Unilever Ventures has reportedly taken minority stakes in two emerging Indian beauty brands, Secret Alchemist and SkinInspired, further strengthening its presence in the country’s fast-growing personal care market. Secret Alchemist—a clean fragrance and wellness-driven brand—was co-founded by Ankita Thadani and Akash Valia, who identified a market gap for premium, transparent fragrances blending sensorial appeal with ingredient safety. Secret Alchemist has raised $3 million in a seed funding round that was led by Unilever Ventures, said reports, along with DSG Consumer Partners.

Meanwhile, SkinInspired has attracted investment alongside Lotus Herbals Pvt. Ltd., with its founders positioning the brand as a science-led skincare player focused on efficacy and accessibility.  The Udaipur-based D2C skincare brand announced it has successfully raised INR 24 crore (approximately $2.7 million) in its Series A funding round. The investment was spearheaded by Spring Marketing Capital, with significant participation from Lotus Herbals’ Beauty Innovation Fund and Patni Financial Advisors’ MD Arihant Patni. Existing investor Unilever Ventures also participated, reinforcing confidence in the startup’s trajectory. Founded in 2022 by Piyush Jain and Prashant Agrawal, SkinInspired specializes in science-backed, dermatologist-recommended products addressing concerns such as aging, acne, and pigmentation.

This move follows Unilever Ventures’ earlier investment in Minimalist, the direct-to-consumer skincare brand founded by Mohit Yadav and Rohit Yadav, which has rapidly scaled with its evidence-based formulations and digital-first strategy. Together, these strategic bets highlight Unilever Ventures’ intent to build a diverse portfolio of indie labels that combine innovation, authenticity, and strong consumer engagement. By backing visionary promoters across India’s beauty ecosystem, Unilever Ventures is positioning itself at the forefront of the country’s evolving beauty and wellness landscape.