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

1 – Out of this world! Kao’s space shampoo will start much needed ‘water-smart’ conversations

Kao Corporation is preparing to send a waterless shampoo sheet to the International Space Station in 2022, a move that is being predicted will give waterless beauty the exposure it needs​ to shift long-held water habits.

The Japanese personal care company announced that two of its waterless products, the 3D Space Shampoo Sheet and the 3D Space Laundry Sheet were selected by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to be used onboard the International Space Station (ISS) in 2022.

With water being a scarce resource in space, the sheets do not need to be used with water. They are made with a non-woven fabric imbued with cleansing formulas.

Speaking to CosmeticsDesign-Asia,​ Helga Hertsig-Lavocah, senior futurologist and founder of Hint Futurology, said Kao’s new developments further proved that the large multinational personal care manufacturers were ready for waterless beauty.

2 – Simple and multifunctional: Biologi’s latest powdered exfoliant geared towards helping consumer ‘strip back’ on beauty

Australian clean cosmeceutical brand Biologi has launched a powdered exfoliant​ that taps into the ‘skinimalism’ trend and allows consumer to personalise it according to their needs.

Biologi’s Bx Reveal Exfoliant is a powdered exfoliant that contains only two ingredients: Australian Kakadu plum and rice powder. The product is activated by mixing it with a cleanser.

The latest launch taps into the minimalism skin care trend which has spawned practices such as skin fasting.

“​Gone are the Kardashian-esque contouring regimes and in its place is fresh and natural-looking skin without all the layers. We love that these trends are focusing on your skin itself and working towards being comfortable showing off any perceived flaws and not hiding behind layers of make-up,”​ Ross Macdougald, founder of Biologi told CosmeticsDesign-Asia.​

3 – Vegan boost: LG H&H’s first vegan make-up brand completes line-up with seven new product launches​

LG Household & Health Care’s has completed the product line-up of its first-ever vegan make-up​ brand, Belif x VDL, with the addition of seven more products to the existing line-up.

LG Household & Health Care (LG H&H) is a South Korean personal care conglomerate that owns a host of international beauty brands including History of Whoo, The Face Shop and Su:m37.

Belif x VDL is the company’s first vegan make-up brand that made its debut in August this year.

The brand was billed as a special collaboration between the firm’s skin care brand Belif, and make-up brand VDL that focuses on sustainable beauty with ‘clean’ ingredients.

4 – Ready to fly? First insect-based skin oil brand Point68 eyes China and Macau as potential markets

The brand behind a skin oil derived from black soldier fly larvae​ extract is looking to expand into China and Macau following its recent launch in Hong Kong.

Point68 Insect Beauty is a joint venture between US organic and clean-beauty brand SIBU Sea Berry Therapy, and Asia-based insect industry professional Josh Galt.

There is only a single product, a youth regenerating face oil, which is a luxury face oil formulated to improve skin hydration with cellular healing and rejuvenation.

Galt told CosmeticsDesign-Asia: “We have sold fairly well compared to our initial first-year targets, both through international distributors and direct to consumer online sales.”​

5 – Herbal help: Himalaya’s neem face wash clinically shown to reduce acne after four weeks while maintaining hydration

A herbal face wash manufactured by India-based Himalaya Drug Company has been clinically studied to prevent and reduce mild-to-moderate acne​ after four weeks of daily use.

The test item is Himalaya's purifying neem face wash, a soap-free, pH-balanced formulation containing neem and turmeric marketed to prevent or reduce acne.

In this study, the face wash was also shown to reduce sebum levels and maintain adequate hydration.

The characteristics of acne are non-inflammatory lesions such as blackheads and whiteheads, and inflammatory lesions such as cysts.