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Digital Dive: Top stories on digital developments making waves in the APAC beauty industry

18-Jun-2021 By Amanda Lim

In this round-up of the top five stories on the digital developments and beauty tech in the cosmetics industry, featuring the SENSAI’s online expansion in Europe, Amorepacific’s latest investments in personalised beauty and more.

Ripe for the picking: J-beauty brand THREE re-releases exclusive inner beauty supplement to alleviate common summer ailments

17-Jun-2021 By Amanda Lim

Japanese natural beauty brand THREE Cosmetics has re-launched a beauty supplement containing plum extract, which it claims can help improve common summer-related skin conditions.

Harnessing hemp: Koru Pharmaceuticals develops K-beauty skin care made with hybrid Korean variant

16-Jun-2021 By Amanda Lim

South Korean biopharmaceutical start-up Koru Pharmaceuticals has launched a new skin care brand made with hemp seed oil derived from a hybrid Korean hemp variant.

Mindful growth: Promoting sustainable consumption top-of-mind for waterless beauty brand founded by ex-Amazon VP

16-Jun-2021 By Amanda Lim

An ex-Amazon VP who founded waterless Singapore start-up Bhuman says early interest from big-name retailers won’t deter its focus on promoting sustainable consumption and insists there is no merit in growing the brand “just for the sake of growing”.

Financial focus: Shiseido, Kao, L’Occitane and more feature in our latest beauty business and finance update

16-Jun-2021 By Amanda Lim

In this round-up of financial results, M&As and funding drives in the cosmetics industry, we highlight the first-quarter results from Shiseido, Kao Corp, L’Occitane and more.

‘A true pioneer' in digital: Unilever to acquire D2C brand Paula’s Choice

15-Jun-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Personal care major Unilever will acquire US-headquartered direct-to-consumer (D2C) premium skin care brand Paula’s Choice, bringing it under its growing prestige portfolio.

Need-to-know: Upcoming brand Founders Beauty prioritises education-led approach for skin care

15-Jun-2021 By Amanda Lim

A soon-to-be-launched natural clean beauty brand, Founders Beauty, is aiming to develop a platform that will help consumers make more informed decisions when it comes to skin care.

Potency without irritation: Derma Lab launches sensitive skin-friendly retinol serum

15-Jun-2021 By Amanda Lim

Singapore-based Derma Lab has developed a retinol serum to target those with sensitive skin on the back of growing consumer awareness for the potent and effective vitamin A ingredient.

‘Storming the market’: Natural beauty brand Skinella says sheet mask sales in India are soaring

15-Jun-2021 By Amanda Lim

Sheet masks are ‘storming the market’ in India according to natural beauty brand Skinella, which is now exploring new launches after its first three variants performed ‘phenomenally well’.

Finnish fermented skin care startup: Circular beauty to 'become the norm’ in 5-10 years

14-Jun-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Finland-based fermented skin care brand Circulove has developed a range of products it says fit into the wider trend towards sustainable holistic living – a rising area of opportunity for beauty, its CEO says.

New life for old plastics: Kao furthers circular beauty goals with plans to use chemically recycled plastics for cosmetics

14-Jun-2021 By Amanda Lim

Japanese personal care major Kao Corporation has piloted a new initiative to use chemically recycled plastic for its cosmetics packaging in effort to further its efforts to improve its circularity.

China CBD ban: Retailers ‘encouraged’ to pull products off shelves as regulators formally ban use in cosmetics

14-Jun-2021 By Amanda Lim

Retailers in China are being advised to pull any cannabis-based cosmetics off the shelves after China’s drug regulator formally banned the use of cannabis compounds in cosmetics.

Indie Pioneers Podcast episode 20

PODCAST – Local flavour: Founder of Maison Dixsept on capturing the essence of modern China through perfume

11-Jun-2021 By Amanda Lim

In this episode of Indie Pioneers, we’re speaking to Catherine Zhou, the founder of China’s Maison Dixsept, a niche fine fragrance brand that is trying to reclaim Chinese culture and how it is represented around the world.

Colgate-Palmolive files patent on ‘anti-irritant’ CBD antiperspirant

10-Jun-2021 By Kacey Culliney

Personal care major Colgate-Palmolive has developed an antiperspirant formula containing cannabidiol (CBD) that it says works as an anti-irritant on the skin.

Hot topics: Top 5 beauty and cosmetics stories trending on our socials right now

10-Jun-2021 By Amanda Lim

In our round-up of the top five stories trending on our socials, we highlight the potential of niche fragrances from Asia, Kao’s plans to put its cosmetics business back on track, the overseas debut of personalised Ayurveda brand Vedix, and more.