Brand Story: Top news on the biggest names in beauty

1 - Shiseido announces new anti-aging active after 12 years of development

Japanese beauty giant Shiseido says it has discovered a new active ingredient​ that improves skin texture and rejuvenates skin.

The new ingredient, Stemlan-173, took the company 12 years to develop. Shiseido said it plans to incorporate its new findings into future products.

“Going forward, Shiseido will apply these new findings to the development of skincare products as an effective technology that helps all sorts of consumers to rejuvenate their skin,” it said in a statement.

2 - Crabtree & Evelyn closure: What went wrong for the bath and body care brand?

From doomed acquisitions to a lack of understanding of the brand, we speak to an Asian consumer expert to explore what led to Crabtree & Evelyn’s downfall​, and what it can do to save itself from the brink of obscurity.

At the start of the year, bath and body care brand Crabtree and Evelyn announced that it was moving it business online, shutting all physical stores in the process, save for one new retail concept store in the London.

While the news may have taken consumers by surprise, some industry insiders were already expecting this outcome.

“The writing has been on the wall for Crabtree & Evelyn for quite some time,” commented Nicole Fall, founder of Asian Consumer Intelligence. “It’s most recent headlines were rarely about new innovations or new store launches but what appeared to be a continuous list of new owners, bankruptcies and store closures.”

Fall reveals that she got a sense of the brand’s troubles through her involvement in a marketing pitch to reposition the brand a few years ago.

3 - Pola Orbis to launch a new whitening active ingredient after decade-long development

Japanese firm Pola Orbis has announced that it has received approval for its new whitening active​ ingredient.

With data from the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA), the company estimates that its new active is the first quasi-drug to be approval for manufacture and sale in about a decade.

Study for efficacy

The Japanese beauty manufacturer explained that its new active ingredient, dubbed MKS-518, prevents spots and freckles by inhibiting melanin accumulation.

4 - HK-listed L’Occitane agrees to acquire ELEMIS for $900m

L’Occitane International has announced its intention to purchase premium skin care brand ELEMIS​ for a maximum of $900m.

The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2019. Once the deal is finalised, ELEMIS will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Group.

The Hong Kong-listed firm said the acquisition would be funded by the Group’s cash on hand and bank borrowings.

This acquisition is the company’s largest since its listing and is part of its strategy to build a strong portfolio of premium beauty brands.

5 - Vision 2020: Shiseido unveils new APAC office hub in Singapore

Shiseido has opened a new office hub in Singapore to house the regional headquarters of Shiseido​ Asia Pacific, the global headquarters for Shiseido Travel Retail, and the affiliate office of Shiseido Singapore.

The new office represents Shiseido’s strategic goal for the region, said Jean-Philippe Charrier, president and CEO of Shiseido Asia-Pacific.

“Our new regional headquarters is testament to our solid growth in Asia Pacific over the past few years and my commitment to our consumers and employees in the years to come,”​ he said.

“Today is a stepping stone for VISION 2020 and our ongoing achievements,”​ added Philippe Lesné, president and CEO of Shiseido Travel Retail.

VISION 2020 is Shiseido medium- to long-term strategy for the company’s “over the next 100 years”.​