Vijay Deverakonda Launches Skincare Brand Unhype for Young Indians

Actor Vijay Deverakonda has co-founded Unhype, a functional skincare brand built for young Indian consumers aged 18 to 30. Unlike typical celebrity endorsements, Deverakonda spent nine months personally testing formulations and helping develop unisex products designed for local climate challenges like humidity, pollution, and hard water.

Beyond Celebrity Endorsements: A Hands-On Venture

Celebrity brand partnerships usually follow a predictable script: a famous face signs a contract, shoots a campaign, and lets the marketing department handle the rest. When Vijay Deverakonda started exploring the consumer space, he wanted something different. The actor’s latest venture marks his entry into the business side of consumer goods as a co-founder and co-builder.

Instead of merely lending his name to a pre-packaged line, Deverakonda sought out a team with in-house manufacturing capabilities to ensure deep involvement from the ground up. That collaboration led directly to the creation of Unhype, a label engineered to strip away the complicated marketing jargon often associated with the beauty industry. The brand is positioned around simple, effective and accessible everyday skincare for young India, focusing on products that prioritise functionality over complicated messaging.

A year ago, I met a team that had its own R&D and manufacturing facilities, and what stood out to me was that they wanted me to be involved in building the brand, not just be the face of it. That's what made me want to come on board. Speaking

Nine Months of Personal Testing and Formulation

Building a new skincare line required extensive time in the laboratory. The actor added that the process went far beyond endorsing finished products. Explaining the development process, Vijay said, We spent months working on the formulations, testing and refining them, and I personally tried every version on my own skin for nine months.

This rigorous testing phase aimed to address specific environmental stressors common across India. The brand’s unisex lineup is specifically formulated to combat conditions driven by heat, humidity, sweat, sun exposure, pollution, and hard water, targeting a demographic ranging from 18 to 30 years old.

Targeting Young Skin with Simple Three-Step Routines

Unhype enters the market with a minimalist philosophy. Explaining the philosophy behind the brand, Vijay said, We wanted to create high-quality products that are effective, simple to use and affordable, without all the unnecessary hype around skincare. He added, For me, the idea was to make skincare easy and something people can start incorporating into their routine from a young age.

The positioning reflects the brand’s direct approach, summed up in its line: No BS. Only what works. Rather than promoting sprawling regimens, the brand introduces two distinct three-step ‘VD Signature Routines’ designed to make daily maintenance straightforward for beginners.

At launch, Unhype will offer two three-step VD Signature Routines, comprising face wash, moisturiser and sunscreen. The Acne Safe routine is aimed at oily, acne-prone skin, while the Brightening routine targets tan and dullness.

Safety Testing and Launch Timeline

To build consumer trust ahead of its commercial debut, the products have undergone testing and certification through independent third-party laboratories, along with real-user testing. Notably, the brand’s sunscreen uses new-generation UV filters and has been developed for Indian skin tones and conditions.

Consumers eager to try the products will not have to wait long. Unhype will launch online, with pre-booking opening on September 11 and shipping scheduled to begin from September 21, 2026.

Worth a look