Kay Beauty, the makeup brand co-founded by actor Katrina Kaif and Nykaa, is entering skincare for the first time, launching two products aimed at hydration and skin barrier support from August 29, 2026.
The debut range includes the Hydra Glaze Essence, a lightweight milky essence positioned to hydrate skin and refine texture, and the Hydra Base Water Crème, a water-based gel moisturiser meant to strengthen and calm the skin barrier. The products will be sold on the Nykaa app and website, at Nykaa stores across India, and on kaybeauty.com. The essence is priced at Rs 1,099 for 30 ml, while the moisturiser costs Rs 1,299 for 50 g.
The company says the range took three years to develop with formulators in Korea and Italy and was clinically tested on Indian women with sensitive skin. Cosmetic scientist Nausheen Qureshi also contributed to the formulation process. All products in the line are fragrance-free, non-comedogenic, dermatologically tested and hypoallergenic.
Katrina Kaif, Co-Founder, Kay Beauty says, “My relationship with skincare has evolved through so many different phases of my life. Having sensitive skin, combined with years of working in front of the camera, long days on film sets and constant travel, has made me very aware of what my skin needs and how differently it can respond from one day to the next. Those experiences shaped so much of the thinking behind Kay Beauty skincare. Working closely with our formulation experts, we wanted to create an effective range that really focuses on the fundamentals I’ve come to value most: strengthening and supporting the skin barrier, deep cellular hydration and keeping the skin feeling soothed, calm and protected. It was equally important that the formulas felt lightweight and effortless to use, and created a beautiful, well-prepped base for makeup to sit smoothly. The range brings together Kare and performance in a way that feels like a natural extension to the Kay Beauty universe.”
Adwaita Nayar, Co-founder and Executive Director of Nykaa, and CEO – House of Nykaa, adds, “Since its inception, Kay Beauty has been built around the belief that performance and care should go hand in hand. As consumers increasingly embrace a skin-first approach to beauty, skincare felt like a natural evolution for the brand. With this launch, we wanted to bring the same performance-led approach to formulations that are thoughtful, effective and uncomplicated, while staying true to our #MakeupThatKares philosophy. This range is an important step in expanding Kay Beauty into a more holistic beauty brand, rooted in how consumers are evolving their everyday routines.”
Kay Beauty cites clinical testing behind its efficacy claims for both products. The Hydra Glaze Essence is said to deliver “double hydration” within 30 minutes and lock in moisture for 24 hours, alongside claims of softer-looking skin for up to eight hours. Its formula is built around lactic acid, amino acids and a prebiotic saccharide. The Hydra Base Water Crème, formulated with Centella Asiatica, ceramides and skin-mimetic lipids, is said to provide 100 hours of hydration, boost skin hydration by 138% and strengthen the moisture barrier within 30 minutes. The brand notes these figures come from an external clinical study conducted in May 2026, comparing treated and untreated skin left unwashed for 100 hours.
Kay Beauty was founded in 2019 and has grown into one of India’s prominent makeup brands, built around the tagline “Makeup That Kares.” The brand says it has served more than 2.8 million customers in India and now retails in over 700 stores nationwide. It has also expanded internationally, entering the Gulf market through Nysaa in 2024 and launching in the UK in September 2025 through a partnership with Space NK — making it, according to the company, the first India-founded beauty brand to join that retailer’s roster.
The skincare launch marks Kay Beauty’s broadest expansion yet beyond makeup, as the brand looks to position itself as a more complete beauty player in a market increasingly driven by skin-first routines.
