How Deepika Padukone's 82°E is Working Towards Simplifying Skincare Routines

Founded by Deepika Padukone and Jigar K Shah- 82°E is a modern self-care brand with skincare as its inaugural category. The brand was incepted owing to the founders’ realization that though the beauty and personal care space in India have seen immense growth, there are clear whitespaces and pain points that could be solved at scale with celebrity influence. 

Pronounced as Eighty-Two East, the brand is inspired by the standard meridian that passes through India and reflects Deepika Padukone’s personal and professional journey as a modern Indian woman who is strongly rooted in her homeland, global in her outlook and appeal and committed to her physical and emotional well-being.

In an exclusive interaction with IndianRetailer, Jigar K Shah, Co-Founder, 82°E walks us through the journey of the brand, its vision, and much more.

Since the market is a hub of skin care products and complex skincare routines it often leads to confusion for customers. However, with extensive research 82°E used a fundamental-first approach to skincare that focuses on products that help with the three most essential objectives of skincare - cleanse, hydrate, and protect, simplifying skincare routines and offering high-quality, high-performing products that focus on good skin health.

“Having a global celebrity as an influential voice, we envisioned a brand that cuts through the noise and delivers value and product promise to the customers in India and across the world. With Deepika as a pioneering advocate of mental, physical, and emotional well-being, self-care is an integral part of her journey and experience. Skincare is an important self-care routine for her and so it only felt natural to offer this as our launch category,” said Jigar K Shah, Co-Founder, 82°E.

Ideation and Journey

The founders thought about building 82°E, they were clear that it should be rooted in India and global in appeal. The same thought has been translated into its skincare offering where every product combines a time-tested Indian ingredient with a powerful scientific compound. 

The brand’s journey and traction since November 2022 have been phenomenal as its products have been loved by customers in India as well as across 35 countries.

“The customer response in India and from across the world has been encouraging so far. Our value proposition of focusing on the fundamentals of skin health with a cleanse-hydrate-protect routine has resonated well with them. We have received positive feedback on various product aspects such as quality, texture, and packaging. We have also been able to build consumer trust with our high-quality, high-performing products that have been clinically tested,” added Shah.

Options Galore

The brand’s product portfolio mainly falls under the cleanse-hydrate-protect routine with a cleanser, moisturizer, face oil, and sunscreen oil. 

Each product has been rigorously sourced, carefully crafted, and clinically tested. Formulated by in-house experts in its own lab, the skincare line marries the best of India and the world as it combines time-tested Indian ingredients and powerful scientific compounds to offer solutions that work.

Moreover, 82°E aims to expand into newer categories that support a modern, holistic approach to self-care.

Technology and 82°E

The brand is backed by technology, which further allows them to bring together premium Indian ingredients and global scientific compounds to create high-performing products. Sourcing high-quality raw materials from renowned vendors, the formulations are 100 percent clean without parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and mineral oil. 

Furthermore, the products are vegan, highly efficacious, and suitable to all skin types, formulated in their own laboratory.

“We are continuously working with our R&D team to bring in more technological advancements with our products and offerings. Through our website, consumers can learn more about product usage and ingredients to make an informed purchase,” stated Shah.

The Personal Care Market

The global beauty personal care market size was around $530 billion in 2022 with around 50 percent contribution from personal care; followed by skincare, cosmetics, and fragrances. The industry is expected to grow at 4.7 percent annually from 2022-27. 

As for India, the market is upwards of approximately $18 billion. Of this, the premium beauty personal care market is growing at 19 percent CAGR as compared to 10 percent CAGR of the overall market. The online beauty personal care market has grown at 60 percent CAGR in the last 4 years.

According to Shah, there are numerous factors driving the demand for skincare and beauty products; honesty, authenticity, and simplicity being the key drivers as the consumer is more selective and aware. 

Moreover, product superiority is also important as there is a need for products that are effective, promise safety, and guarantee results. The consumer also wants to learn more about the ingredients before making a purchase.

Growth and Funding

Having raised $7.5 million in seed funding in early 2022 from DSG Consumer Partners and IDEO Ventures along with other prolific angel investors who participated in the round, the brand is using the said funds to grow its team, scale R&D, and launch new products.

Moreover, in the first month of launch, 82°E has witnessed a remarkable response and has already served consumers in over 35 countries. “The brand is well on its way to introducing more products in the skincare category over the next few months, which is in line with our product drop strategy. If everything goes as planned, we are on track to achieving Rs 100 crore ARR in the next 6-8 months,” asserted Jigar K Shah.

Future Plans

82°E chose a D2C model of business as through this model, the brand is uniquely poised to stay connected to its consumers, serve them intimately, and build trust. The brand thus aims to ensure that it offers the best consumer experience, while also focusing on building its omnichannel strategy.

The brand is currently on track to expand globally and will be launching more products under the skincare category while expanding to other categories that support a modern, holistic approach to self-care.