Indians were always known for their beautiful lustrous hair. In fact, in Ayurveda strong, lustrous hair were considered an essential part of one’s grooming and thus, an indication of their character. Like the special attention it pays to all other personal care rituals, the Ayurveda also places special importance on hair care with formulations for Ayurvedic hair serum, oil and shampoo.
But as many of our Ayurvedic teachings were left behind, its personal care formulations and remedies were also made casualty. Instead, we adopted chemically laden products. A triumph of advertising and big corporation marketing might, these products have become our primary personal care options. Despite the fact that they are harmful for us, harm the environment and can be more expensive, these products have ended up ruling the roost.
Revival of Ayurveda
However, Ayurveda has made a revival in the recent past. Some would argue that it was never gone. Ardent practitioners and followers of Ayurveda have always kept it alive and growing in the country of its origin. But, of late many manufacturers have also jumped into the fray. The government is also encouraging the growth of the sector, seeing a tremendous potential of growth in both the domestic and international markets.
Organized manufacturing can also remove many of the challenges associated with Ayurveda, such as ease of use, standardization of products and strict regulatory mechanism. One of the fastest growing segment of this sector is personal care, especially hair care products like hair oil, shampoo, conditioners and hair serum.
Ayurvedic hair serum
Although the idea of hair serum was considered fairly revolutionary when it first came out as a marketing gimmick, but in Ayurveda had formulations for hair after wash care that date back centuries! Many of our household remedies actually take from these old methods and you may have a grandma who could give you a recipe or two!
But we have an easier solution. A group of manufacturers are focused on the Ayurvedic formulations for hair care, including aftercare like hair serum. There are four positive trends in this regard:
Growing presence in the luxury market:
One of the biggest money spinner in cosmetics and personal care market is the luxury segment. There are huge international brands in this sector, which invest millions in advertising blitzkrieg. Internationally, this market is valued in trillions. India is one of the major players.
Last year the global personal care industry grew by 5%. India along with Indonesia, was one of the drivers of this growth with a record of 9.2%. While the immediate forecasts show a dip because of demonetization, this would be temporary since luxury buyers switch to cashless payments quicker than average buyers.
Growth of Indian manufacturing:
While the figures above show an impressive growth, it is just one-sided. This is the record of India as a market and not as a manufacturing hub. India does not count among the top brands in this segment. However, this is also changing fast. With money flowing in, many Indian companies have also shown impressive growth. FDI in the sector is also growing steadily.
The other push has come from tie-ups with major luxury bands. Some of the big Indian are now collaborating with well-known international brands. This has brought in the money required for further growth, a stricter quality control and more consciousness towards branding and packaging. For instance, Ayurvedic hair serums now come in the easier to use pumping bottles.
Growing demand:
Internationally the demand for ‘green’ or organic products is steadily rising. There is an increasing consciousness towards the damage caused by chemicals and this is giving rise to organic or ‘green’ remedies. Ayurveda fits neatly into this category. In fact, it is one of the oldest recorded testament of personal care. The only other such records are found in Chinese ancient medicine. Both are now uniquely poised to exploit the demand for natural products.
Standardization:
Although we believe in the sanctity of Ayurvedic remedies, one of the stumbling blocks has been the standardization of products. This is a huge stumbling block in the international markets where such markers are essential in displaying quality. But now the government is focusing in regularization of the market. One of the more applicable alternative has been the authentication of sourcing and a unique standardization regime.
Conclusion
Natural personal care products like Ayurvedic hair serums have a huge potential in the global market. As the market avidly looks for organic and safe products, we are on the verge of a breakthrough in the luxury care market.
