What’s trending? The most-read stories on APAC beauty market and consumer insights

‘Endemic beauty’ sees spring-inspired cosmetics, pollen protection products trending in Japan​

Shades of spring-inspired rouge, lip liners, eyeliners and pollen protection cosmetics are trending in Japan, according to new data.

These trends were revealed in a new report by @cosme, the Japanese cosmetics portal, which showed consumers were searching for products to enhance their cheeks, lips and eyes in light of reduced COVID-19 restrictions.

The researchers said the appearance of the keyword “spring cosmetics” has more than doubled year on year.

Plum eyeing untapped vegan demand in hair, body care, and make-up​

Vegan beauty brand Plum is aiming to unlock the potential it sees in India’s hair care, make-up and body care and sectors to fuel its growth this year.

Currently, skin care accounts for the lion's share of the business at 60%. Make-up and bath and body care account for roughly 10% and 15% respectively.

Hair care and make-up are areas of particular interest for the company. Plum said existing hair care and make-up products have been well-received by consumers, reaffirming its confidence in the potential growth.

Terrakai Skin aims to bring A-beauty flavour into the US clean beauty market​

Australian newcomer Terrakai Skin is eyeing what it believes is a great opportunity for A-beauty in the US clean beauty market.

Terrakai began its full launch in January 2022, focusing primarily on the US market through its official website. One of the biggest opportunities the brand could tap into in the US is the clean beauty trend.

It is also keeping tabs on the Asian region, where skin care has traditionally led the way and clean beauty trends have been thriving.

Can strength in innovation enable Singapore’s beauty sector to rival Asian giants?​

Singapore’s thriving cosmetics industry has been hailed as ‘one to watch’ with several domestic brands finding success in international markets thanks to groundbreaking research and extensive product innovation.

Singapore’s beauty industry has quietly been advancing with local champions like Skin Inc and Allies of Skin finding renown in the international market.

These successes could be just the beginning, as Singapore’s beauty industry has a very strong research and development scene with well-funded institutions including Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

Arata sets sights on curly hair care market in India and beyond​

Indian personal care brand Arata is aiming to fill what it believes is a huge gap for hair care products designed especially for curly hair types in its home market and in the wider Asian region.

Arata recently launched a line of hair care products for curly hair. The founders decided to develop the eight-piece range to counter the long-held beauty standard of sleek and straight hair in many societies in the Asia region.

This mirrors trends in North America and Europe which have seen more acceptance for natural hair​ as more people have started to embrace inclusivity and diversity in recent years.