BIS Notifies Standards for Sunscreen Testing

Less Sunburn

- Viveat Susan Pinto

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which governs sunscreens in the country, has notified sun protection factor (SPF) testing standards, sources in the know said, marking a first for the domestic beauty and personal care (BPC) market. The move is significant since domestic players had been demanding a standardized approach to evaluating SPF for some time now.

Sunscreens are a growing category within BPC in India, valued at ₹2,500 crore and expanding at the rate of 30-40% per annum. While legacy beauty firms such as Hindustan Unilever (HUL), L'Oréal and Nivea are among key players in the market, direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands such as Mamaearth and The Derma Co, both from Honasa Consumer, Dot & Key, Aqualogica etc have been turning up the heat in the market over the last few years.