Italian skin care brand FRAME to expand presence in Asia after Hong Kong success

Speaking to CosmeticsDesign Asia​, the brand’s Asia-Pacific regional and co-founder Pelen Yip said that Hong Kong was just  the first step in the company’s plans.

“We are already in touch with potential distributors in China, Taiwan and Malaysia,” ​said Yip. “Hong Kong is only our first step, and serves as a base for developing and maintaining the solid customer service support that is necessary for a luxury brand.”​

Nature and science

FRAME’s line-up of products include everything from creams and serums to supplements, herbal infusions and mechanobiological devices.

The brand’s products are made from active ingredients which are cultivated in-house using integrated farming, with zero distance from source, and do not undergo animal testing.

The core of the brand is rooted in its belief in the Mediterranean Diet, as the Mediterranean is particularly well-suited to providing the basis of healthy and nourishing products, said Savannah Hillebrand, brand manager.

“The Mediterranean Diet is not simply a matter of what and how someone eats​. Rather, it is a whole lifestyle oriented towards well-being and dedicated to the quality of life,” ​elaborated Savannah.

“You cannot separate how you eat, how much you exercise, how much you sleep, and how well you manage your stress from the health and condition of your skin.”​

In addition to its Mediterranean-inspired concept, FRAME has appointed its own 25-member Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), which is comprised of some of the most pre-eminent Italian scientists, clinicians and health professionals.

The board role is to advice the team on product identification and development, clinical studies and ongoing research.

“Asian consumers are also becoming more concerned about the science behind the products. This is also one of our key strengths, given the support of our 25-member scientific advisory board,”​ said Yip.

“We collaborate closely with in conceiving, designing and developing products based on the latest scientific findings, so that when the products are combined together, they work in optimal synergy.”​

Made-to-order formulas

Unlike other brands, FRAME tweaks its formulas for each market, as such, the same products sold in different countries will differ.

Yip said the company has developed a unique formula that is suitable for Southeast Asian and is working on more formulas for Northern China, Japan and Korea.

“Japan and Korea differ not only in terms of climate, but also in terms of the genetics of their inhabitants,”​ Yip explained.

Additionally, the brand also offers a personalisation for those seeking individualised formulas. “Our made-to-measure products are especially relevant for the increasingly mobile and globalised world that we live in,” ​said Yip.

“On top of that, due to various reasons, more people are developing intolerance or allergic reactions to many elements,” ​she added. “With no known cause, our made-to-measure platform provides a solution to this that is hard to come by otherwise.”​

Yip added that the personalised service cater to consumers who have undergone specific treatments such as hormonal therapy or plastic surgery.

FRAME has even tailored a skin care kit for a customer who had undergone chemotherapy with the help of the SAB.

“This is a simple and brief example of the extensive time, resources, attention, and care that is dedicated to each and every one of our customers, to properly and fully cater to their needs,” ​said Yip.

The eventual goal, stresses Yip, is to support the brand’s customers in improving their lifestyle as a whole.

“Genuine skin care means taking care of one's whole body. With people becoming increasingly health-conscious, our kind of personalised skin care based on our pro-aging philosophy definitely has an edge to grow and flourish.”​

Four companies in one

A key point that differentiates FRAME from other brands, said Savannah, is the fact that the brand is the brainchild of four different companies: Evra, NVH Extracts, Sveba and Osun Solution.

Together, FRAME has the backing of a network of companies specialising in the cultivation, extraction, and formulation of active plant ingredients.

This makes a huge difference in terms of the quality of the extracts in its products, Hillebrand highlighted.

“Our network of companies means that nothing is outsourced,” ​she added. “Instead, we have complete control over each aspect of our production chain: from the cultivation of our plants, to their extraction, all the way to their transformation into our final products.”​