From Black to Blonde: The growing popularity of hair colouring in India
Hair colours such as deep wine, caramel brown, burgundy, and beige are growing faster than long-time favourites black and dark brown as young Indians – buoyed by influential hairdressers and Instagram videos – go blondes and brunettes like never before.
“Fashion couture has come to hair couture,” said Shama Dalal, head of marketing at Henkel Consumer Brands that owns global haircare brand Schwarzkopf. “Fashion shades are outperforming the base blacks and dark browns and people are opting for lighter, quirky shades.”
Sales of fashion shades grew 40% between September last year and this year, although on a much lower base, compared with 26% growth in base shades during the same period, executives at India’s leading hair care companies said, citing industry data.
DP Sharma, director, professional products division, L'Oréal India, said there is “a noticeable shift in consumers’ willingness towards exploring wider colour palettes”.
“The demographic inclined towards embracing fashion shades encompasses the younger cohort who are willing to experiment,” he said. “This surge can be attributed to a combination of factors such as increased hairdresser education, heightened consumer awareness, and the informed guidance of experienced hairdressers.”
L'Oréal is one of the largest hair colouring product companies in India.
Other major players in this space include Godrej Consumer Products, Revlon, Streax, CavinKare and Wella.
“Inspiration from fashion ramps is translating into consumer preferences, and clothes, makeup and hair have come together as one look,” Dalal of Henkel said.
