Demand for clean-label brands spikes in India

Clean label majorly refers to products that are free of artificial chemicals, contaminants and additives. It brings in transparency and helps consumers make the right choice when it comes to nutrition, health and beauty. Allied Market Research estimates the global clean ingredients market to reach $64.1 billion by 2026 from the current $38.8bn

New Delhi: Consumers are increasingly more aware of choosing the right products for personal care and nutrition. They are questioning a product's sourcing and ingredients and whether they hold any ramifications for the user or the environment. But the market is overrun with a vast surfeit of products filled with harmful chemicals that have various side effects on the end-user.

The conscious customer of today wants to settle only for products that are safe. Therefore, we are witnessing a steady influx of clean label health, nutrition and beauty brands in the country that are dedicated to raising the bar in terms of purity and product quality.

With consumers appreciating the efforts of select brands that are pushing the envelope towards furnishing only the best in class products that are made wholly from clean and organic plant-based sources, the Indian food and consumer product industry is at the threshold of a vital transformation. The consumers must have the final say as ultimate stakeholders and should be in the centre of all product designing and development. With this thought in mind, several companies in India are galloping towards the exclusive use of top-drawer ingredients and sustainable methods in formulating products that can be recognised as clean label products.

Clean label majorly refers to products that are free of artificial chemicals, contaminants and additives. It brings in transparency and helps consumers make the right choice when it comes to nutrition, health and beauty. Allied Market Research estimates the global clean ingredients market to reach $64.1 billion by 2026 from the current $38.8 billion. In India, the clean label trend is on the rise and the market will continue to grow in the coming years, too.

Clean label certification is an extremely important aspect of nutrition products. Being clean label certified ensures that what you are consuming is free of harmful elements and is good for the body, even in the long run. There are organisations like Clean Label Project (a US-based Non- profit organisation) that follow stringent methods before awarding clean label certification to consumer products. Through actual retail sampling and testing, the Clean Label Project has managed to institute evidence-based benchmarks to identify the world's best products by optimising data and science as opposed to just marketing.

The clean-label revolution has also catapulted the rise of clean beauty brands that are focused on delivering exactly what they promise on the product label. Free from a plethora of dangerous chemicals and additives that harm the skin, these new-age clean-beauty products have clearly taken the personal care industry by storm on account of their superior ingredients and absence of harmful toxins. The newly-arising faction of enlightened and eco-conscious users across India and the world solemnly swear by the benefits that are offered by this groundbreaking new wave of clean-beauty brands. No wonder, the commercial and conventional brands have no option but to make a similar transition or face extinction.

As organisations in the country strive to offer only the best products that are certified clean, they are also indirectly nudging the masses into gaining heightened market awareness and using high-quality products only. This will prove instrumental in raising quality standards and product benchmarks around the country as consumers will finally have an opportunity to experience products and services that are clean and uncompromised.

The emergence of clean label companies has also imposed a crackdown on many commercial firms meeting dubious products across India and the world. Customers are no longer bullied into buying spurious products that are made under unethical circumstances. They can readily choose to buy products from clean-label brands without experiencing guilt pangs. This clean label paradigm shift has simultaneously helped in empowering the customers and democratizing the market competition.

Some companies in India are ostensibly cashing in on the clean-label wave that is spreading fast across the globe. This new league of cruelty-free, organic and vegan brands are also quite vocal in creating their brand fable around their clean-label certification and pristine operational philosophy.

The clean label revolution will grow further in India and will also see newer products and categories being launched. Categories like clean proteins, plant-based vitamins, and minerals good for health and immunity have seen a high adoption rate among consumers. Clean beauty products with natural and cruelty-free ingredients are highly sought after by Indian consumers.

The future of beauty and health is clean and there is no looking back for brands who have adopted clean labels early on.