen her skin barrier took on a new dimension after her pregnancy, when her skin became even more sensitive. “It was a very challenging and interesting time because what I was trying on my face had to really be soothing and calming, and if anything was remotely irritating, it would show right away,” she says.

Kaif says this experience also shaped the thinking behind her beauty business. While Kay Beauty’s make-up was developed with an emphasis on skin-friendly ingredients, Kaif’s own experience with sensitive skin eventually led her to explore skincare. The skincare range, Skin by Kay Beauty, was launched last month after three years of development.

A CROWDED MARKET

The Indian beauty consumer today has more options across categories, making it increasingly important for brands to be clear about what sets their products apart.

Adwaita Nayar, co-founder and executive director of Nykaa and CEO of House of Nykaa, says consumer needs are becoming more diverse and nuanced: “Our approach is to identify these evolving consumer needs and areas of whitespace and then leverage the strengths of our brands to create differentiated propositions that can scale."

The way consumers use beauty products is also changing, with skincare and make-up increasingly becoming connected parts of the same routine, Nayar adds.

The first products from Skin by Kay Beauty are the Hydra Glaze Essence and Hydrabase Water Crème. The development involved formulators in Korea and Italy, as well as biochemist Nausheen Qureshi. Given Kay Beauty’s origins in make-up, Kaif says the skincare range was developed with lightweight textures that absorb easily, leave the skin hydrated and can be worn under make-up.

Kaif says she tested different iterations herself, including during her pregnancy, using them as part of her everyday routine and under make-up.

“Throughout the three years, I was constantly trying different iterations, using them in my everyday routine and under make-up, and sharing my feedback with the teams,” says Kaif. “Skincare is something you can’t rush. You need to actually live with a product and see how your skin responds to it over time.”