Eco boost: Five stories on green beauty developments in APAC

How upcycled ingredients meet consumer demands for sustainability and naturality​

Upcycling food by-products to develop ingredients for perfumery can help achieve consumer desire for natural yet sustainable ingredients.

The industry has been able to turn to synthetic counterparts as an ethical and sustainable alternative to help alleviate pressure on delicate ecosystems.

However, like with other categories in beauty, consumers prefer natural ingredients, believing them to hold more prestige and artisanal appeal.

BioPowder targets Asia’s natural beauty space with upcycled plant-based powders​

BioPowder is targeting Asia’s fast-growing natural beauty market where it believes upcycled plant-based powders can help eliminate ‘invisible microplastics’ across multiple categories.

The growing public concern surrounding the environmental consequences of microbeads has led to significant changes in the cosmetics industry.

Several countries have imposed bans or restrictions on microbeads, driving cosmetic companies to innovate and embrace more sustainable materials.

KCA urges improvement to labelling of allergens and pH levels in shampoo bars​

The Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) has advised cosmetics brands to tighten labelling on shampoo bars.

The KCA recently conducted a test on 10 shampoo bar products, which were evaluated by 32 certified hairdressers and professors with expertise in the beauty category.

It was found that some products did not indicate allergenic ingredients on their labels. 

Dandruff clearing properties found in Mangosteen peel extract – Malaysian study​

Mangosteen peel extract gas been found to have good cleansing properties as well as sebum removal, dandruff control, and hair strengthening benefits.

All the mangosteen peel extract shampoo samples were also found to have high antioxidant activities, with at least two-fold more free scavenging activity than the other marketed shampoos, they added.

Antioxidants in hair shampoo stabilise proteins and amino acids in the hair, thereby creating a barrier against the oxidative damage on the hair and scalp.

Snow Fox aims to fill the gap for green sensitive scalp care​

Sensitive skin brand Snow Fox is working to expand its hair care offerings to meet the need in the market for earth-friendly products that are suitable for sensitive scalps.

The company’s point of difference is that it aims to create high-performing products for sensitive skin that are also earth-friendly, such as its sheet masks.

Founder Phoebe Song said there were still many white spaces for beauty and personal care products for sensitive skin.