siliconindia | | December 20208IN MY OPINIONBy Karan Gupta, Director, Qraa MenWHY MEN'S GROOMING CATEGORY IS GOING BACK TO ORGANIC & NATURAL IN INDIA?he `organic' and `natural' have been the two most es-sential denominators in the growth of Indian grooming and personal care industry. These words are intrinsically linked with the notion of the ancient curative culture of Ayurveda, that leans strongly on a variety of natural ingredients such as herbs, roots and flowers, among others. However, an exciting split has taken place in the Indian personal care industry with men's grooming industry, making an altogether new category. In recent times, it can be observed that the men's section has shown an increased inclination towards organic and natural products.As per a study published by re-search firm Euromonitor in 2016, In-dian grooming industry depended on the organic or natural features of skin or hair care products before making their purchase decisions. While 71 percent of those reviewed agreed that their face cream or lotion should contain natural ingredients, 38 per-cent accepted that they would only purchase a product that is made with botanical ingredients. The trend has trickled into men's grooming catego-ry. Since approximately 50 percent of the mass population in the male category is adults of age in the range of 18-30 years, it can be said that the presence or absence of natural ingre-dients in men's grooming products can today make or break its custom-er base. Here are a few reasons why such a change has occurred in the men's grooming category in India.Increase in AwarenessThere has been a tremendous increase in awareness with respect to groom-ing and personal care in men in the last few years. Metrosexual men not only know that they need a dedicated line of products, but they can also dif-ferentiate between a good and a lousy product based on the ingredients. For example, an ingredient list contain-ing sulphates and other chemicals are being repeatedly shunned by men, as those products can dry out the natu-ral moisture of the skin and subject it to synthetics. They are well aware of the long-lasting effects of such chem-ical-based products.Informed about Hidden In-gredientsSkincare and personal grooming products with hidden ingredients such as parabens and artificial fra-grances are quickly falling out of favour with the male populace. This is because men now understand the impact of these ingredients on their skin. For example, parabens mimic the estrogen hormone and subjects one at an increased risk of breast can-cer. Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) can have a degenerative effect on cells as it denatures proteins. Many men are aware that each ingredient TA young, passionate and zealous Entrepreneur, Karan Gupta inherited his family business, Qraa Herbals but envisioned that the male grooming business has a bright future too. In 2017, He came up with his own extension of the brand, Qraa Men with innovative products for men like Gold Oils for Men and Hair and Beard Vitalizers. These Innovative products have been reviewed by some of the top Industry Influencers and Bloggers taking the brand by leaps and bounds.Karan Gupta, Director
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