Shaily Mehrotra’s journey into skincare began while she was working with international skincare brands across Southeast Asia. There, she saw how consumers had access to advanced, science-backed products developed around specific skin concerns. When she looked at the Indian market, she saw a different picture. Consumers had far fewer options when it came to scientifically formulated skincare that was both effective and accessible.
It was a gap she experienced through her work, and one that stayed with her. When one of the brands she represented was later acquired, Mehrotra saw an opportunity to build something of her own.
In 2010, she co-founded Fixderma, with the idea of making science-backed skincare more accessible to Indian consumers.
When Fixderma entered the market in 2010, India’s skincare industry was still largely driven by traditional beauty products, while the cosmeceutical segment was still emerging. Mehrotra saw an opportunity to build a brand around a more science-led approach to skincare. Fixderma focused on developing products for specific skin concerns, combining dermatological research with formulations designed for everyday use.
But building trust in this category required more than launching products. The company worked closely with dermatologists and invested in research and product development to build its own expertise.
The Business behind the Bottle
The visible side of skincare is simple: the packaging, the product and the promise. But building products that consumers and dermatologists can trust requires capabilities that go much deeper. That thinking led Mehrotra to establish Fixderma Cosmetic Laboratories (FCL) in 2016. The laboratory gave Fixderma a dedicated platform to work on research, formulation development and new skincare technologies.
Over the years, FCL has become an important part of Fixderma’s product development ecosystem, allowing the company to explore areas such as biotechnology and advanced dermatological science.
What began as an effort to build science-backed skincare has gradually evolved into a larger focus on building the science and capabilities behind the products themselves.
From Dermatologist’s prescription to Consumer shelf
The evolution of Fixderma mirrors the growth of India’s skincare market. What began as a prescription-led, dermatologist-focused business expanded into an omnichannel brand across clinics, retail, e-commerce and international markets.
Over the past 16 years, Mehrotra has helped take Fixderma to more than 40 countries across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and other markets. But the ambition goes beyond taking Indian products abroad. It is about showing that India can build sophisticated, science-led skincare brands that compete on the global stage and position the country as a hub for skincare innovation.
The Entrepreneur Behind the Evolution
Mehrotra’s journey has earned recognition as one of India’s prominent women entrepreneurs, and her appointment as a Shark on Shark Tank India Season 5 adds another dimension to her role in the consumer-brand ecosystem.But through Fixderma’s growth, one question has remained constant: how do you make better skincare accessible to more people?
That question began with an observation in Southeast Asia, became the foundation for Fixderma, and now continues to shape Mehrotra’s ambition around biotechnology, advanced formulations and global innovation.
Entrepreneurial stories often look inevitable in hindsight. Fixderma’s wasn’t. The market was still evolving, consumers needed education, scientific credibility had to be earned, and the company had to build its research and manufacturing capabilities from the ground up. There was no shortcut.
Sixteen years later, Mehrotra’s vision has grown into a business present in more than 40 countries, with an expanding focus on research and innovation. If the first chapter was about proving that science-backed skincare could work for Indian consumers, the next is about showing that an Indian skincare company can help shape the future of the global industry.
For Shaily Mehrotra, it comes down to three things: science, access and trust-building from India while thinking far beyond it.
