Hot topics: Top 5 beauty and cosmetics stories trending on our socials right now

Innerbottle pilots closed-loop beauty e-commerce platform in South Korea​​

Circular beauty start-up Innerbottle has linked up with LG Chem and CJ Logistics to pilot a new B2C beauty e-commerce platform that will allow consumers to recycle their cosmetic packaging easily and effectively.

“Until now, consumers could just dump the bottle in the trash. But with our new platform, they can just hit recollect and CJ will visit their homes and offices to collect the empty bottles, making it easy for them to recycle,”​ CEO Steve Oh explained.

Once collected, the plastic bottles are sent to LG Chem, which will process them into post-consumer resin (PCR) which can then be used to remake more bottles.

INDIE PIONEERS PODCAST: Is the inclusivity movement in beauty all just for show?​

The CEO of an Asian-led make-up brand is questioning the ‘performative inclusivity’ she sees in the beauty industry, claiming it can hurt smaller, less well-funded brands that are trying to solve the frustrations of specific target consumers.

Orcé Cosmetics CEO Shih Yu-Chen said she set out to solve a problem she saw within the Asian community, which was often misunderstood by beauty companies.

While it is now typical for beauty brands to champion inclusivity today with a wide range of shades, Shih worries that this is all “performative”.​

How to win over… beauty consumers in the shifting post-pandemic brick-and-mortar landscape​

Major brands including Sephora, Lush Cosmetics, Health & Glow and SUGAR Cosmetics have exclusively shared their insights on how they are redefining the in-store consumer experience in the wake of the COVID-pandemic.

As we begin emerging from the fight against COVID-19, there are some who believe retail is in decline, especially now that the pandemic has accelerated retail’s digital transformation.

However, expert insights show it is going through a metamorphosis, finding a way to coexist with its digital counterpart, all to make the consumers’ shopping experience that much seamless and pleasurable.

‘Surprise and delight’: Beauty brands can use NFTs to reinforce connection with ‘super fans’​

Beauty brands are being tipped to join the non-fungible token (NFT) bandwagon to forge closer bonds with their most loyal customers, which is becoming increasingly difficult to do today.

The reality is that it is getting more challenging for brands to reach out and engage their consumer. For instance, things like Facebook or Instagram advertising are getting more expensive, and brands must compete with hundreds, if not thousands, of other brands vying for the consumers’ limited attention.

Brands can use NFT technology to enable exclusive perks to reinforce that connection with their “super fans”.

A grape idea: Grapeseed extract in sunscreen could have anti-ageing benefits for Asians – Thai study​

The addition of grapeseed extract in a sunscreen formulation has been found to have anti-ageing effects on Asian skin, improving the overall youthful appearance of skin.

The researchers attributed the skin lightening effect of sunscreen with grapeseed extract to the high content of polyphenols in grapeseed extract, which are capable of inhibiting tyrosinase enzyme involved in melanin synthesis and skin pigmentation.

These improvements were also noticeable to the volunteers as evidenced by their satisfaction with the product after six weeks of use.