Strategic launchpad: Japanese NMN skin care brand embarks on international expansion starting with Singapore

Currently, the brand is only available in Japan, but the firm believes it holds huge potential in the international skin care market, where it can tap into the need for high-performing products that help to mitigate the signs of skin ageing.

Eurea is one of the latest brands under the Takashimaya Transcosmos International (TakaTrans) portfolio.

Speaking to CosmeticsDesign-Asia​, Yusuke Kuwahara, chief operating officer of TakaTrans, said the brand is targeting expansion in Asia first, with Singapore as its strategic launchpad.

“The idea is to push it up in Singapore, which is the centre of the ASEAN countries. We have interest from Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and even China. Also, it’s much easier to launch cosmetic products in Singapore.”​

TakaTrans is a Singapore-headquartered firm that represents a range of Japanese brands from a variety of categories including food and beverages, home and living, fashion and beauty. The company is a subsidiary of the Takashimaya Company, a multinational department store chain from Japan.

NMN skin care experts​

Launched just two years ago, Eurea is a high-end skin care brand from Osaka, Japan. The brand specialises in products made with NMN.

NMN is one of the main precursors of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) — an essential enzyme for various critical cell functions. As part of the ageing process, levels of NMN, consequently NAD decline.

As such, NMN is touted as a potential solution to mitigate ageing-related skin care issues. It has been suggested to protect the skin against ultraviolet ray damage and mitigate skin inflammation.

While there are many skin care and nutraceutical products that consist of NMNs, the brand claims that the quality of NMN varies widely in the market and it was important to have clinical backing.

“Of course, NMN is a very popular ingredient in cosmetics. But there are many differences in purity and quality. What is special about Eurea is that the brand works very closely with Osaka University and Kyushu University. It is backed by a lot of research and testing. Other brands may not have this kind of technical background,”​ said Kuwahara.

The company’s goal is to make the brand available through department stores, the most appropriate channel for the brand’s price point, said Kuwahara. Eurea’s NMN two-piece facial mask set, for instance, retail for SGD132 (USD103).

While the price tags are high, today’s skin care consumer is increasingly willing to fork out for high-quality skin care products. “Once they try and see for themselves how effective the products are, they will buy,” ​said Kuwahara.