Buying Skincare? Here’s Why You Should Question Every Brand Claim

Ask any founder building a beauty brand today what their toughest task is, and formulation won’t top the list. Getting a serum or cream to work is a solved problem for most labs. The bigger challenge is earning trust in a category that spent decades training people not to believe it.

Across the sector, brands field the same questions on repeat: where does an ingredient come from, why was a preservative chosen, what does “clean” really mean, and most importantly, does the product actually work? That scrutiny must be read as a signal today. The Indian beauty consumer has changed. Consumers are more informed, more willing to research, compare and fact-check claims, and they are certainly not going back to trusting blindly.

No more blind faith

For years, the industry sustained itself on sentiment—a pastel bottle, attractive packaging, and promises of “clean beauty” closed sales. But today, shoppers are investigators rather than just consumers.

Armed with smartphones, they scan barcodes, read ingredient lists, compare products and look for answers before making a purchase. They expect to understand where an ingredient was sourced from, what it does, and whether it is safe and suitable for them. They watch factory footage on social media, read customer reviews and increasingly look for experiences from creators and influencers before responding to a product’s promotional campaign. They treat a product page as a claim that needs to be verified.

This is not cynicism; it is literacy. Consumers have the tools to ask tough questions. If brands treat that as an inconvenience, they will fall behind.

Knowledge is a must

People want straight answers about what they apply on their bodies: what each ingredient does, why it is there, whether it is likely to cause any irritation or problems, and whether the product can actually deliver on the concern it claims to address.

This is where the beauty and personal care industry needs to recognise an important shift. BPC is, at its core, a problem-led industry. Consumers are not simply buying a cream, shampoo or face wash; they are looking for a solution to a specific concern, whether it is acne, dandruff, pigmentation, dryness or hair fall. Therefore, efficacy and proof matter over everything else. Clean formulations, conscious sourcing and ethical labour practices are important, but they cannot substitute for a product that does not effectively solve the problem it was bought to address.

Research from the Fashion Institute of Technology shows that most buyers want brands to explain what ingredients actually do and where they are sourced. This is no longer a niche demand from wellness enthusiasts; it is the mainstream expectation.

Specifics rebuild lost trust

Words like“clean,” “green,” and “eco-friendly” have been used too loosely for too long. Buyers have caught on, and surveys indicate that most consumers doubt company sustainability claims, with only a small percentage of respondents feeling the industry is transparent about its impact.

What rebuilds trust is naming standards, explaining responsible actions, and showing receipts up front. The same principle applies to efficacy. Brands need to move beyond simply stating that a product is “effective” and demonstrate what makes it effective, what it has been tested for and what evidence supports the claim.

Labour as Important as Sourcing

Consumers are also concerned with the sources and processes that contribute to the production of a particular product before it reaches them. Mica, a natural mineral used in cosmetic products as a source of shimmer, sparkle, and pearlescent effect, and customers are now interested in the origin of this raw material. In this regard, companies need to ensure that the mica used in their production process is ethically sourced, while also addressing the issue of child labour. Additionally, ensuring fair pay and safe working conditions, as well as the impact of mining activities on the environment should also be considered in connection to the production of cosmetics. In a recent study, 80% to 85% of shoppers stated that sustainability and ethics are critical factors in their purchases.

However, the larger lesson for brands is that conscious practices and ethical sourcing need to exist alongside product performance. A consumer may appreciate how a product is sourced, but the ultimate validation comes when it delivers against the problem it was purchased to solve.

Independent proof > brand claims

Consumers trust third parties more than brand marketing. Independent verification consistently ranks as a highly trusted source of sustainability information. This is why certifications, batch codes, published supply-chain maps, product testing and honest answers matter more than smart taglines.

The same validation is increasingly coming from people consumer’s trust. A recommendation from a creator or influencer who has genuinely used and evaluated a product can carry significant weight. So can a recommendation from a friend or family member, or the collective experience reflected in customer reviews. These forms of customer proof create a layer of credibility that brand communication alone cannot manufacture.

For the industry, this means that the strongest brands will not simply be those that make the most claims. They will be those that can substantiate them—from the ingredients and manufacturing process to the efficacy of the finished product.

Industry owes its customers

Consumers do not expect trade secrets or formulas on a platter. They simply ask for transparency: readable ingredient lists, honest sourcing, real manufacturing standards, evidence behind efficacy claims, and the integrity to admit limitations rather than hiding them.

This is an opportunity to win and retain consumers with honesty, effective products and proof. The brands that win the next decade won’t be the ones with the cleverest packaging copy. They will be the ones that understand the problem their consumers are trying to solve, build products that effectively address those problems, and are willing to open the door and show people exactly how the product in their hands came to be.

(Swagatika Das, CEO & Co-founder, Nat Habit)

Published on: Sunday, November 01, 2026, 12:00 AM IST