High-value, high-efficacy: Singapore’s IDS says ‘doctor-led’ skin care brands will lead the market

Innovative Dermatological Solutions (IDS) was founded two decades ago by Dr SK Tan, a pioneer in the local aesthetics industry and head of JYSK Group, which owns three brands under the IDS brand IDS Skincare, IDS Clinic and IDS Aesthetics.

Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, IDS managed to pull through the tough year by shifting towards an online model and was able to continue selling its skin care products and service its clients.

“The back-office team did a marvellous job in setting up teleconsultation services almost immediately. This speed in reaction meant that our patients and clients were able to continue with consultations and also able to purchase products online.”​

During this time, the firm observed a shift in consumers’ beauty habits spurred on by the drastic change in lifestyle.

“There was a definite shift in consumer needs in that after the initial period of uncertainty, we saw a greater demand for skin care as consumers started focussing on self-care, or protecting themselves from at-home blue-light radiation from their screens, or getting a natural glow for Zoom meetings,”​ said Tan.

Demand for derma brands

Like many other skin care brands, IDS saw a huge demand for therapeutic products that addressed pandemic-related skin issues, such as ‘maskne’ – acne caused by the frequent use of protective face masks.

According to Tan, the brand struggled to keep stock of some of its top skin care products and its annual Black Friday sales saw a 10-fold year-on-year increase. “After the initial drop in demand, consumers also appear now to be returning, buying and spending more to make up for reduced spending on travel.”​

Moving forward, the company believes the demand for ‘doctor-led’ skin care brands like its own to lead the market.

“We expect so as consumers are turning to such products and are looking for skincare which offers high efficacy… we have now shifted the focus onto developing ‘value-added’ products with high efficacy,” ​said Tan.

Tan believes the brand can leverage its credibility as a science-backed brand formulated by physicians and scientists that offers products that are “beyond ‘feel-good’”.​

“Our products are co-formulated by me and Dr Jacob Waugh, a brilliant physician and scientist with a residency at the Stanford University School of Medicine. We are committed to creating products that work and our products undergo many rounds of testing before we deem them ready for the market.”​

He added that the development of products is partly driven by the feedback it gets from its medical clinics and medical spas.

“Our hands-on clinical experience gives us an on-ground advantage and insights as to what consumers are suffering from or are increasingly concerned about. This constant feedback loop contributes greatly to our product formulation.”​

China entry in 2021

This year promises to be an interesting year for the company as it plans to enter China through a joint venture agreement with a “large group in China” ​that the firm did not name.

The expansion into such a huge market is pushing the company to expand its product offerings, said Tan.

“Initially, the current SKUs will be sold but there are plans to expand the product offerings. To meet this challenge of catering to a huge consumer base, we anticipate further innovation to come out with more products to meet the demands of a diverse population with different environmental conditions.”​

Among its new products is a reformulated version of its oral beauty supplement. “We are preparing to launch an improved version of our oral supplement, called Lyco-White Ultra, with higher levels of the original ingredients, and with added ingredients for enhanced skin health,”​ said Tan.