The Indian perfumes and deodorants market is shifting, driven by consumers prioritising skin health. A key trend is ‘skinification’, the integration of skincare benefits into perfumes and deodorants. Gen Z leads this change, as they show more usage of and interest in fragrances. Consumers also want fabric-friendly, stain-free and mild scent options, all elements that broaden market appeal.
The market has also seen a rise in layering and personalisation, enabling unique scent profiles, especially for male perfume, deo and mist users. This offers brands significant innovation opportunities.
The growing interest in hydration and skin-friendly benefits, alongside advancements in fragrance formulations and delivery systems, points to a promising future for the Indian market, fuelled by evolving preferences and tech innovation.
This report looks at the following areas:
- The influence of Gen Z on the fragrance market
- The integration of skincare benefits into perfumes and deodorants
- The rise of layering and personalisation in fragrances
- Consumer demand for fabric-friendly and stain-free products
- The potential of mild scents to attract non-users
- Emerging trends in fragrance formulations and delivery systems
Elevate India's perfume and deodorant market by integrating skincare, layering and fabric-friendliness to attract non-users and deepen engagement with users.
Sainethra Hariharan, Research Analyst – Beauty, Personal Care and Household – India
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- What you need to know
- The outlook of perfumes and deodorants in India
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THE ‘SKINIFICATION’ OF FRAGRANCE & DEO
- Gen Z is driving the craze for new scents and fragrance obsession
- Graph 1: selected fragranced products used in the last 12 months, by generation, 2025
- Skin safety remains fundamental for perfumes and deodorants
- Capitalise on the growing demand for ‘skinification’ claims
- Graph 2: launches in the deodorant and fragrance categories, 2022-25
- Skin is a prominent topic in posts about fragrances and deodorants, with Indian brands starting to level up their skin safety claims
- Now: formulate deodorants for skin sensitivity and safety
- Now: format and formula innovations can help perfume brands target consumers focusing on skin
- Now: make hydration a default deodorant need
- Graph 3: selected claim that would encourage respondents to choose one deodorant over another, 2025
- Graph 4: % of deodorant launches with moisturising/hydrating claims, 2022-25
- Now: stand out by offering hydration/moisturisation with known skincare ingredients across formats
- Now: marry long-lasting and skin-friendly claims
- Now: the body mist segment can carve a niche with skin benefits and wellness integration
- Next: use fragrance as a skin ritual to blur with skincare and aircare categories
- Next: provide skin-friendly fragrance in a multifunctional mist
- Next: market electrolyte-infused products as a hydration upgrade to improve fragrance performance and increase adoption
- Next: treat deodorants and perfumes like skincare products
- Next: women’s health can add an additional layer of ‘skinification’ and health focus for Gen Z
- Future: extend ‘skinification’ to ‘makeupification’ in deodorants
- Future: supplements that act as deodorants
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REACH PERFUME, DEO AND MIST USERS WITH LAYERING SYSTEMS
- Layering is emerging as a gateway to scent personalisation, giving consumers control, creativity and a sense of signature identity
- Target male perfume, deo and mist users with layering opportunities
- Enable curation with claims that point to layering or personalisation
- Graph 5: % of launches in the fragrance category featuring on-pack claims that point to layering or personalisation benefits*, 2020-25
- Men are looking to elevate their perfume style
- Now: promote scent-layering sets to engage men
- Now: create products that lean into layering behaviours
- Now: launch smaller products to attract first-time users, and make it easier for consumers to try the products and layer them
- Now: appeal to younger men with gamified scent-layering sets
- Next: focus on long-lasting scents with powerful trails, especially for those interested in layering
- Graph 6: product features that perfume, mist and deo users are interested in trying in a perfume, 2025
- Next: leave a lasting impression through unique scent layering with bodycare
- Next: innovate in layering that works with the wearer’s skin
- Next: dominance over the weather can add another layer to layering
- Future: by me by Lion’s personalised scents
- Future: leverage wearable devices to customise fragrance release and layer on the go
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LEAN INTO STAIN-FREE POSITIONING AND MILD SCENTS WITH NON-USERS
- Nearly half of Indians still await their first spritz of fragrance
- Graph 7: product usage of perfume, deo and mist in the last 12 months, 2025
- Graph 8: product usage of perfume, deo and mist in the last 12 months, 2025
- Who are the non-users of perfume, deo or mists?
- Fabric-friendly fragrances and deodorants can entice non-users
- Lead with stain-free positioning to build trust
- Graph 9: % of launches in the deodorant and fragrance category featuring stain-free benefits*, 2022-25
- Now: emphasise anti-stain positioning
- Now: natural deodorants, perfumes and mists can have the upper hand with fabric-friendly positioning
- Now: brands can emphasise alum crystal products as kind on the skin as well as fabric
- Next: fine particles = fast absorption = no stains
- Next: capitalise on the stain-free need via new formats
- Graph 10: top formats and textures in deodorants and fragrances, 2022-25
- After fabric-friendliness, subtle scents can be a key driver for non-users
- Respond to the preference for subtlety as unobtrusive scents remain niche
- Graph 11: % of launches in the deodorant and fragrance category featuring mild-scent-related claims*, 2022-25
- Now: convey mild fragrances through different scent preferences
- Graph 12: fragrance preference in deodorants by perfume, deo and mist non-users, 2025
- Graph 13: top fragrance components in deodorants, 2022-25
- Now: call out muted scents in deodorants and fragrances
- Future: exploring fabric types and fragrance retention creates opportunities for stain-free deodorants and perfumes
- Key takeaways
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APPENDIX
- Generations
- Consumer survey methodology
- Segmentation: target groups/clusters
- Repertoire analysis
- Social data research methodology
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