Chosen targets 10% share of sunscreens segment by 2030

Chosen Skincare, a Chennai-headquartered dermo-cosmetic brand founded by Dr Renita Rajan, celebrated its fifth anniversary by announcing a rebranding exercise recently. The rebrand that constitutes a refreshed visual identity reflects the brand's focus on science-backed skincare to suit the skin of colour (SOC) in India, according to the company.

Along with the rebrand, the company launched its centre of excellence (CoE) for research on melanin-rich skin and high-performance formulations.

"For decades, skincare has often overlooked the specific needs of skin of colour (SOC). Chosen's science focuses on high-performance skincare that works with—not against—melanin-rich skin," said Dr Rajan.

As part of the rebranding exercise, the company replaced its old logo, which consisted of a thin hexagon, with a new logo design comprising a stronger font symbolising the brand's focus on longevity, sustainability, and future-driven innovation. "The new logo signifies the intersection of science and functionality, reflecting our commitment to practical, research-backed skincare solutions," Dr Rajan told Campaign.

The refreshed visual identity also includes new packaging to represent its focus on scientific precision and inclusivity. As part of the exercise, Chosen has revamped its website, adding educational content about SOC skincare to help consumers streamline their skincare journey.

Business expansion and marketing

The Indian skincare market is expected to reach $17.1 billion by 2033, growing from $8.4 billion in 2024 at a CAGR of 7.8%, according to a iMarc Group report. The market witnessed high growth in the recent past, led by increasing consumer awareness, changing beauty standards, and a steady rise in self-care routines by individuals. According to the research firm, BlueWeave Consulting, India's sunscreen category market is projected to reach $1,256.76 million (INR 1.08 lakh crores, approximately) by 2030, growing from $879.12 million in 2023.

While Chosen is concentrated in Southern India at present, it is planning to expand its business to other parts of the country. "We aim to expand our presence beyond South India and strengthen our footprint in other regions. Our distribution strategy will include tie-ups with dermatologists, doctors, and retail expansion into underserved regions," said Dr Rajan.

Much of this expansion will be funded through internal resources supplanted by the resources it collected during a seed funding round last year when it raised approximately $1.2 million (INR 10.4 crores, approximately) from friends and family. Just before this funding, the company had also received $1,00,000 (INR 86.65 lakhs, approximately) as an equity-free grant from Peak XV Partners under the SPARK program for women entrepreneurs. As the next step, the brand is also aiming at securing a pre-series funding of up to $20 million.

Traditionally relying primarily on word-of-mouth publicity, Chosen plans to judiciously invest in marketing this year to support its proposed business expansion. "Our marketing spend will be relatively low. We will spend around 7% to 8% of the monthly turnover on digital marketing," Dr Rajan said. In addition, the funds will also be allocated to off-line marketing activities including community events and loyalty programmes. "These strategies will help us grow with the community," she added.

Chosen works with a Bengaluru-based creative advertising agency, Afternoon, which also helped the brand develop its new visual identity. Another agency, The Mavericks has been tasked to meet its brand visibility and communications objectives. Going forward, Chosen will explore B2B partnerships in industries such as hospitality, health, travel, and leisure to promote its products.

Through such efforts, the brand is looking at strong growth this year. As part of its future business plans, it is looking at building cult skincare, haircare, and wellness products targeting doctors and discerning consumers.

Commenting on the company's financial performance, Dr Rajan said that Chosen has been a profitable venture and that its entire growth has been driven mainly by internal accruals so far. This, she said, indicated a strong brand pull for its products across skincare, haircare, and nutraceuticals categories.

"From a market share perspective, we are looking to get to 10% category share in sunscreen alone over the next five years," she said. This may be an ambitious target given Chosen's specialised positioning as a science-backed premium dermocosmetic brand.

While on an expansion drive, the company has also kept a strong growth target on the revenue front. "For the current year, which finishes in March 2025, we are targeting growth in the range of 30% to 50%. Looking ahead, we are aiming for around 70% growth next year," informed Dr Rajan.

Dr Renita Rajan, founder, Chosen Skincare.

Science-backed branding

Chosen is also planning to launch India’s first Melanin Lab, a research centre focused on advancing SOC skincare. The lab will develop SOC-specific formulations backed by clinical studies and provide research-backed skincare protocols. Through this initiative, it will also collaborate with dermatologists and wellness practitioners to integrate SOC skincare into mainstream beauty and healthcare in India.

Chosen's rebrand exercise should be examined as part of its overall business and marketing strategy for the next two years. The global studies on dermatology have traditionally been based on Caucasian skin data. There is a near absence of good research on Indian population data. Chosen aims to address this gap through its Centre of Excellence and melanin lab initiative. One such area, for instance, is the balance between the regular use of sunscreen and vitamin D production.

While ultraviolet B (UVB) rays stimulate the production of vitamin D, they are also the leading cause of sunburn. While sunscreens are designed to prevent UVB rays from reaching the skin to protect it from sunburn, their regular use has been criticised for potentially reducing vitamin D production in the human body.

However, in a study involving more than 1,000 participants, Chosen found that there is no direct correlation between vitamin D deficiency and sunscreen use, indicating that the regular use of sunscreen does not substantially impact vitamin D levels in the human body.

Such studies is why Chosen decided to concentrate on positioning itself as a science-backed skincare brand focusing on evidence-driven sun protection. It also helps it position its products as suitable for age-inclusive skin care, addressing the diverse needs of Indian consumers across different life stages.

Some of the prominent players in India's skincare products market include Biotique, Dabur India, Emami, Godrej Consumer Products, Himalaya, Hindustan Unilever, ITC, Khadi Natural Healthcare, Lakme, L’Oréal India, Lotus Herbals, Mamaearth, Marico, Nykaa, and VLCC Personal Care.

Given such high competition, Chosen differentiates itself from the OTC brands by positioning itself as a premium dermo-cosmetic brand. While focusing on clinical-grade, dermatologist-backed formulations, it sells more than 50 SKUs across eight product brands including the flagship SafeScreen.

Under its premium dermo-cosmetic brand positioning, Chosen has identified three key areas for its skincare offerings. They are intra-procedure applications–which include products used by dermatologists during procedures, step-down care–which includes products prescribed for use at home immediately after a procedure to enhance healing and results, and maintenance–for long-term skincare including products such as sunscreens that people continue using as part of their daily routine.