Our Story

We started with a sunscreen problem.

In 2024, two of us went looking for a simple thing — a body sunscreen that didn’t leave a white cast on Indian skin. Not a face serum repackaged as “body care.” Not a trendy ingredient list designed for Instagram. Just an SPF lotion that worked on our skin tone, in our humidity, without feeling like we’d smeared paint on our arms.
We couldn’t find it.

Every product we tried was either formulated for a different climate, a different skin tone, or a different problem entirely. The “body care” aisle in India is an afterthought — generic moisturisers with vague claims, riding whatever ingredient trend is popular that quarter. Nobody was solving real problems with real formulations. Nobody was treating the skin below your neck with the same seriousness as your face.

So we built what we needed.

From formula to bottle: 18 months of getting it right.

Our first product — Barely There SPF Lotion — took a year of development. We tested UV filter systems until we found one that provided full broad-spectrum protection without any visible cast on melanin-rich skin. We added 2% Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid, and Ceramide NP because sun protection alone isn’t enough — your skin needs to be hydrated and repaired at the same time.

That same approach — start with a specific problem, find the ingredients that actually solve it, skip everything that doesn’t — drove every product that followed.

We developed an Age-Defying Body Lotion because 90% of your skin shouldn't be neglected while your face gets all the actives; we used 2% Niacinamide and Ceramide NP to target the elasticity loss and "sun spots" that specifically plague arms and legs in harsh environments. We created a Foot Cream with a triple-acid system because cracked heels need chemical exfoliation, not just moisture. A Hand Cream with Salicylic Acid because your hands need gentle exfoliation from constant washing. A Scrub that combines physical and chemical exfoliation because one alone isn’t enough.

Every formula went through multiple iterations. We went live in December 2025 — not because we were in a rush, but because the products were finally right.

What Sum N Substance actually means.

The name is literal. We believe skincare should be the sum of its substances — the actual ingredients, at actual effective concentrations, solving actual problems. Not marketing stories. Not trend-chasing. Not vague promises about “nourishing” or “enhancing your natural glow.”

We list every ingredient. We publish key active percentages. We explain why each one is there and what it does. If we can’t justify an ingredient’s presence in the formula, it doesn’t go in.

We’re a body care brand. Not a face care brand that added a lotion as an afterthought. The skin below your neck — your arms, hands, feet, legs — makes up 90% of your body and deserves products built specifically for it. That’s what we do.