Gen Z is reshaping India’s beauty and personal care market, driving demand for skincare, Korean beauty (K-Beauty) and premium products beyond the country’s major metros, according to a new report by Myntra.
Titled ‘Beauty in the Age of Gen Z’, the report reveals that half of Gen Z beauty buyers on the platform are based in Tier 2 and 3 cities. Spending on beauty and personal care per customer in this cohort has increased 1.2 times year on year, while the category commands a 75% higher share of their wallets compared with millennials.
Sun protection has emerged as another key growth area. Purchases of SPF products have risen 60% year on year, while searches for spray sunscreens, ingredient-led sunscreens and tinted sunscreens have increased 80%, 70% and 60%, respectively.
K-Beauty is also gaining traction, with demand growing 200% year on year and searches increasing by more than 300%. Meanwhile, purchases of hair masks have climbed 110%, and men's skincare orders have grown 78%.
Sharon Pais, head of Myntra, said beauty and personal care remains one of the platform’s strongest growth engines, with Gen Z increasingly viewing beauty as a form of self-expression that influences their appearance, social lives and everyday choices.
She added that younger consumers are experimenting with premium and international brands through smaller product formats, discovering products through creators and K-Beauty, and making purchase decisions based on ingredients and efficacy across cities of different sizes.
According to Pais, brands that engage these consumers early, simplify product discovery and build trust through product performance and ingredient transparency will be better positioned to win their attention.
Minis open up premium beauty to new consumers
Smaller product formats are playing a growing role in introducing shoppers to premium beauty brands. Minis account for 14% of luxe beauty units sold on Myntra, with lipsticks, perfumes and face primers among the leading categories.
More than half of the new customers acquired by brands such as M.A.C, Kayali, Smashbox and Salvatore Ferragamo come through minis, highlighting the role of trial-sized products in encouraging consumers to explore premium offerings.
Creator-led discovery is also influencing shopping behaviour. Myntra has around 82,000 active beauty creators, while user-generated beauty content on the platform has increased 40% year on year. Nearly two-thirds of new beauty creator registrations over the past four months have come from Gen Z.
Smaller cities emerge as beauty growth markets
The report highlights the growing diversity of beauty shopping baskets in Tier 2 and 3 cities, where consumers are purchasing serums, toners, sunscreens and hair masks alongside everyday personal care products.
Cities including Ludhiana, Patna, Bhopal, Indore, Guwahati, Surat, Varanasi and Imphal are contributing to this growth, indicating that demand for specialised skincare and premium beauty products is extending beyond metropolitan markets.
Consumer preferences are also becoming more ingredient-focused, with rising searches for Centella asiatica, copper peptides, azelaic acid and panthenol. Products offering gel-based, fragrance-free and non-sticky textures are gaining popularity as shoppers pay greater attention to formulations and product efficacy.
Repeat purchases signal stronger engagement
The shift towards beauty and personal care is also reflected in repeat buying behaviour. Repeat Gen Z orders on Myntra have increased by around 70% this year, while beauty now accounts for approximately one in five units ordered on the platform.
The findings were unveiled at Myntra Beauty IRL in Mumbai, alongside a panel discussion titled ‘The New Indian Beauty Consumer’.
Gen Z is changing beauty shopping in India, with demand for skincare, K-Beauty and premium products growing beyond the country’s major metros, according to a new Myntra report.
Titled ‘Beauty in the Age of Gen Z’, the report finds that half of Gen Z beauty buyers on Myntra are based in Tier 2 and 3 cities. Their beauty and personal care spend per customer has increased 1.2X year-on-year, while the category accounts for a 75% higher share of their wallet compared with millennials.
Sun protection is also gaining importance among Gen Z shoppers. SPF product purchases have increased 60% year-on-year, while searches for spray sunscreens, ingredient-led sunscreens and tinted sunscreens have risen 80%, 70% and 60%, respectively.
K-Beauty demand has grown 200% year-on-year, with searches increasing by more than 300%. Hair mask purchases have risen 110%, while men's skincare orders have grown 78%.
Sharon Pais, head of Myntra, said: “Beauty and personal care is one of Myntra’s strongest growth engines. For Gen Z, beauty is self-expression. It’s how they show up, plan their looks and live their social lives.
They try premium and international brands through minis, find new ones through creators and K-Beauty, and choose on ingredients and efficacy, in cities across the country. The brands that win will meet this shopper early, make discovery easy and earn trust through the product and its ingredients.”
The report also highlights the role of smaller formats in premium beauty discovery. Minis account for 14% of luxe beauty units sold on Myntra, with lipstick, perfume and face primer among the leading categories. More than half of new customers for brands including M.A.C, Kayali, Smashbox and Salvatore Ferragamo come through minis.
Creators are another discovery channel. Myntra says it has around 82,000 active beauty creators, while user-generated beauty content has increased 40% year-on-year. Nearly two-thirds of new beauty creator registrations over the past four months are from Gen Z.
Beyond metros, beauty baskets in Tier 2 and 3 cities include serums, toners, sunscreens and hair masks alongside everyday products. Ludhiana, Patna, Bhopal, Indore, Guwahati, Surat, Varanasi and Imphal are among the cities contributing to growth.
The report also points to a stronger focus on ingredients and product efficacy. Searches for ingredients such as Centella asiatica, copper peptides, azelaic acid and panthenol are increasing, while gel-based, fragrance-free and non-sticky textures are seeing demand.
Repeat purchases are also rising, with repeat Gen Z orders on Myntra up around 70% this year. The report says beauty now accounts for roughly one in five units ordered on the platform.
The report was unveiled at Myntra Beauty IRL in Mumbai, alongside a panel discussion on ‘The New Indian Beauty Consumer’.
