When a Baby Care Scandal Shook Indian Parents, One Family Decided to Fix the Industry From Within

From Parental Concern to a New Baby-Care Philosophy

There was a moment, not too long ago, when Indian parents stood in the baby-care aisle and felt something they had never quite felt before: fear. A well-known baby-care brand had come under investigation for unsafe ingredients, and the story spread through households the way only a parenting scare can. Products that had sat unquestioned on nursery shelves for years were suddenly being examined, label by label, by mothers and fathers looking for answers.

Against this backdrop, a bigger question surfaced: Why did a country as steeped in inherited skincare wisdom as India not have a baby-care brand that was both genuinely safe and scientifically proven?

That question became the founding premise of CITTA, a homegrown baby and family skincare brand built by three generations of the Sharma family. The brand combines what its CEO and Co-founder Akanksha Sharma calls "dadi-nani ke nuskhe" — grandmother's remedies — with modern dermatological science.

"I remember our conversations about why a country like India, with so much inherited skincare wisdom, didn't have a baby care brand that was both safe and scientifically proven."

— Akanksha Sharma, CEO and Co-founder, CITTA

Creating Products Through a Family-First Filter

As CITTA began developing its baby-care range, the team observed that parents were becoming increasingly conscious of what touched their children's skin. They wanted products that offered gentleness and efficacy while retaining a connection with ingredients and rituals they had grown up trusting.

That thinking developed into a formulation test the Sharma family continues to apply to its products: would they use it on themselves or on their own child?

The same filter now extends across CITTA's adult skincare range, reflecting the company's belief that a brand should only create products it would genuinely use within its own family.

Addressing Transparency and Indian Skin Needs

As CITTA studied India's clean-beauty and baby-care categories, two gaps stood out. The first was transparency, with many brands relying on broad marketing claims rather than clearly explaining what was inside their products.

The second was relevance. While numerous skincare brands were available, relatively few products were developed specifically around Indian skin, climate and the environmental conditions experienced across Indian cities.

CITTA built its identity around addressing both issues. The company discloses every ingredient regardless of concentration and develops formulations around Indian skin rather than simply adapting products created for Western markets.

"Transparency was never a marketing decision for us, it was a responsibility."

— Akanksha Sharma, CEO and Co-founder, CITTA

For the brand, that responsibility is particularly important when products are intended for babies and their delicate skin.

Combining Traditional Ingredients With Modern Dermatology

CITTA's approach to product development involves assessing whether traditional ingredients have genuine scientific backing before combining them with modern active ingredients such as retinol, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, ceramides and salicylic acid.

The company describes this as a middle path between inherited skincare practices and modern dermatological science.

Geography also plays a role in formulation. A product designed for North India's dry winters cannot simply be relabelled for Mumbai's humid coastline. CITTA therefore develops formulations with factors including India's varied climate, hard water, pollution and UV exposure in mind rather than relying on a single one-size-fits-all approach.

From Baby Care to Family Skincare

What began as a baby-care label has since expanded into adult skincare, haircare and body care. Its portfolio includes vitamin C serums, retinol creams, acne formulations and hair oils.

The expansion was driven largely by consumers. Parents who had begun using CITTA for their children started asking for products based on the same philosophy for themselves.

That response suggested that consumers were not simply buying a particular skincare category. They were connecting with a broader approach to ingredients, safety and formulation.

The standards established for baby skincare, the company maintains, continue to guide the development of its adult products.

Building a Family Skincare Brand for the Next Five Years

Looking five years ahead, CITTA's ambitions extend beyond becoming another skincare label. The brand aims to become India's most trusted family skincare name, serving multiple generations under its philosophy of "Modern Science. Indian Soul."

The company also sees an opportunity to influence skincare habits among Indian men, who still largely view skincare as a women's domain. Alongside encouraging men to build skincare routines, CITTA plans to expand its portfolio, deepen its research and eventually reach Indian communities living abroad.

Rebuilding Trust One Ingredient at a Time

It is a fitting trajectory for a brand born from parental anxiety in a store aisle. One family's discomfort with questions around an industry's safety and transparency became the foundation for an approach centred on ingredients, science and inherited Indian skincare knowledge.

For Sharma, the milestone that will matter most is not necessarily a revenue figure or the number of products on the market. It is a simpler form of recognition: the day Indian consumers think of CITTA as the brand that truly understands their skin.