Shweta Dalal, marketing director at Nivea India, has been terribly busy these past few weeks. The brand has observed significant shifts in demand trends, largely due to unusual seasonal patterns, such as the extended monsoon from May to October. The brand is closely monitoring weekly signals and working to switch to a faster replenishment model to ensure it meets every surge efficiently.
Digital communication is central for Nivea — the maker of Nivea Creme with the blue tin a skincare essential during the winter months — with a huge chunk of consumers following social trends and influencer recommendations. This year, the brand is using a layered mix of sponsorships, high-impact out-of-home media like fleet-branded cabs, and a wide influencer network, adds Dalal.
As temperatures dip, India’s winter care economy has shifted into top gear. Winter isn’t about dry skin anymore, say experts, as pollution-induced damage becomes a central winter concern. Consumers increasingly seek light, breathable products that sit comfortably under makeup while supporting daily protection against environmental stressors.
For skincare companies, the October-January window is key, a period when demand for cold creams, lip balms, heavy moisturisers and body lotions rises sharply. As Santosh Sreedhar, partner, Avalon Consulting, notes, “I expect that about 40-45% of the demand for these products (with a market size of up to Rs 80,000 crore) are concentrated in the October-January period,” a seasonal concentration few other FMCG categories experience.
With forecasts pointing to a colder-than-usual winter, brands are preparing for deeper spikes in hydration-led consumption, especially in the North and parts of the East.
Direct-to-consumer beauty and personal care brand Plum, which managed to script a turnaround in FY25, says it sees “stronger early momentum compared to last year”, driven by demand for lightweight yet nourishing formats such as its new CeraSense collection. In terms of production planning, the emphasis this year is on flexibility rather than scale alone. Says founder & CEO Shankar Prasad, “We have added more agility to our production cycles. Instead of large, single-run batches, we are running staggered production so we can respond quickly as winter demand builds across the country.”
At Cipla Health, too preparation starts early. MD & CEO Shivam Puri says, “Our derma-led brand, Rivela Dermascience, is focusing heavily on inventory planning to ensure minimal old-season inventory and maximum freshness at the start of the season.” Its mass brand Astaberry is scaling differently. It is scaling up hydration-focused products such as moisturisers, lip balms etc based on strong consumer response and anticipated demand surge this season.
For its part, Himalaya Wellness has tied its supply-chain agility directly to expected weather severity. “With India expected to experience its coldest winter, we’ve observed an early surge in demand for deep-moisturising solutions compared to last year,” says Rajesh Krishnamurthy, business director, consumer products division, Himalaya Wellness. The company has expanded buffers across metros and Tier-I markets.
Even brands with deeply established seasonal portfolios are adjusting to environmental factors and change in consumer expectations. The company says it is seeing the demand for moisturisers shifting towards science-backed, personalised, and multifunctional products”.
Local preferences
Adjusting product planning and distribution to regional temperature variations can become make or break for brands. “We have seen accelerated uptake in the northern belt, including Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Jammu & Kashmir for Rivela,” says Cipla Health’s Puri. Astaberry’s distribution strategy “supports parlour/salon-forward products and in-home kits, ensuring timely availability during the wedding season surge”. Deconstruct Founder & CEO Malini Adapureddy says the brand has prioritised regional warehousing, expanded quick commerce placement, and increased allocation across major marketplaces.
The brand campaigns this year are noticeably more digital, targeted and creator-driven. Adapureddy says Deconstruct leverages “proof-first communication”, signalling a move toward measurable content rather than generic season-themed advertising.
Some are recalibrating tone. “I wanted our campaigns to focus on something simple yet meaningful that would help people better understand their skin,” says Blossom Kochhar, founder of the Blossom Kochhar Group. The brands message focuses on hydration plus barrier protection, delivered through “digital storytelling, authentic, ingredient-focused” content.
That shift mirrors a broader trend — that audiences these days respond better to problem-focussed, ingredient-led information rather than feel-good imagery.
Cool and calculating
Clean products: Consumers demand transparent ingredient listing that aligns closely with the growing demand for low-chemical routines.
Demand surge: Brands expect 40-45% of sales of products like cold creams, lip balms, heavy moisturisers and body lotions to land between October and January
Lightweight formulations for pollution-stressed skin: In demand are ranges that barricade skin against environmental stressors while providing long-lasting hydration
Hyperlocal distribution: Brands are strengthening regional warehousing while leveraging quick commerce to place winter SKUs close to high-uptake markets
Digital-first marketing: Short-form video, creator-first campaigns, vernacular messaging and ingredient-led communication are ruling the roost.