MegaBrands · Skin care, Ayurvedic and natural
Himalaya: How a Herbal Pioneer Became India’s Benchmark for Ayurvedic Skin Care
Himalaya, selected as the Mega Brand for Skin care, Ayurvedic and natural by the Business Intelligence Unit of WCRC, traces its roots to Dehradun in 1930. For more than 25 years, the company says, it has helped young Indians manage pimples and acne.
Himalaya in numbers
At a glance
Himalaya is the consumer brand of Himalaya Wellness Company, which traces its start to 1930, when M. Manal saw the promise of herbal remedies while riding through the forests around Dehradun. The company entered personal care in 1999 and says its scientists have developed more than 300 personal care products from the study of over 10,000 herbs. Its products reach more than 100 countries. Himalaya has been selected as the Mega Brand for Skin care, Ayurvedic and natural by the Business Intelligence Unit of WCRC.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Brand | Himalaya |
| Owner | Himalaya Wellness Company |
| Roots | Founded by M. Manal in Dehradun, 1930 |
| Personal care since | 1999, first as “Ayurvedic Concepts”, later Himalaya Herbals |
| Leadership (India) | Vikas Gupta, Chief Executive Officer, India (appointment reported August 2026, effective 23 September 2026); Rajesh Krishnamurthy, Business Director, Consumer Products Division; Ragini Hariharan, Marketing Director, Beauty and Personal Care |
| Category | Skin care, Ayurvedic and natural |
| Range | Over 300 personal care products across eight categories, the company says |
| Flagship | Purifying Neem Face Wash |
| Markets | India and more than 100 countries |
| Recognition | Selected as the Mega Brand for Skin care, Ayurvedic and natural by the Business Intelligence Unit of WCRC |
Himalaya built its name on a simple belief: that plants long used in Indian homes can be studied, standardised and turned into products people trust every day.
The story begins far from any bathroom shelf. In 1930, M. Manal foresaw the benefits of herbal remedies while riding through the forests around Dehradun, and he started the company there that year. The company tells the story of how his mother pawned her only bangles to help him start. For decades Himalaya was known for herbal medicines. Then, in 1999, it turned its knowledge of herbs towards personal care, first under the name “Ayurvedic Concepts” and later as Himalaya Herbals.
Today, the Himalaya name sits on face washes, creams, lip care, hair care and body care sold in more than 100 countries.
WCRC MegaBrands covers 501 categories in India and selects one benchmark brand in each. It looks at brands through five pillars: Brand Positioning & Recall; Consumer Trust & Sentiment; Product, Innovation & Delivery; Sustainability, Governance & ESG; and Digital & Financial Soundness. Himalaya has been selected as the Mega Brand for Skin care, Ayurvedic and natural by the Business Intelligence Unit of WCRC (World Centre for Research and Consulting). Here is how Himalaya’s record lines up with each pillar.
Himalaya through the years
- 1930M. Manal founds Himalaya in Dehradun
- 1999Enters personal care as "Ayurvedic Concepts", later Himalaya Herbals
- 2018First brand campaign, "Khush Raho, Khushaal Raho"
- 2023#NotFair campaign launches Himalaya Rose Face Wash
- 2024One millionth tree planted in India; Svarasa face care range launched
- 2025"The World of Neem" and a new neem blend in the Neem Face Wash
- 2026Himalaya Ayurveda Secrets takes the brand into premium beauty
- 2026Vikas Gupta reported as incoming Chief Executive Officer, India, from 23 September
Pillar 1: How Himalaya Owns Share of Mind
Brand Positioning & Recall · weighted 28% in the MegaBrands framework · How MegaBrands measures this
Himalaya’s recall rests on one ingredient above all. Neem sits at the centre of the brand’s skin care, and the company describes its Purifying Neem Face Wash as a product that “helps tackle pimples with its mild, soap-free cleansing”. By 2025, Himalaya said it had been associated with pimple and acne care for more than 25 years.
That long focus gives the brand a clear place in the shopper’s mind. Himalaya stands for herbal ingredients, gentle formulas and everyday problems solved without fuss. In 2018, the company ran its first brand campaign, “Khush Raho, Khushaal Raho”, built around its vision of “Wellness in every Home, Happiness in every Heart”.
The brand has also worked hard to stay young. As far back as 2013, Rajesh Krishnamurthy, then Head of Consumer Products, set out the goal plainly: “The transition we’re trying to make is moving the brand Himalaya away from its image of an aged brand to a much younger one.”
That effort shows in where Himalaya now speaks to its audience. In 2023 and 2024, the brand partnered with a women’s cricket team, using the stage to launch skin care and to challenge narrow ideas of beauty. Its #NotFair campaign in 2023 introduced Himalaya Rose Face Wash with the message that beauty is not equal to colour. In October 2025, the “Unspot Your Natural Glow” campaign introduced a turmeric range for dark spots.
Pillar 2: Why India Trusts Himalaya
Consumer Trust & Sentiment · weighted 26% in the MegaBrands framework · How MegaBrands measures this
Trust in Himalaya starts with age and origin. The company has worked with herbs for more than nine decades, and its personal care range draws on the same herbal knowledge that built its medicines. For a shopper who wants natural skin care, that heritage carries weight.
The company also explains how it earns that trust. Himalaya says its personal care products are “tested for safety and efficacy in an independent laboratory by leading dermatologists”, and that its process includes “ingredient authentication, process standardization”. It says its products follow guidelines from bodies including the EU, ISO and India’s Bureau of Indian Standards.
Himalaya has also chosen to speak to young people about the worries behind the product, not just the product itself. In August 2025, ahead of Pimple Acne Positivity Day, it hosted “The World of Neem”. The event unveiled a five-part neem blend in its Neem Face Wash and announced a school programme intended to reach more than 5 lakh students with a message of pimple positivity. Rajesh Krishnamurthy, Business Director of the Consumer Products Division, summed up the approach: “At Himalaya Wellness, we believe skincare should be gentle, effective, and stigma-free.”
That tone matters in a category where young buyers are often anxious. A brand that treats pimples as normal, rather than as a flaw to hide, earns a different kind of loyalty.
Pillar 3: The Science Behind Every Himalaya Pack
Product, Innovation & Delivery · weighted 20% in the MegaBrands framework · How MegaBrands measures this
Himalaya’s range is broad. The company says its scientists “have studied more than 10,000 herbs and developed a range of over 300 personal care products”. These span eight categories: body care, eye care, face care, hair care, lip care, men’s care, oral care and baby care.
Recent launches show how the brand pairs herbs with modern skin science. In 2024, Himalaya introduced a face wash and face care range made with a cold-pressed extraction method it calls Svarasa. Ragini Hariharan, then Marketing Director for Personal Care and Hygiene, said the range was formulated using “a unique cold-pressed extraction technology called Svarasa”. In 2025, its turmeric range combined organically sourced turmeric with niacinamide and glycolic acid. In June 2026, the brand relaunched its aloe vera range with a face serum containing 2% hyaluronic acid. “With the relaunch of our Aloe Vera Range, we are highlighting Aloe Vera’s natural hydration benefits for skin,” Hariharan said.
The biggest recent step came in March 2026, when Himalaya entered premium beauty with Himalaya Ayurveda Secrets. The range uses classical Ayurvedic preparation methods such as Taila Paka Vidhi and Aditya Paka Vidhi, and launched with a hair growth oil, a repairing shampoo, a Ghee Kesar body lotion and a ghee lip butter. “The brand has always been rooted in the science of Ayurveda,” Krishnamurthy said, adding that the new range reinterprets this legacy for the modern beauty consumer. Hariharan, now Marketing Director for Beauty and Personal Care, called it “a natural evolution in our beauty journey, bringing our deep-rooted Ayurvedic philosophy into the premium space.”
Research supports this pipeline. In December 2022, the company opened a 55,000 sq ft Global Research Centre at Dubai Science Park to develop herbal medicines, supplements and personal care products.
Pillar 4: Himalaya, Rooted in the Land
Sustainability, Governance & ESG · weighted 16% in the MegaBrands framework · How MegaBrands measures this
A herbal brand depends on healthy land, and Himalaya has made that link part of its work. In August 2024, Himalaya Wellness Company marked the planting of its one millionth tree in India. More than 800,000 of those trees were planted in Maharashtra, more than 100,000 in Karnataka and more than 30,000 plantings of indigenous species in Meghalaya. The programme supports 600 farmers in 70 villages.
The company has set firm goals for the decade. By 2030, it aims to plant five million trees and to source 95% of its herbs from farms that use regenerative practices. The thinking behind the goals is captured in the company’s “Care for Life” idea: products that are good for people should also be good for the planet.
Speaking as Global CEO in 2022, Shailendra Malhotra described the principle that ties these threads together: “Creating safe and effective products through sustainable innovation is at the heart of Himalaya’s business philosophy.”
Pillar 5: Himalaya’s Reach and Digital Strength
Digital & Financial Soundness · weighted 10% in the MegaBrands framework · How MegaBrands measures this
Himalaya Wellness Company does not publish brand-level sales figures, so this pillar rests on reach, channels and leadership rather than turnover.
The reach is wide. Himalaya’s products are sold in more than 100 countries, and the company says its portfolio across all its businesses runs to close to 500 products. In India, the brand sells directly to consumers through its own online store, which delivers across the country, alongside Himalaya Wellness stores that shoppers can find through its store locator.
New launches now go straight to online channels. Himalaya Ayurveda Secrets opened in premium stores in South India and was made available across India through e-commerce and quick commerce from launch. Its recent campaigns run on digital platforms alongside retail, outdoor and television, and the June 2026 aloe vera campaign was aimed at Gen Z.
Leadership is changing too. In August 2026, trade press reported that Vikas Gupta would join Himalaya Wellness Company as Chief Executive Officer, India, taking charge of the India business from 23 September 2026. The reports said he brings more than 27 years of experience across FMCG, consumer businesses, digital commerce and business transformation.
The Himalaya Benchmark
Every category has leaders. A MegaBrand is the brand its category is measured against. Himalaya holds that place in Ayurvedic and natural skin care because its record is strong on every pillar at once. It is known for neem, trusted for its herbal heritage, broad in its range, committed to the land its herbs come from and present in more than 100 countries.
Above all, it shows that a herbal brand can stay true to its roots and still speak to each new generation. The founder who rode through the forests of Dehradun in 1930 started with a belief in plants. Nearly a century later, that belief is on bathroom shelves across India.
Himalaya on MegaBrands
Follow Himalaya's consumer pulse
Powerfacts
What does Himalaya make?
Himalaya makes herbal personal care products, including face washes, creams, lip care, hair care and body care. The company says it has more than 300 personal care products across eight categories.
When was Himalaya founded and who leads it?
Himalaya was founded by M. Manal in Dehradun in 1930 and entered personal care in 1999. In India, Rajesh Krishnamurthy heads the Consumer Products Division, and trade press reported in August 2026 that Vikas Gupta would take charge as Chief Executive Officer, India from 23 September 2026.
Who owns Himalaya?
The Himalaya brand is owned by Himalaya Wellness Company, the herbal health and personal care company founded by M. Manal.
More Questions About Himalaya
What is Himalaya’s best-known skin care product?
Himalaya’s Purifying Neem Face Wash is its flagship skin care product. The company says it helps tackle pimples with mild, soap-free cleansing, and Himalaya says it has been associated with pimple and acne care for more than 25 years.
What is Himalaya Ayurveda Secrets?
Himalaya Ayurveda Secrets is the brand’s premium Ayurvedic beauty range, launched in March 2026. It uses classical preparation methods and began with a hair oil, shampoo, body lotion and lip butter.
Where is Himalaya sold?
Himalaya products are sold in more than 100 countries. In India, the brand sells through retail stores, its own online store, Himalaya Wellness stores, e-commerce and quick commerce.
What is Himalaya doing for the environment?
Himalaya Wellness Company planted its one millionth tree in India in 2024. By 2030, it aims to plant five million trees and source 95% of its herbs from regenerative farms.
When did Himalaya start making personal care products?
Himalaya entered personal care in 1999 under the name “Ayurvedic Concepts”, which later became Himalaya Herbals. Before that, the company was known for herbal medicines.
Why is Himalaya the Mega Brand for Skin care, Ayurvedic and natural?
Himalaya has been selected as the Mega Brand for Skin care, Ayurvedic and natural by the Business Intelligence Unit of WCRC. Its record is strong on all five MegaBrands pillars: strong recall for neem, trust built on herbal heritage, a broad and active product range, clear sustainability goals and wide reach.
About Himalaya
Himalaya is the consumer brand of Himalaya Wellness Company, started by M. Manal in Dehradun in 1930 and based today in Bengaluru. The company entered personal care in 1999 and says it has developed more than 300 personal care products from the study of over 10,000 herbs. Its products are sold in more than 100 countries. Himalaya has been selected as the Mega Brand for Skin care, Ayurvedic and natural by the Business Intelligence Unit of WCRC (World Centre for Research and Consulting).