Nikita Khanna

About Nikita Khanna

Nikita Khanna is the Co-Founder and Product Lead at Moxie Beauty, where she leads product strategy, product development, and consumer-led innovation for wavy and curly hair.

Her expertise combines years of consumer strategy experience with years of work building haircare products specifically for Indian consumers. She works closely with formulation laboratories to create products that address the unique challenges of Indian hair textures, weather conditions, water quality, and everyday styling habits.

Nikita's journey into haircare began long before founding Moxie Beauty. For over sixteen years, she straightened her naturally wavy hair through heat styling and chemical treatments because suitable products for textured hair were difficult to find in India. During the 2020 lockdown, she embraced her natural hair texture and discovered a significant gap in the Indian haircare market. Despite the majority of Indians having naturally wavy or curly hair, very few products were specifically formulated to meet their needs.

This lived experience became the foundation for Moxie Beauty.

Beginning in 2021, Nikita spent nearly two years working on product research and development before launching the brand. During this period, she worked with cosmetic formulators as they evaluated ingredient systems and refined formulations through repeated lab iterations, and she oversaw extensive consumer testing across diverse Indian climates, humidity levels, and hair types. This product-first approach continues to shape every formulation developed by Moxie Beauty.

Today, Nikita leads product development across the brand, translating consumer insights and ingredient research into product direction for Indian wavy and curly hair.

Professional Experience

Before founding Moxie Beauty, Nikita spent several years at McKinsey & Company, where she served as a Senior Engagement Manager in the Consumer, Technology & Media practice.

During her consulting career, she advised leading consumer businesses on growth strategy, customer experience, and business transformation. This experience developed her expertise in understanding consumer behaviour, identifying market gaps, and building products around unmet customer needs.

At Moxie Beauty, Nikita oversees:

• Product formulation strategy
• New product development
• Ingredient selection
• Formulation testing and refinement
• Multi-climate product validation across India
• Consumer insight research
• Product performance standards

Education

• MBA, XLRI Jamshedpur (2014–2016), Gold Medal for Academic Excellence
• Bachelor of Business Studies (BBS), Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, University of Delhi

Areas of Expertise

Nikita regularly contributes to educational content and product guidance related to:

• Wavy hair care routines
• Curly hair care routines
• Hair hydration and moisture balance
• Frizz management in humid climates
• Sulphate-free and silicone-free haircare
• Hair product formulation
• Ingredient education
• Scalp and hair health for textured hair
• Indian haircare practices
• Product selection for different curl patterns

Editorial Role at Moxie Beauty

Nikita reviews and contributes to educational content published by Moxie Beauty relating to wavy and curly hair care, ingredient education, product formulation, and haircare routines. Content is reviewed for technical accuracy, consumer relevance, and alignment with current formulation knowledge before publication.

Experience That Shapes Her Perspective

Nikita's work is informed by both her product leadership at Moxie Beauty and personal experience managing naturally 2C wavy hair. This combination allows her to bridge the lab and real-world consumer needs, ensuring products are designed for how Indian consumers actually care for their hair, not just how products perform in laboratory conditions.