Lakmé & Ghazal Alagh clash over sunscreen claims

The Indian beauty industry is witnessing a rare public dispute between two major brands over sunscreen efficacy claims. A billboard war between Hindustan Unilever’s Lakmé and Honasa Consumer’s The Derma Co. has sparked debate over SPF testing standards and marketing ethics.

On 14 April, Honasa co-founder Ghazal Alagh shared a photograph on LinkedIn of two billboards, one from Lakmé and the other from The Derma Co., highlighting competing claims around SPF 50 sunscreen products. Alagh, who also co-founded brands Mamaearth and Aqualogica, congratulated Lakmé on adopting in-vivo testing, which she said was a standard already followed by The Derma Co.

“Good competition is always great for any market. It keeps brands from becoming sleepy, lethargic and brings more innovation for the consumers,” she wrote. She further claimed that traditional FMCG giants had grown complacent due to a lack of strong competition, and alleged that some legacy brands were mimicking new-age products, including packaging and formulations.

In a public statement issued following the billboard exchange, Lakmé clarified that its campaign aimed to raise awareness about sunscreen efficacy and consumer safety. The company said it has been conducting in-vivo testing, considered the ISO-validated global standard, for its sunscreens since 2015. Two days ago they also shared the executive result summary of the said test.

Harman Dhillon, executive director, beauty and wellbeing at HUL, said in a report, the company found inconsistencies between the SPF levels claimed by several bestselling sunscreens and their actual performance during testing. He added that, as market leaders, ensuring consumer safety remains a top priority.

Lakmé stated that its recent campaign was not about targeting competitors but about maintaining high standards of transparency and scientific validation.

“This is not about competition or social media marketing,” the brand said in a follow-up statement. “It is a matter of business ethics, where consumer interest and safety should take precedence. Lakmé will continue to champion the highest standards of SPF testing.”

At stake is India’s ₹2,000 crore sunscreen market, where HUL holds roughly a 25% share, primarily through offline retail. Online, however, the space is increasingly dominated by direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands such as The Derma Co., Mamaearth, and others.

The dispute also reflects growing tensions between legacy FMCG players and digital-first brands, as competition intensifies in the premium skincare segment. For HUL, the category is crucial to its strategy of expanding its beauty and wellbeing portfolio, especially amid slowing growth in personal care revenues.

As SPF claims come under increased scrutiny, industry observers suggest this could lead to more stringent testing disclosures and higher consumer expectations across the sector.

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