A court battle between two of India’s largest personal care participants ended a quiet truce.
Derma Co. and Mamaearth manufacturer Hindustan Unilever Ltd and Honasa Consumer Ltd settled on Thursday after a Delhi High Court order forced Hul to adjust the controversial Lakmé sunscreen ad, causing Honasa to say Honasa said it was unfairly targeted by competitors.
The court directed HUL to change the ad, which made an SPF claim for “online bestseller” sunscreen, which he wanted to be named and ordered Honasa to remove any social media posts citing the Lakmé movement.
It also gave HUL 24 hours to remove all social media posts related to sunscreen ads and replace them with a modified version when ready. Changes must include removing the term “online bestseller” and changing the packaging color displayed in the campaign.
The quarrel escalated into lawsuits in the Delhi and Mumbai High Court this week, reflecting the rising heat of competition in India ₹The 20 billion sunlight care market, scientific propositions and marketing strategies are under increasing scrutiny.
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At the heart of the dispute is a Lakmé commercial, a sunscreen ad that claims to be a “online bestseller” SPF 50 actually delivered only SPF 20. The event features a yellow-toned bottle that resembles competitors’ products, similar to competitors – next to Lakmé’s own gold packaging, including billboards and social media promotions. Hul said the ad was supported by in vivo testing, a global acceptance method for assessing sunscreen efficacy.
Despite not having a competitor’s name, Honasa questioned visual cues, believing the event devalued its Derma Co. Brand, which is presented in orange and white packaging. By contrast, Lakmé’s products use a golden color scheme.
On Tuesday, Honasa co-founder Ghazal Alagh responded to the LinkedIn post “Welcome” Lakmé’s “enthusiastic” for “Vivo In-Vivo tested SPF 50 Club,” a standard Derma Co. claimed to have met.
On Thursday’s court order, Honasa agreed to delete any social media posts related to Lakmé. HUL’s legal team said it will no longer file its own case against Honasa in the Mumbai High Court.
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HUL then reiterated its intention in a statement to raise awareness among SPF and claimed that its campaign was part of a broad effort to set a new benchmark in India.
“The sport is part of Lakme’s broad commitment to set a new benchmark for sun protection standards in India. Unfortunately, some sellers have been wrongly claimed SPF 50.” “In the interests of consumers, they are far from being stated after independent testing in accredited labs; misleading consumers on sunscreens, which have skin implications such as pigmentation, skin aging and spots.”
In recent years, a range of products have been launched in the field of sun care in India. Sunscreen launches in India have increased by 20 percentage points between 2019 and 2024, according to Mintel’s global database of new products. But despite the surge, consumers’ understanding of SPF remains low—both marketing opportunities and risk of misinformation.
