April 23: As the gap between ‘natural’ and ‘effective’ continues to shape India’s skincare market, Nat Habit is investing in in-house R&D and supply chain capabilities to address long-standing formulation challenges. This shift comes as consumers increasingly expect natural products to deliver the same level of performance as synthetic alternatives. The vertically integrated D2C brand, which develops, tests and manufactures its products internally, is focused on building performance-led solutions grounded in formulation science. LentiClear™, a lentil-based cleansing technology developed over two years, reflects this approach – enabling effective cleansing within a natural, foaming format without relying on conventional synthetic systems.
In line with this performance-first approach, all LentiClear™ formulations are cold-processed and free from sulphates, parabens, and silicones.
India’s face wash market, estimated at ₹10,000–12,000 crore in 2026, remains dominated by synthetic surfactant-based cleansers. While consumer interest in natural alternatives continues to grow, these formats have historically struggled to match expectations around foam, cleansing efficiency, and skin feel. Ingredients like lentils, despite their widespread use in skincare, have been difficult to adapt into stable, high-performance cleansing systems.
By developing, testing, and manufacturing its formulations in-house, the brand enables its R&D team to work in close conjunction with production and real-time consumer insights. This end-to-end control allows it to invest in solving complex formulation challenges that are often deprioritized in outsourced setups.
Gaurav Agarwal & Komal Sharma, Inventors, LentiClear™, Nat Habit, shared,
“Lentils have always been relevant to Indian skincare – the challenge was making them work in a format that delivers on performance. Conventional cleansing systems don’t easily accommodate them, which is why this hadn’t been solved at scale before. We spent two years, perfecting the formulation science and getting them to work together without compromising on efficacy or experience.”
The technology is already being scaled across the brand’s core portfolio. LentiClear™ is currently deployed across Nat Habit’s Tikta face wash range, including:
- Ubtan Tikta Face Wash – the category bestseller
- Masoor Daal Tikta Face Wash
- Kaali Mitti Tikta Men’s Face Wash
The range contributes 87% of the brand’s face wash category revenue, with an average repeat purchase rate of ~52%, indicating strong consumer acceptance of the format. The range is formulated for sun exposed, pigmented and pollution-exposed skin – Few of the most common concerns pushing consumers away from conventional cleansers.
Beyond immediate product performance, the innovation also signals a larger strategic direction for the brand. LentiClear™ has received a granted Indian patent – the first in a series of proprietary R&D-led innovations from the brand. Nat Habit’s anti-dandruff technology, Beracyl™, and its anti-acne technology, Berbamyrisin™, are both under patent, reflecting a broader shift towards building differentiated, science-backed formulations within the natural beauty space. The brand plans to continue investing in building an IP-led product pipeline over the coming year.
“Being vertically integrated means our R&D team works directly alongside our manufacturing and our consumers. When we identified gaps in the market, we had the ability to invest time and resources into solving them. LentiClear™ is a result of that approach – it is performance-first, backed by research, and built to deliver results that consumers typically associate with synthetic formulations. We’re seeing a clear shift where consumers no longer want to choose between natural and effective – both are expected. For brands, that means investing far more deeply in formulation and R&D than before.” said Swagatika Das, CEO & Co-founder, Nat Habit.
As India’s D2C beauty ecosystem matures, brands are increasingly moving beyond ingredient-led storytelling towards building proprietary technology and measurable performance. Nat Habit’s focus on in-house innovation reflects this shift – where differentiation is not just communicated but created at the formulation level.
