According to company's general manager Amit Shukla, the cosmetics division has launched its first skincare product under the brand name EverYuth `Orange Peel-Off Home Facial' in 1992, followed by a dozen products to attain a turnover of Rs 1.08 crores in 1993-94, gradually rising to Rs 20 crores last fiscal.

Speaking to The Financial Express, he said, "Most of our products are based on natural ingredients, developed from the age-old beauty concepts, made available in 45 and 90 gms packs as quick home facials, as an alternative to beauty parlour varieties. `Orange Peel-Off...' and `Walnut Facial Scrub' (launch 1995) are scheduled to be introduced in economic 200 gm packs next month."

He said`Walnut Facial Scrub' is made of finely powedered walnut shell and yet maintains the angular molecular structure for desired effect in making the skin softer. The cosmetics division's other products included Cucumber face pack, Apricot and milk midnight cream, Aloe sunscreen lotion, Collagen and Elastin anti-wrinkle cream (free from alpha-hydroxy acids).

He claimed that `Orange...' and `Collagen and Elastin Anti-Wrinkle Cream' (launch 1997) have the largest market shares in their respective categories. He said the `EverYuth Manicure Kit', launched around this time last year, has still a virtual monoploy in this category. The kit contains a nail enamel remover, cuticle remover, manicure massage lotion, nail strengthener, two cuticle cleaning sticks and a nail filer -- with a step-by-step instructions in manicure and pedicure process.

He said, "We hold consumers in the A-1, A-2 and B-1 socio-economic segments (SEC) as our clients, holding the Indian price-line but ahering to strict US and FDA norms. We havealso found high visibility factor at retail levels as an equally effective way to display products.

Shukla found there was no use targetting the top etchelon of the society, in any case going for foreign brands, unmindful of the price tag. "Rather," he said, "a number of MNCs have introduced cheaper synthetic products from their country into developing countries like India and at a correspondingly much higher prices."

Although not a skincare product, he said, "Aspartame-based `Sugar Free' remains the Zydus-Cadila's cosmetics division's most popular product, having a market share of 51 per cent as per an ORG survey in January, its rival `Equal' from Heinz having 10.5 per cent share. To outdo 100-tablet pack of `Equal', we have introduced 300-tablet dispenser (with 30 tablets free). Last month, we have launched 25 sachets of `Sugar Free' powder too."