Shamika Haldipurkar's Skincare Brand Blends Science And Luxury

Shamika Haldipurkar, founder of d'you (Brunch Beauty Private Limited), won a Digital Women Award 2025 for building a research-driven skincare brand that puts science, integrity, and long-term skin health at the centre of beauty.

When d’you was announced as a winner at the Digital Women Awards, it represented a milestone for a brand built on years of patient R&D, uncompromising quality and a commitment to meaningful skincare.

Founded in 2020 by Shamika Haldipurkar, d’you has carved out a powerful identity in India’s premium skincare space with its science-first philosophy and global formulation partnerships.

The Digital Women Award recognises the rigour, intention and vision that have fueled this journey.

Shamika Haldipurkar: Digital Women Awards 2025

STP: What is d’you and the vision behind it?

Shamika: d’you is a science-led premium skincare brand that creates high-performance formulations in collaboration with advanced cosmetic labs across South Korea, Europe and Japan.

We build our products from the ground up, not from stock bases, and our philosophy is simple: results must speak louder than marketing.

Our focus is on skin barrier health, long-term repair and routine minimalism. Every formulation is built to become a permanent part of someone’s routine, not a momentary trend.

While our global labs bring scientific depth and advanced ingredient technology, our in-house philosophy ensures each product aligns with our standards of transparency, efficacy and safety.

We have grown a loyal community that trusts us for honesty, science-first education and products that deliver visible, sustainable results.

STP: What is your business model?

Shamika: d’you designs and develops proprietary skincare formulations in partnership with cutting-edge cosmetic labs from South Korea, Europe and Japan, which are imported to India, to present global standard cosmetic innovations for the Indian premium market and are sold through an omni-channel model.

Our primary business is direct-to-consumer via dyou.co, supported by a strong retention engine and loyal community flywheel. 

We follow a high-efficiency, disciplined growth model that prioritises sustainable scale, strong unit economics, and long-term brand equity over discount-led growth.

We are one of the few D2C brands in the BPC space that is completely bootstrapped and yet profitable year on year. We also received an award for financial innovation by the prestigious Business of Fashion media house.

The brand was honoured for its diligent, boots-on-the-ground approach to launching a skincare brand.

Careful social listening and market research in its domestic market, India, has helped the brand create products both specifically targeted for its local audience and having great global appeal.

STP: What kind of funding did you start with?

Shamika:We started with ₹35 lakhs. This is the only capital that has ever been infused into d’you. We have raised no external equity or debt and remain profitable each year. From that one-time investment, we have generated 220x revenue.

STP: What are your plans and opportunities for growing your business?

Shamika:India's beauty and personal care market is projected to reach 34 billion dollars by 2028, with premium skincare becoming one of the most explosive growth segments.

As consumers get more educated and ingredient aware, they are moving away from hype and gravitating to clinical formulations and barrier-focused skincare. This shift opens a massive opportunity for brands that build with science, not shortcuts.

In five years, we have built strong brand love, high repeat purchase behaviour, and a reputation for technical product innovation.

We have done all of this without paid celebrity faces or aggressive discounting, which speaks to the strength of our product and brand equity.

Our next phase is scale with intention. We are expanding into new clinically advanced categories, strengthening omni-channel distribution, and growing our retail footprint.

We expect to hit 100 crore annual revenue in the coming financial year. Beyond India, we are laying the groundwork to take modern Indian beauty to global shelves.

 The next era of beauty will belong to brands that operate with integrity, scientific rigour, and community trust. That is the lane we have built for d'you.

STP: In what ways do technology and digital tools contribute to the growth, efficiency, and overall success of your business?

Shamika: At d'you, technology is not an accessory to the business. It is a core strategic foundation that informs how we build, scale, and stay ahead of the market.

Operating as a digital-first brand allows us to understand our consumer with a level of depth that traditional companies often cannot access.

We study real behavioural patterns, sentiment shifts, and retention data, and these insights continuously shape our product development, marketing communication, and overall customer experience.

Our CRM systems, analytics platforms, and AI-assisted tools enable personalised consumer journeys at scale and help sustain strong repeat purchase behaviour.

We also use automation within customer support to maintain speed and consistency, while preserving the human empathy that is essential in moments that matter.

In product development, technology gives us a powerful and often underappreciated edge. We collaborate with our manufacturing labs through digital R&D systems, use ingredient intelligence platforms to stay ahead of emerging actives, and rely on AI-assisted feedback analysis to guide formulation decisions.

For a brand that builds its portfolio slowly and scientifically, technology ensures that rigour and efficiency can coexist without compromise.

Technology has also shaped how we build trust with our audience. Social and video platforms allow us to communicate at scale without depending on conventional advertising.

Education-led content, founder-driven storytelling, and community-centric experiences have enabled us to grow through credibility rather than visibility alone. 

In many ways, technology has been the silent driver of d’you’s relationship with its consumers and the backbone of the brand’s long-term growth.

STP: What were some challenges you faced while building your business?

Shamika:Building a premium skincare brand without external capital was one of the biggest challenges.

Competing with heavily funded companies meant we had to rely solely on product performance, repeat purchase and community trust rather than marketing spends or discounts.

We also launched at a time when clean beauty and anti-chemical narratives dominated the market. Educating consumers about science-backed formulations and the value of R&D required consistency and patience.

Managing overseas manufacturing, long R&D cycles and stringent quality control while running a lean team pushed us every day.

But each challenge strengthened our fundamentals and helped us build a brand rooted in depth, not shortcuts.

STP: Why is it important for entrepreneurs to prioritise health and emotional well-being?

Shamika: Entrepreneurship demands clarity, resilience and emotional stability. Burnout reduces decision quality, creativity and long-term thinking. A company can only be as steady as the person leading it.

Taking care of your mental and physical well-being ensures you can guide your team with intention, make sound decisions and stay grounded through the highs and lows of building something from scratch.