The D2C paradigm of India’s beauty and personal care (BPC) space is filled with success stories of brands like Mamaearth, mCaffeine, WoW Skin Science, and SUGAR Cosmetics. Not to mention, these brands started humbly but quickly evolved into industry giants.
In line with this, we also hear of BPC brands reaching INR 100 Cr in revenue in less than a year. A notable example is Minimalist, which is on the verge of becoming a unicorn. And, of course, we can’t forget Nykaa, one of the most iconic names in the sector that is home to several successful new-age skincare brands like Hyphen, RENEE Cosmetics, and Foxtale.
Interestingly, while the founders of many of these companies were focussed on writing the growth story of their respective brands, Dr Renita Rajan, coming from a non-business background, was charting her own unique 0-1 journey.
Today, she leads CHOSEN by Dermatology, a D2C skincare brand that leverages her expertise in dermatology to offer effective, tech-led skincare solutions. Founded in 2020, CHOSEN is the result of Rajan’s two decades of experience in cosmetic and laser dermatology.
With CHOSEN, Rajan aims to redefine skincare standards by tackling challenges specific to Indian skin tones, such as pigmentation and ageing. At CHOSEN, she selects ingredients with medically proven benefits and uses innovative drug delivery methods.
“We focus on addressing specific skin concerns and building trust in our brand before expanding to long-term skincare needs, always prioritising effectiveness and safety. Our products are clinically tested for Indian skin rather than just following trends,” said Rajan.
The brand offers 88 SKUs across skincare, haircare, body care, and a vegan range. CHOSEN is also working on a melanin lab and developing IoT-driven personalised skincare technology.
With a user base north of 50K, the brand sells primarily through its website and has a retail store in Chennai. Most of its traffic comes from Chennai and Bangalore. According to the founder, the startup generated INR 20.8 Cr ($2.5 Mn) in revenue for FY23. In terms of funding, it has raised $1.2 Mn (INR 10 Cr) from family and friends, and earlier this year, the brand secured a $100K equity-free grant from Peak XV Partners through the SPARK programme.
How CHOSEN Came Into Being
While CHOSEN’s official journey began in 2020, the idea had been brewing in the founder’s head for a long time. Rajan, who has been leading RENDER Skin and Hair Clinic since 2011, reminiscenced that practising dermatology in India a decade ago was challenging.
“The first injectable aesthetic procedures started around 2000, followed by the introduction of lasers in 2004-2005. I began practising in 2009, after a brief stint abroad as a medical volunteer, I was among the first generation of dermatologists performing laser procedures in India. Back then, laser dermatology was still in its infancy, and there were no plug-and-play options available,” Rajan said
Around 2010-2011, she noticed many post-procedure issues, particularly with pigmentation, as most products were formulated for the Caucasian skin type. In 2016, she introduced the Picosecond laser, the most advanced pigment laser, to India. However, there were no established guidelines for its use on Indian skin tones.
It was precisely this event that marked the start of Rajan’s journey as an entrepreneur. As a Key Opinion Leader (KOL) for this device in the Asia-Pacific region, she recognised the need for effective post-procedure skincare solutions.
“The new device had a significant impact but lacked proper representation and guidelines, so I began developing my own product samples and protocols, working with compounding pharmacies to create effective solutions,” the founder said.
During this time, her clinic, which specialises in pigmentation and laser dermatology, grew into a prominent regional centre and became a referral hub for pigmentation issues.
Throughout this period, the founder’s focus was on creating smaller, more accessible versions of the products and technologies she had been using in her clinic. The development of these compact versions ultimately led to the creation of CHOSEN in January 2020.
At the outset, CHOSEN was launched as a retail experience centre in Chennai, with just three SKUs — an antioxidant called Pycnogenol, a topical melatonin for the scalp, and a DIY home peel.
Just when the brand started to gain traction, the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world. Interestingly, with no plans to launch the brand online, the founder had no other option but to pivot. Therefore, it transitioned to online channels and ecommerce platform Shopify in April 2020.
The Pandemic Hustle
Just like any other entrepreneur, Rajan, too, faced challenges during the lockdown, with deliveries primarily limited to Chennai. However, this period allowed her to focus on manufacturing and experiment with new formulations. This led to the addition of 10-11 new SKUs.
“We focussed on hygiene products, launched several new items, including serums and sunscreens, and established our R&D team in 2020,” the founder said.
In its second year of its operations, CHOSEN set up its pilot manufacturing plant. Initially, the brand was working with contract manufacturers, but to ensure stringent quality control, the founder decided to launch its own unit.
There has been no looking back ever since. Per the founder, every product that CHOSEN has on offer caters to a specific problem or condition experienced by Indian skin.
Currently, the brand’s top selling products include its Re(d)covery Serum, which is best known for its effectiveness in treating steroid-abused skin damage. Another product is the Peptide Therapy Intense Repair Gel for post-laser procedures. The non-mutagenic product is safe for those undergoing treatments like chemotherapy or skin burns.
Safescreen is another product that the founder made after 800 formulation trials. The brand also offers an LED Mask to provide a convenient home alternative to clinical LED treatments. It holds a design patent for it.
According to the founder, CHOSEN sets itself apart by focussing on the real impact of its formulations rather than offering just clean, green labels. Unlike many brands that highlight their eco-friendly credentials, CHOSEN prioritises ingredient efficacy and sustainability.
Currently, the brand operates in the premium segment and has priced its products between INR 1,000 and INR 2,500. It competes with dermo-cosmetic brands such as Heliocare, Obagi Medical, Bioderma, The Derma Co, Cetaphil and Dr. Sheth’s.
Road Ahead For CHOSEN
The brand has mainly concentrated on its ingredients, formulations, and creating research-driven products but has fallen behind in marketing and scaling efforts. Now, the founder is focussing on marketing, scaling production and enhancing the supply chain.
In FY 2024, the brand toiled to enhance production capacity and manufacturing capabilities, which is expected to reflect in its top line growth, per the founder.
“The primary issue in 2023 was production capacity constraints, we were running out of stock on all our products, which the company is addressing by acquiring more production facilities. This effort will help alleviate stock shortages and support scaling,” she added.
Currently operating one store in Chennai, the D2C startup plans to expand into metro cities through pilot retail projects. These projects will include store-in-store concepts or experience stores, similar to their Chennai location.
“These new stores will offer a more experiential and interactive environment, allowing consumers to touch and feel the products and ask as many questions as they like,” the founder said.
In addition to this, the startup is concentrating on building a team, IOT skincare solutions and LED technology for FY25.
Although the founder did not disclose much about the upcoming LED devices, she highlighted that they will be customised for Indian skin. Prototypes are in the testing and refinement stages, and the final product is anticipated to be launched by the end of the year.
Besides, the startup has several projects in the pipeline, including a melanin lab and IoT-driven personalised skincare technology.
The founder is also developing a portable tech to address issues such as pigmentation in real-time. This tech will provide insights into how skin reacts to various environmental factors, such as UV exposure, and how long it takes for certain products to be effective. This technology is being designed to help users manage skin health more precisely, by providing data on factors like sunburn intensity and pigmentation changes.
While the expansion plans look promising, it will be interesting to see how CHOSEN’s technology is received by Indian consumers, who may not prefer to associate themselves with anything remotely associated with dermatological endorsements.
[Edited By Shishir Parasher]
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