Mamaearth–Lakmé Faceoff: Skincare Brand Wars Heat Up, HUL Responds!
In India’s fast-growing beauty and personal care (BPC) industry, competition has always been fierce. Yet, the recent faceoff between Mamaearth and Lakmé has brought the spotlight back on how legacy brands and new-age startups are clashing to win the hearts and wallets of Indian consumers. With Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), the parent company of Lakmé, stepping into the conversation, the skincare brand wars are heating up like never before.
This article explores the dynamics of the rivalry, the strategies at play, and what the future holds for India’s beauty market.
The Players: Old Guard vs. New Challenger
Lakmé – The Legacy Brand
Lakmé, founded in 1952, has been a pioneer in Indian beauty and skincare. Over the decades, it became synonymous with glamour, style, and trust. As part of HUL’s extensive portfolio, Lakmé commands a strong distribution network, brand recall, and decades of consumer loyalty. It has dominated the mass premium category for years, being a preferred brand for both everyday consumers and professionals in the fashion industry.
Mamaearth – The Millennial Darling
In stark contrast, Mamaearth, launched in 2016 by Ghazal and Varun Alagh under the parent company Honasa Consumer, positioned itself as a “toxin-free, natural, and eco-conscious” brand. It quickly gained traction among millennials and Gen Z, thanks to aggressive digital marketing, influencer partnerships, and its appeal to conscious consumers seeking sustainable alternatives.
Within a short span, Mamaearth became one of India’s first unicorns in the BPC sector and is now challenging legacy brands like Lakmé on their turf.
The Flashpoint: Brand Wars Begin
The rivalry took center stage when both brands started competing in overlapping categories. Initially, Mamaearth focused on baby care and natural skincare, but its expansion into makeup and premium skincare directly put it in competition with Lakmé.
Lakmé, known for its vibrant cosmetics and skincare, suddenly found itself competing with a brand that had the backing of digital-first marketing and strong D2C (direct-to-consumer) channels.
The brand war escalated when Mamaearth’s campaigns subtly highlighted the presence of toxins, chemicals, and synthetic elements in legacy brands — a clear dig at competitors like Lakmé. While Mamaearth didn’t name Lakmé outright, its messaging resonated with young, health-conscious buyers.
HUL’s Response
HUL, which rarely engages in direct confrontations, finally responded by emphasizing the science-backed formulations, safety standards, and consumer trust behind its products. Executives pointed out that HUL’s brands, including Lakmé, undergo rigorous testing and comply with all global and national regulatory standards.
HUL also pivoted its strategy by:
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Launching toxin-free and natural-inspired ranges under Lakmé and other skincare brands.
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Leveraging its massive offline presence to push back against digital-native brands.
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Increasing influencer engagement to appeal to younger demographics.
In essence, HUL signaled that it wasn’t going to let new-age challengers rewrite the narrative unchallenged.
Marketing Faceoff
Mamaearth’s Strategy
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Digital First: Heavy reliance on Instagram, YouTube, and influencer collaborations.
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Emotional Storytelling: Campaigns focus on being safe for the skin, natural, and environmentally responsible.
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D2C & E-commerce Dominance: Strong presence on Amazon, Flipkart, Nykaa, and its own website.
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Celebrity Endorsements: From Shilpa Shetty to young influencers, Mamaearth crafted an “accessible yet aspirational” image.
Lakmé’s Strategy
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Massive Brand Recall: With its decades-long presence, Lakmé is still the first name that comes to mind for makeup and skincare.
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Lakmé Fashion Week: A high-profile association with the fashion industry keeps it aspirational and glamorous.
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Offline Retail Strength: Availability in every small town and city through HUL’s vast network.
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Product Innovation: New natural ranges and premium collections aimed at reclaiming younger customers.
Consumer Sentiments
The younger crowd has been leaning toward Mamaearth due to its “clean and green” positioning, while older and loyal consumers continue to trust Lakmé. However, the shift is evident that Indian millennials and Gen Z are more experimental, seeking brands that align with their lifestyle choices rather than sticking to legacy players.
That said, Lakmé’s sheer scale, availability, and heritage make it nearly impossible to displace completely. Instead, what is happening is a fragmentation of market share, where Mamaearth is carving out a niche in the premium-conscious, urban, younger audience.
Financial Muscle vs. Agility
Another important aspect of this rivalry is scale.
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HUL has the financial muscle, distribution network, and decades of consumer trust. It can outspend and out-distribute challengers any day.
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Mamaearth, on the other hand, thrives on agility. It can quickly launch new products, test ideas through D2C platforms, and adapt to changing consumer demands in a way legacy giants often struggle with.
This contrast is what makes the rivalry so fascinating; it’s not just about products, but also about business models.
The Bigger Picture: India’s Beauty Boom
According to industry reports, India’s BPC market is projected to cross USD 30 billion by 2030, driven by rising incomes, urbanization, and increasing beauty consciousness. Skincare and makeup are the fastest-growing segments, with both domestic startups and global giants eyeing a bigger share.
Apart from Mamaearth and Lakmé, brands like Sugar Cosmetics, Plum, Nykaa Cosmetics, and international players like Maybelline and L’Oréal are intensifying the competition.
In this booming market, there is space for both legacy and new-age brands, but differentiation will be key. Consumers today demand authenticity, sustainability, and innovation, and whichever brand delivers consistently will win loyalty.
The Road Ahead
The Mamaearth–Lakmé faceoff is not just a brand rivalry; it represents the larger transition in India’s beauty sector:
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From offline to online-first consumption.
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From synthetic formulations to natural and toxin-free positioning.
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From celebrity endorsements to influencer-driven narratives.
HUL’s response indicates that legacy players are not sitting idle. With their scale and resources, they are adapting quickly to new consumer trends. Mamaearth, meanwhile, must continue to innovate and maintain credibility, ensuring it doesn’t lose its edge as it grows.
Conclusion
The battle between Mamaearth and Lakmé is symbolic of India’s evolving beauty landscape. It’s a clash of tradition and modernity, scale and agility, heritage and innovation. While Mamaearth has successfully disrupted the market and built a fortune in a few years, Lakmé remains a formidable competitor with unmatched reach and history.
Ultimately, the winner will not be decided solely by net worth or legacy, but by consumer trust. In a market as dynamic and youthful as India, both brands may find themselves co-existing, serving different aspirations, yet pushing each other to constantly reinvent.
The skincare brand wars are just beginning, and Indian consumers are in for a beauty revolution like never before.
