From foundations to blush and lipstick, true inclusivity is about the nuances of Indian skin and creating products that work with it, writes Zainab Shaikh, Founder, Luxiora Cosmetics.

For a long time, inclusivity in beauty has been treated like a numbers game. Brands talk about how many shades they offer, how light the lightest shade is, or how deep the darkest one goes. These steps matter, but in India, they have never been enough. Because most Indian consumers do not struggle simply to find a shade; they struggle to find a shade that actually looks right on their skin.

That difference is important. Indian beauty conversations rarely talk about undertones, even though they can determine whether makeup blends seamlessly or stands out for all the wrong reasons. Two people can use the same foundation shade and walk away with completely different results. One looks fresh; the other looks grey or yellow. Yet, no one really explains why.

Indian Skin Is Not One-Size-Fits-All

The reason is simple: Indian skin is not uniform. Our skin is shaped by region, climate, ancestry and daily exposure to sun and heat. Someone living in a coastal city may experience makeup differently from someone in a dry or colder region. Even within the same family, undertones can vary widely. Yet most products are still developed as if Indian skin behaves the same way everywhere. This is where brands need to pause and rethink their approach.

Inclusivity Starts At Formulation

Inclusive beauty in India cannot be built by extending shade ranges alone. It has to begin much earlier, at the formulation stage. Brands need to test how pigments react with different undertones, while also accounting for the lighting under which products are tested. This means observing how a product looks after a few hours, how it changes in daylight, and how it behaves on skin with pigmentation, texture, or warmth.

There is also a need to move beyond foundation as the only category where inclusivity is discussed. Undertones affect blushes, lipsticks, bronzers and even highlighters. Many Indian consumers avoid these products not because they do not like makeup, but because they do not trust how the colours will look on their skin.