Brand story: Our top stories on the biggest beauty brands in APAC

1 – Shiseido believes Drunk Elephant has ‘only just scratched’ the surface of its potential​

Japanese beauty conglomerate Shiseido is looking to accelerate US-based Drunk Elephant’s global footprint to “maximise” the brand’s opportunities​ for growth and development.

Shiseido reportedly beat out competitors such as the Estee Lauder Companies and Unilever to buy the ‘clean’ beauty for $845m. This deal is expected to close by the end of this year.

Drunk Elephant founder Tiffany Masterson will continue in her role as Chief Creative Officer and assume the additional role of President, reporting directly to Marc Rey, CEO of Shiseido Americas and Chief Growth Officer of Shiseido.

This deal marks another large skin care acquisition this year, including L’Occitane Group’s $900m purchase of ELEMIS and Unilever’s $500m deal for Tatcha.

“Shiseido sees great value in Drunk Elephant and is well placed to continue to cultivate the brand growth under the Shiseido umbrella. The potential [of the brand] has only just been scratched,”​ a spokesperson from Shiseido told CosmeticsDesign-Asia.​

2 – Aesop and Body Shop owner Natura sees SEA as the epicentre of its global expansion plans

The head of Natura International has revealed the company plans to begin its international expansion with South East Asia as its starting point.​

In September, the Brazilian company announced plans to form a new subsidiary in Singapore to manage its brands Aesop and The Body Shop.

“This region is very important for us, not just for growth but also to help us learn more about consumers that are becoming more and more sophisticated. Singapore is a very important hub for this region. Not only does it connect nearby countries, it also is a place to create brand awareness for the region,”​ said Daniel Silveira, head of Natura International.

Silveira told CosmeticsDesign-Asia​ that the company had “ambitious” goal of expanding into around 70 markets worldwide in the next 10 years and SEA was crucial to its plans.

This month, the firm launched its Natura brand in Malaysia, further strengthening its ties to the region.

3 – Dior collaborates with leading Japanese lab to study the mechanism of skin metabolism

The research arm of LVMH is collaborating with the Centre for iPS Cell Research and Application of Kyoto University (CiRA) to study the mechanism of skin metabolism​ for Parfums Christian Dior.

The aim of the joint project is to explore how oxidative metabolism affects skin keratinocyte self-renewal or differentiation capabilities.

“The effects of age on mitochondrial status, skin regeneration and differentiation will be investigated with the hope of contributing to major therapeutic discoveries in the skin and cutaneous rejuvenation,” ​said CiRA in a press statement.

Under the direction of Nobel Prize laureate Shinya Yamanaka, CiRA is a leading centre for induced pluripotent stem cell research.

According to CiRA, iPS cells are cells generated by introducing a small number of factors into body cells such as skin cells and blood cells.

4 – Beauty and the yeast: Shiseido study uncovers collagen-boosting potential of extract

Shiseido has found that yeast extract has the potential​ to keep skin capillaries healthy, which in turn boost collagen production and maintains skin elasticity.

The firm’s research team discovered this through its study of capillaries and its relation to skin elasticity.

This research was first presented at the International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists Conference 2019 in Milan where it won the top award in the Podium Presentation category.

Using the company’s original 3D visualisation technology, researchers studied subjects aged around 20 and 60.

Subjects in the 20s with high elasticity in their skin were found to have thick and dense structure of capillaries as compared to older subjects.

5 – Skin care boost: Kao looks to Curél to strengthen position in UK and US markets

Japanese cosmetics company Kao Corporation is looking to strengthen its global brand presence with the launch of the Curél skin care range in the UK and US.​

The brand is part of the group’s 11 strategic global brands of its G11 cosmetics portfolio. As such, it is crucial to the company’s strategy to strengthen its presence in the global cosmetics market.

Hiwako Yoshino, a spokesperson for the company, told CosmeticsDesign-Asia​ that Curél’s entry into the UK is a starting point for a European expansion.

“Kao plans to accelerate the growth of G11 in Asia and the European market, which continues to grow and have high cosmetic sensitivity. Curél, one of the G11, is following the strategy and starting the business in the UK as the beginning for Europe,” ​said Yoshino.

Back in July, the firm’s cosmetics business reported mid-single digit growth in the first half of the year, largely due to the popularity of the prestige brand, Sensai.