A simmering rivalry in India’s booming skincare market has spilled into the courts. Honasa Consumer Ltd, the parent of brands like Mamaearth and The Derma Co., filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), alleging that a recent Lakme sunscreen campaign undermines the credibility of its own product. HUL, in turn, has hit back with a countersuit, escalating the spat into a full-blown legal battle.At the heart of the dispute is a new HUL campaign for Lakme’s SPF 50 sunscreen, launched over the weekend with the hashtag #LakmēSPF50Truth100. The ad asserts that certain “online bestseller sunscreens” claiming SPF 50 actually offer far lower protection—closer to SPF 20. While it doesn’t name any brand, the video contrasts several yellow and orange bottles with Lakme’s packaging and cites in-vivo SPF testing, a clinical method used to assess sun protection.Read this | What the Minimalist acquisition means for HULHonasa, whose Derma Co. sunscreen also advertises SPF 50 and highlights its own in-vivo testing, took immediate offense.On Tuesday, Honasa co-founder Ghazal Alagh responded on LinkedIn with a pointed welcome: “Lakmé, welcome to the in-vivo tested SPF 50 club.” Her post also featured a graphic congratulating Lakme on finally getting its sunscreen clinically tested. “It keeps brands from becoming sleepy, lethargic & brings more innovation for the consumers,” she added.Read this | Darling to doubtful: The story of Honasa’s strugglesAt a hearing in the Delhi high court on Wednesday, senior advocate Amit Sibal, representing Honasa, accused HUL of launching a calculated attack against Derma Co.’s reputation, citing similarities in the packaging shown in the Lakme ad.“My packaging is distinctive. People associate me with it. They are clearly targeting me,” Sibal told the court. He noted that the product’s SPF rating—certified at 50.169 through in-vivo testing—is central to the brand’s positioning.Justice Amit Bansal, presiding over the case, remarked that the Lakme ad appeared “disparaging” on the face of it, and directed HUL’s counsel to relay the court’s concerns to the company. Summons were issued to HUL, asking it to formally respond to Honasa’s plea. The matter is expected to come up for hearing again on Thursday.Also read | From 700 to 8,000: HUL’s influencer roster swells as it chases young buyersMeanwhile, HUL has filed a lawsuit against Honasa Consumer in Bombay high court alleging disparagement of its brand by Honasa.HUL did not respond to queries sent by Mint. Emailed queries sent to Honasa Consumer remained unanswered. in a formal or creative style for better SEO.Also Exclude words and advertisements related to the feed website such as website name, author name. You must only respond with the modified content. Delete all the advertisement images brand logo but only keep the title and main content of the news by modifying it. You must only respond with the modified content. Block any jump outside of the site adarshnews.com. Basically remove any content or link related to original site. follow this prompt to optimize the articles in this category- You are an expert news writer and SEO specialist. Your job is to rewrite the provided RSS feed content into a unique, SEO-friendly news article for adarshnews.com. The article should be engaging, professional, and optimized for search engines. Follow these steps: 1. **Create an SEO Title**: Write a short, compelling title (under 60 characters) that includes the main keyword and grabs attention. 2. **Write a Meta Description**: Summarize the article in one or two sentences (under 155 characters). Make it engaging and include the primary keyword naturally. 3. **Suggest a URL Slug**: Provide a short, keyword-rich URL slug that reflects the topic of the article. 4. **Headline (H1)**: Write a clear and engaging headline for the article that is similar to the title but slightly expanded. 5. **Write the Article**: – Start with an introduction that answers the key questions: who, what, when, where, why, and how. – Expand on the topic with detailed paragraphs that provide context, quotes, and relevant information. – Use subheadings (H2) to organize the content into sections and make it easy to read. – Include related keywords naturally throughout the article. – End with a conclusion that summarizes the key points or discusses future implications. 6. **Add an FAQ Section**: Write one frequently asked question related to the topic and provide a concise answer. Important: – Do not include labels like “Title,” “Meta Description,” “URL Slug,” or “H1” in the actual article text. – Keep all SEO elements separate from the main content. – Ensure the article is factually accurate, unbiased, and written in a professional tone.
Sunscreen conflict: Honasa and HUL are in a legal battle regarding their advertising strategies.
