Swarup Chakrabarty
Senior Analyst, Beauty & Wellbeing
Cosmoprof India 2025 marked its most successful edition to date, bringing a record-breaking number of attendees and exhibitors to Mumbai and reaffirming India’s position as one of the beauty industry’s most dynamic growth markets.
Swarup Chakrabarty, Senior Analyst in Kline’s Beauty and Wellbeing vertical, delivered a presentation on Five Growth Frontiers in India’s Professional Hair Care Market, highlighting key demand shifts, treatment-led innovation, and emerging growth opportunities across channels. These themes strongly echoed observations across the show floor, particularly the emphasis on hair treatments and continued premiumization. While the show featured innovations across multiple categories, professional skin care and professional hair care brands were the showstoppers. Following are the key highlights that caught our attention.
Professional Skin Care India: Cosmeceuticals and Medical Aesthetics Gain Momentum
Cosmoprof India 2025 highlighted a clear rise in cosmeceutical and medical aesthetic offerings, signaling growing demand for medical-grade skin care in the Indian market. This momentum is being driven by higher disposable incomes, shifting attitudes toward self-care and aesthetic treatments, wider access to advanced technologies (lasers, injectables, skin boosters), strong social media influence, and India’s position as a medical tourism hub.
Several cosmeceutical brands stood out for their clinical positioning and ingredient-led formulations:
- Trikona Pharmaceuticals (India): A Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical brand focused on medical cosmetology, offering a broad range of medical-grade skin care products. Its Aziclear Serum, a finalist at the Cosmoprof India Awards 2025, targets pigmentation and scarring using azelaic acid, resorcinol, Hydroxyphenoxy Propionic Acid (HPPA), and ferulic acid.
- Dr. Melaxin (South Korea): Positioned as a dermacosmetic brand, it emphasizes the treatment and prevention of skin concerns. Its bestseller, the Peel Shot Spray, combining high-purity kojic acid and turmeric extract with AHA and PHA for brightening and gentle exfoliation, won the Cosmoprof India Awards 2025 title in the personal care, body care, and frangrance category.
- celestic Cosmeceuticals (Belgium) showcased high-concentration skin care products with active ingredients (peptides, vitamins, acids) formulated to complement professional salon treatments. The products focus on anti-aging, hydration, firming, and targeted concerns such as redness and pigmentation, supported by scientific and clean formulation claims.
In the broader medical aesthetics landscape, South Korean companies stood out as key innovation leaders, presenting a wide range of solutions:
- DocLab highlighted professional-grade skin booster ampoules used in aesthetic procedures, including the DocLab Belle Elle Ampoule and DocLab Peptide Tox Ampoule.
- Healara showcased microalgae- and fucoxanthin-based ampoules targeting pigmentation, aging, and dehydration.
- Celldraw presented mesotherapy and collagen boosters aimed at cellular rejuvenation, skin barrier repair, hydration, and elasticity.
- Victoria Sun introduced a new line of NMN-based skin boosters designed to support cellular repair, mitochondrial function, and energy metabolism by enhancing NAD+ levels.
- Adwin Korea presented its Biome Collagen line, which combines fermented ingredients with collagen to support hydration, barrier health, and anti-aging.
- Exellup showcased personalized exosome-based skin boosters, reflecting growing interest in regenerative and customized aesthetic solutions.
Professional Hair Care India: Innovation, Premium Positioning, and Chemical-Free Texturizing Treatments in Focus
While skin care brands dominated in number at Cosmoprof India 2025, hair care brands stood out for innovation within professional and salon-focused segments, particularly around premium positioning and safer treatment alternatives.
Streamline Beauty India—the exclusive distributor of professional brands such as Aveda, Kevin Murphy, Olaplex, and 3TENX—secured a prime location at the show entrance. Among its brands:
- Aveda drew significant attention with its signature green booth and a product display organized by brand evolution, while the Botanical Repair range was prominently featured throughout the event.
- 3TENX generated strong interest, spotlighting its Hydrify Gloss Mist, a multifunctional gloss and leave-in treatment that delivers frizz control, hydration, heat protection, and a lightweight, glass-like finish. Formulated with raspberry seed oil, jojoba oil, keratin, and collagen, the product won Best Hair & Nail Product at the Cosmoprof India Awards 2025.
- NEQI, a premium vegan professional hair care brand made in Italy, differentiates through sulphate-free formulations powered by active ingredients such as hemisqualane and peptides, alongside a signature fragrance developed by master perfumer Alberto Morillas.
Although still a niche, formaldehyde-free and chemical-free texturizing treatments are gaining traction in India, reflecting demand for safer, high-performance salon solutions. Several brands highlighted innovations in this space:
- Felps Professional (Brazil) presented formaldehyde-free nanoplasty and hair botox treatments enriched with native Brazilian ingredients, such as açaí, keratin, nut oils, quajava extract, and more.
- Sarah Professional (Brazil) showcased high-tech, formaldehyde-free and cruelty-free hair care products, including advanced nanoplasty and hair botox treatments as well as masks and home-care products which are advertised to deliver salon-quality results.
- Bayssil Cosmetic (India) featured its Bioplex Nutrifusion Treatment, a nanotechnology-driven, cream-based treatment delivering deep conditioning without formaldehyde; the product was a finalist in the Hair Care category at the Cosmoprof India Awards.
- Vitta Gold Cosmetics (Brazil) introduced its Nanoplex Arginina range, using nanotechnology and arginine to repair, smooth, and strengthen damaged hair.
- NanoKare (Australia) showcased its Nanoplasty system, a formaldehyde-free smoothing treatment using nano-molecular technology and heat activation to restructure hair from within.
Beyond finished products, Cosmoprof India 2025 also highlighted India’s growing role as a strategic hub for packaging, raw materials, and ingredients, supported by a strong local manufacturing ecosystem. As e-commerce, digitalization, and evolving consumer expectations reshape supply chains, packaging players are increasingly investing in customized, high-quality, and sustainable solutions across skin care, hair care, hair color, and nail care. Sustainability stood out as a key differentiator, underscored by innovations such as FR&PARTNERS’ award-winning cork-based, refillable packaging and the strong interest in fully biodegradable packaging solutions showcased by brands such as Re[Sens].
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