AVEIL, founded by dermatologists in Delhi, was close to shutting down before the takeover of multi-portfolio conglomerate Shree Sharda Group just before the pandemic.
Since then, the brand has accelerated product development, increased sales channels, and even expanded into the supplement space.
“We recognize a huge demand for clean formulations with high efficacy, as consumers today are more discerning and expect greater transparency. Our products are sold primarily through two channels: a network of dermatologists and direct-to-consumer online sales.
“There are doctors who have been prescribing our products to their patients for years. The fact that medical professionals remain loyal to us says a lot about our products. “Now that we fully understand how the industry works, we are ready to bring the brand to more consumers and expand faster.” Saumya Agarwal, Chief Strategy Officer, AVEIL, said: CosmeticsDesign-Asia.
According to Agarwal, the focus of AVEIL’s current expansion phase is to strengthen its retail presence. In particular, it aims to take part in India’s top pharmacy chains such as Apollo Pharmacy.
“Based on our data, we source orders from the least developed parts of India, which are relatively less populated. For example, for every five orders, one order comes from a Tier 3 city. And these customers are incredibly loyal; some have repurchased from us up to 30 times. Small Even growth in cities is important to us.”
Beyond the local market, the brand is also looking for ways to set foot in South East Asia (SEA) and the Middle East.
“Just as we have customers who bring our products home when they travel to India, we also have customers from China, Singapore, Jakarta and Dubai who get information about shipping to these countries. We are in talks with distributors and digital platforms in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, a major market seeing growth in beauty products. We plan to start by creating an online presence before moving on to offline initiatives.
“Our products are created for the Indian climate. For example, our bestselling SPF 50 Gel and Heat Shield sunscreen not only protects against UVA and UVB rays, but also prevents skin damage from heat waves. “This is also something that meets the needs of Southeast and Middle East consumers.”
In the second phase, AVEIL aims to enter the cosmetics retail market and potentially expand into the US and Europe once it has a “larger product range”.
Solving pain points
While new product development is an ongoing process, Agarwal claimed that the brand is “in no rush” to launch new products.
“Our products are not ordinary. Heat Shield sunscreen, for example, is one of the few sunscreens on the market that protects the skin against heat. We do not have a body wash — Still, we know it’s a product that will work. — “Because we couldn’t find the right formulation that was different from what was available on the market and would truly benefit consumers.”
However, the brand is currently working on a sunscreen stick that can be applied over makeup without smudging.
“As long as you listen to consumers, there will always be unmet needs. We are constantly looking at existing products that require better effectiveness. We may not be able to meet every need, but we do basic feasibility testing to see if we can fill these gaps. People really appreciate products that correct pain points.
“One advantage we have over larger companies is the direct feedback we receive from dermatologists, which we then pass directly to the R&D laboratories we work with. Our attention to the smallest details is another factor that I believe sets us apart.”
Agarwal gave the example of the airless pump of Heat Shield sunscreen, which is manufactured by one of India’s largest pump manufacturers and is also purchased by some big brands.
“Even though we don’t have the same type of sales volume yet, we want our customers to experience optimal product effectiveness.”
Increasing demand for beauty supplements from within
Similarly, Agarwal said the expansion into the supplement category was driven by consumer needs rather than a business diversification strategy.
“We saw a demand in the market. Like our skin care, we place great emphasis on effectiveness. “The supplements are also recommended by our partner dermatologists who are aware of all ingredients, giving credibility to our products.”
AVEIL’s Hair Health Kit consists of a series of tablets and capsules to be taken six days a week, with each day’s supplement containing a different combination of nutrients.
The supplements are said to be formulated so that the ingredients are synergistic and do not interfere with each other’s activities to increase cell renewal and promote hair growth.
“The Monday tablet contains algae calcium, magnesium oxide, vitamins, etc. Contains, Tuesday capsule green tea leaf, inositol L-cysteine, coenzyme q10 etc. Wednesday capsule contains pumpkin seeds, resveratrol etc. etc. Contains. “These are all tried and tested ingredients and are 100% vegetarian.”
The brand has also developed a range of supplements for facial skin called YouGlow and YouGlow Plus, which consist of ingredients such as glutathione, evening primrose oil and curcumin rhizome oil.
“We have customers, including male customers, who have written great reviews about our supplements. We have seen a steady increase in demand since it was listed on Amazon last December. Both YouGlow and the Hair Health Kit are performing well.
“In fact, we are experiencing almost 150% monthly growth on the B2C side. “This shows that consumers are aware that what they are buying is helping them.”
