All together now: Kosé highlights importance of inclusive beauty developments in diverse SEA region

Lim Yifang, brand manager, Kosé Singapore, said this initiative was a welcomed development

“It fits in well with us here in Singapore because we are a multi-racial country, and we want to be as inclusive as possible. We’re trying to go towards more gender-neutral products because it’s not just women that have to look after their skin, men do too. And they can even use makeup.”​

CosmeticsDesign-Asia previously reported​ that the Japanese beauty company would be ramping up its gender-neutral product development as part of its new growth strategy.

CFO Shinichi Mochizuki announced during the firm’s third-quarter earnings conference last November that as part of the firm’s growth strategy, it will focus on three Gs – global, gender, and generation.

“Based on the theme of global, gender and generation, we would like to promote global development centring on the cultivation of customers and product development to reach out broader population regardless of gender or age,”​ said Mochizuki.

Sekkisei, Carte HD, Visée and Flaruné, were among the brands slated to undergo this rebranding.

Products for all

The company recently launched the renewed Sekkisei Clear Wellness sun care range in Singapore and underlined that it was suitable for both genders.

Four types of sunscreens were launched for different needs while providing strong protection. The formulas were all designed to be “comfortable and non-drying” ​and “like wearing nothing at all”,​ to appeal to most consumers.

“Even the packaging is not feminine. Since it was born in 2020, its look has been very gender-neutral. It’s just minimalist and modern,” ​said Lim.

Lim revealed that moving forward, Kosé was also considering developing new skin care products that are more inclusive in terms of age.

Furthermore, the push for inclusivity would expand beyond Kosé’s skin care products.

She added that the company has recognised that it has limited makeup shades available for a market like Singapore and was working to extend the range for brands like Decorté and Esprique in the future.

New faces for a new era

In addition to introducing new products, Sekkisei has also introduced the new face of its brand, Yuzuru Hanyu.

Hanyu is a two-time Olympic champion figure skater and will serve alongside long-time brand ambassador Yui Aragaki.

“Yuzuru Hanyu is great for the brand because not only is he excellent in his field, and he has a very diverse global audience. We just put up his new visuals in the department stores here and we have seen local consumers taking photos with it,” ​said Lim.

In addition to having Hanyu as the face of Sekkisei, Kosé also recently signed Major League Baseball star Shohei Ohtani as its international brand ambassador.