Product profiles: Top stories on the product innovations in the APAC beauty space

1 – Scalp saver: Shampoo with Amorepacific’s patented green tea probiotic sees sales surpass a million units

LABO-H, a hair care brand specialising in scalp skin under Amorepacific that utilises the firm’s patented green tea probiotic, has seen sales of its scalp strengthening shampoo​ surpass a million units within 18 months of its launch.

The South Korean beauty and personal care company, which owns brands Sulwhasoo, Laneige and Innisfree, attributed the success of the brand to increasing scalp care and hair loss concerns, which it believes have been triggered by the changing climate.

The rapid change in weather and temperature can cause an imbalance in the scalp and ultimately lead to hair loss, said the firm.

The interest in scalp care has been on the rise in the past few years thanks to the ‘skinification’ of hair care According to Mintel, 47% of Chinese consumers believe a healthy scalp was key to healthy hair.

2 – Pandemic skin care: Shiseido's AQUALABEL launches range focusing on skin health and fermented ingredients

Japanese beauty giant Shiseido has launched a new range of skin care products under the AQUALABEL brand that was developed in response to skin care needs and concerns that have been influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic.​

Aqua Wellness is the latest range from AQUALABEL, a skin care brand owned by Shiseido, that was designed to be a simple beauty solution to protect the skin barrier and keep skin healthy.

It was developed in response to a market research study conducted by Shiseido in July, which sought to find out how the perception of skin care has shifted considering the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shiseido reached out to 500 women and 55 men through an online questionnaire to find out that around half of the respondents currently identified as being health conscious.

3 – Activated apples: Biotech firm Renovatio claims new APSKIN products have retinol-like effects ‘without the downsides’

Australian firm Renovatio Bioscience has launched two new cosmetic products with an enhanced formula that it believes can rival retinol products in terms of efficacy​ without the tricky side effects.

Renovatio was founded in 2016 and has a range of health, wellness and beauty cosmetic products that contain activated phenolics extracted from apples.

This ingredient is extracted using a technique developed by Renovatio founder and technical director Dr Vincent Candrawinata, which extracts the phenolic antioxidants with water. The result is an antioxidant that is water-based and not chemically synthesised.

The company offers cosmetic products under the APSKIN brand which previously consisted of a single skin cream. The latest products to join this August are the APSKIN Face Ultra Antioxidant Cream and Body Ultra Antioxidant Cream.

4 – ‘Sleep is so near yet so far’: Scent by SIX unveils new collection to promote better sleep

Independent fragrance label Scent by SIX – set up by an ex-Givaudan exec – has launched a new scent collection to promote better sleep​ that contains scent technology developed by Takasago.

Scent by SIX is a Singaporean fragrance house founded by Jason Lee. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, SIX had redefined itself by making mental health a core focus for the brand. In late 2020, it launched the Hikaru collection which was designed to uplift and evoke happiness.

“[The Hikaru launch] was beyond our expectations. In fact, it has come close to the performance of our best seller 27F Biei… What’s important to note is that we see a good number of return customers for Hikaru. They claim that the scent had indeed uplifted them. One customer even suggested we arrange for a long-term subscription program for him,”​ Lee told CosmeticsDesign-Asia.

This September, the company will be following up with a new collection designed to help people get a good night’s sleep and fulfil the brand’s mission to “to champion mental wellness”.​

5 – ‘Scent rituals’: Consumer interest in fragrance expanding beyond perfume – Amorepacific

South Korean beauty and personal care major Amorepacific has launched a new lifestyle brand centred around the functional effects of fragrances​ to aid in self-care and wellness.

It is no secret that the past 18 months or so have created a climate of negative feelings among people who have endured the stress of coping with the difficulties of a global pandemic.

Despite the progress nations have made, worries of the new Delta variant is pushing some people back into the safety of their homes.

This is increasing consumer desire to make their personal spaces more pleasant and Amorepacific believes this is pushing consumers to find mental and emotional refuge among fragrances.