Starting over.

We went quiet for eight weeks. This is why.

In August we told you the first results fell short. We said we'd go back to the formula. We didn't tell you the harder part.

The partner who made our first samples couldn't take it further. They make products for some big names, so we trusted them. It didn't work out.

So we started again with a new team. We kept what the first round taught us. We rebuilt the rest.

We made more calls than we can count. Manufacturers, formulators, friends of friends. We asked everyone one question: how will you prove it works? That question cleared the list quickly.

We got down to three names we could trust. Then one.

It's a young company, but not a new team. The people behind it spent years inside large cosmetic companies before starting their own. They work with newer sun filters. That gives us more room to get the strength right without losing the finish. The testing lab we chose in July stays the same.

It also meant unlearning. Some of what we believed about sunscreen came from old formulas. We had to let those ideas go. It cost us weeks. We think it makes the product better. The lab will tell us if we're right.

It's slow, and some weeks it's frustrating. But we won't cut corners on what you get: the best sunscreen we can make for Indian skin, quality you can trust, at a price you can pay every month — not save up for.

The first samples from the new team came in weeks ago. We've been testing them since.

The waitlist is free. Your first bottle is still ₹499.

— Aashish & Rishitha, 78 Labs