India’s beauty industry is undergoing a seismic shift — and Generation Z is leading the charge. A major new report titled “Beauty in the Age of Gen Z,” released by fashion and beauty e-commerce platform Myntra and prepared in partnership with research firm RedSeer, reveals that young Indian consumers are rewriting the rules of the beauty market, driving explosive demand for K-Beauty, sunscreen, and ingredient-led skincare — far beyond the country’s major cities.
Among the report’s most striking findings: K-Beauty demand surged 200% year-on-year, with searches rising by more than 300%. Myntra now stocks over 1,000 SKUs from more than 90 K-Beauty brands, with 30 new brands added in the past year alone. Meanwhile, sun protection (SPF) product purchases climbed 60% year-on-year among Gen Z shoppers, with searches for spray sunscreens up 80%, ingredient-led sunscreens up 70%, and tinted sunscreens up 60%. Hair mask purchases grew 110%, and men’s skincare orders rose 78%.
What makes the trend especially significant is its geographic spread. Half of all Gen Z beauty buyers on Myntra are located in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities — places like Ludhiana, Patna, Bhopal, Indore, Guwahati, Surat, Varanasi, and Imphal — demonstrating that premium skincare culture is expanding well beyond Mumbai and Delhi.
India’s beauty and personal-care market is projected to grow from approximately $23 billion today to $40 billion by 2030, according to industry estimates cited in the report. Gen Z currently allocates a 75% higher share of its wallet to beauty and personal care compared to other consumer cohorts, with beauty and personal care spending per Gen Z customer rising 1.2 times year-on-year.
Source: The Week India – October 24, 2026