Consumer & Market Trends12 Oct 20264 min read

From fairness to brightening: what India's claim shift means for cosmetic formulation

India's skin-tone category now speaks of "brightening", "glow" and "tone-evening" rather than "whitening" and "fairness". Demand for an even, brighter-looking tone has not gone away, so each new word needs its own formulation, evidence and regulatory check.

By CSL Consumer insight and regulatory teams, Cosmetic Science Lab · Reviewed by Dr. Premalatha, Ph.D., Life Science, Regulatory Consultant

Market: India (CDSCO)Claim risk: cosmetic vs drugFor: brand owners and R&D

Brightening skin care: serum and cream for an even, radiant skin tone

2 Jul 2020
Fair & Lovely becomes Glow & Lovely
HUL announces the rebrand
15 Dec 2020
Cosmetics Rules 2020
Notified as G.S.R. 763(E)
2022–2024
Glow and health claims
Mintel: whitening falls out of favour in launches
Now
Claim files catch up
New words need matching evidence

Quick answer

Indian shoppers still want an even, brighter-looking tone, but the vocabulary has moved from "whitening" to "brightening" and "glow" [1], [2]. Each word implies a different outcome and a different burden of proof. A rebrand does not replace formulation work, evidence or a classification check.

Take-home message for manufacturers

Treat the claim shift as a formulation brief, not a naming change
Assess each active on mechanism, evidence, stability and regulatory status
Validate stability for tropical storage and transport

Take-home message for brand owners

Match claim wording to the evidence you hold
Check cosmetic versus drug classification before launch
Expect ingredient-literate shoppers to read your INCI list

01The Indian brightening market: from whitening to glow

Mintel's India research describes a category shifting from a focus on fairness towards glow and skin-health claims, with whitening falling out of favour in new launches [1], [2]. Brightening and illuminating claims remain among the most common in facial skincare launches, although Mintel notes their growth has plateaued [2]. Its 2021 consumer work found brands tagging "brightening" and "glow" onto whitening positioning, and one consumer segment seeing no clear distinction between the two [3]. The language moved; demand for tone-evening did not.

**Table 1.** India search demand: fairness versus brightening (Ahrefs, October 2026)
India search query	Monthly searches	Reading
fairness cream	~4,800	Old vocabulary still searched
brightening cream	~5,900	New vocabulary has overtaken it
skin brightening	~3,000	Category interest
brightening serum	~2,100	Format shift to serums

Ahrefs Keywords Explorer, India, monthly volume estimates, checked 13 October 2026.

02From "fairness" to "glow": what changed

On 2 July 2020, Hindustan Unilever announced Glow & Lovely as the new name for Fair & Lovely [4]. The rebrand is documented; what it did to the formulation is not, so we make no assumption either way. For formulators, each word sets a different target:

Four steps of claim language: whitening (lighter skin colour, melanin-level change), fairness (lighter-toned skin, same proof burden), brightening (more even, luminous tone, less visible pigment) and glow (surface radiance, hydration, texture). — **Figure 1.** The claim language moved in four steps, and each step needs its own proof. CSL working view.

Whitening and fairness imply lighter skin colour, a melanin-level change
Brightening and tone-evening imply a more even complexion with less visible pigmentation
Glow and radiance imply surface luminosity, hydration and smoothness

Each is measured differently, so each needs its own study design.

03Why rebranding without reformulating creates risk

Illustration of a whitening face cream relaunched as a brightening cream with the same formula and the same data; the gap is the claim file, not the name. — **Figure 2.** Same formula, same data, new promise: the gap is the claim file, not the name. Illustrative example with a fictional brand.

Commercial: shoppers reading INCI lists notice a "brightening" product with no brightening active, or one dosed too low to matter
Regulatory: under Rule 36 of the Cosmetics Rules 2020, no cosmetic may purport or convey any idea that is false or misleading to the intending user [5]
Evidence: a claim that was never substantiated is not substantiated by a new name

04Cosmetic or drug under the Cosmetics Rules 2020

Section 3 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act defines a cosmetic as an article applied to the body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness or altering appearance. A drug includes substances for the diagnosis, treatment, mitigation or prevention of disease or disorder, and certain substances intended to affect the structure or function of the body [6]. The Cosmetics Rules 2020 apply to cosmetics as defined in section 3(aaa) [5]. Brightening claims sit near that line, and the risk rises when a claim:

Cosmetic wording

"Visibly brighter, more even-looking skin in 8 weeks"

Drug-like wording

"Reduces melanin production" · "Treats melasma"

Refers to reducing melanin production or permanently changing skin colour
Names a medical condition such as melasma
Relies on an active or concentration that regulators may treat as drug-like

That is why the move from a drug-like active to a cosmetic one is a reformulation, not a swap. In a split-face melasma trial, 4% niacinamide gave good-to-excellent improvement in 44% of patients against 55% for 4% hydroquinone, with fewer side effects [7]. Our brightening ingredients guide compares the main actives on evidence, stability and claim risk. Confirm each active and claim against the current CDSCO position with our India regulatory team before launch.

05Claim substantiation: what "brightening" and "glow" require

**Table 2.** Claim wording, what it implies and the proof it needs
Claim wording	What it implies	Typical proof	Claim risk (CSL view)
Whitening, fairness	Lighter skin colour	Melanin-level evidence; may need drug-level proof	High
Brightening, tone-evening	More even tone, less visible pigment	Colorimetry, melanin index, expert grading and standardised photography, typically over 8–12 weeks	Medium
Glow, radiance	Surface luminosity and smoothness	Reflectance or gloss, hydration data, consumer panel	Lower

Evidence must match the wording. A 2017 meta-analysis of tranexamic acid pooled 11 studies and 667 participants with melasma across oral, topical and injected routes [8]. That is evidence in a medical condition, not a ready-made file for a cosmetic tone claim. Test your finished formula, recruit panels across Indian skin tones and record tone by colorimetry with our claims and clinical team.

06D2C disruption: transparency raises the bar

D2C brands have made ingredient transparency a selling point, and shoppers now read INCI lists and compare percentages. That raises the bar for every brand and pushes active levels up, which increases irritation risk if tolerance is not tested. Irritation can itself leave marks on deeper skin tones, so a transparent claim needs transparent tolerance data.

07CSL's evidence-based brightening approach

CSL formulates across Indian skin tones and use conditions. Every brightening active passes four checks before a claim is written:

Regulatory classification
Of the active, its level and the claim wording.
Evidence level
For the specific claim, not the ingredient in general.
Stability validation
Under tropical storage and transport conditions.
Claim substantiation
With an endpoint that matches the wording.

See our brightening and radiance and hyperpigmentation and even tone development pages.

08Questions readers ask

Is "brightening" a regulated claim in India?

There is no single legal definition, but under Rule 36 of the Cosmetics Rules 2020 cosmetic claims must not be false or misleading, and drug-like wording can change a product's classification.

Does a rebrand from "fairness" to "glow" need new evidence?

Yes, if the claim changes. A new claim needs evidence that matches its wording, and old data may not cover it.

What is the difference between skin whitening and skin brightening?

Whitening implies lighter skin colour, a melanin-level change that can push a product towards drug status. Brightening implies a more even, less visibly pigmented complexion, measured by colorimetry, melanin index and expert grading.

Is your brightening claim backed by evidence?

Bring a brief or a benchmark. We check classification, evidence and stability, then design the study that matches your wording.

Brightening product development Talk to the CSL team

09References

Mintel. Skin Glow and Brightening Trends – Indian Consumer – 2022 (report summary). Mintel
Mintel. India Skintone Management Market Report 2024. Mintel
Mintel. Brightening Trends in Facial Skincare – Indian Consumer – 2021 (report summary). Mintel
Hindustan Unilever Limited. Press release, Mumbai, 2 July 2020: Fair & Lovely to be known as Glow & Lovely. HUL
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. The Cosmetics Rules, 2020, G.S.R. 763(E), 15 December 2020 (Rule 36: misleading claims). CDSCO
The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, section 3(aaa) and 3(b). Indian Kanoon
Navarrete-Solís J, et al. A double-blind, randomized clinical trial of niacinamide 4% versus hydroquinone 4% in the treatment of melasma. Dermatology Research and Practice, 2011; 2011: 379173. PMC3142702
Kim HJ, Moon SH, Cho SH, Lee JD, Kim HS. Efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid in melasma: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Acta Dermato-Venereologica, 2017; 97(7): 776–781. PubMed

CSL

CSL Consumer insight and regulatory teamsCosmetic Science Lab · Reviewed by Dr. Premalatha, Ph.D., Life Science, Regulatory Consultant · Last reviewed 12 Oct 2026India market entry and compliance

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