Revealed: Key trends set to shape APAC’s beauty and personal care landscape in 2025
Our exclusive insights delve into how the market trends are set to reshape the Asia Pacific beauty sector in 2025 and how brands are innovating to keep up with evolving consumer priorities.
The modern beauty landscape is increasingly shaped by empowered ‘skintellectual’ consumers. These individuals stay informed about the latest trends, ingredients, and innovations in the beauty industry. They take a science-based approach to beauty, often seeking products with proven efficacy to discern the best choices of their skin.
According to Mintel’s 2025 Global Beauty and Personal Care Trends report, 85% of Indian consumers believe beauty brands should provide more scientific evidence to support their claims.
Shiseido bridges gap between cosmetics and aesthetics with ‘next-gen microneedle’ design
Shiseido has developed a novel microneedle system which applies pressure on skin to enhance penetration and target skin sagging, wrinkles, and barrier function.
The Japanese beauty company explained that it has a dual-action mechanism, and its core innovation is that it goes beyond simply piercing the skin to deliver actives.
First, like conventional microneedles, it creates microchannels on the skin’s surface, enabling the effective delivery of active ingredients.
At the same time, the microneedles exert pressure on the deeper layers of the skin to stimulate blood circulation and influence gene expression simultaneously.
Bioré looks to fill market gap with launch of first UV absorber-free sunscreen
Japanese skin care brand Bioré is launching its first non-chemical, ultraviolet (UV) absorber-free sunscreen to meet increasing consumer demand for gentle products.
In a Kao survey conducted among 995 women aged between 15 and 79 in September 2024, over 30% of consumers view gentleness or non-irritating to skin as important attributes for sunscreen.
Another survey held by the company between 2022 and 2024 found that 48% of respondents used sunscreen year-round, while other data showed an upward trend in sunscreen purchase rate in the post-pandemic era.
Additionally, Google Trends data based on search terms over the past two decades have indicated growing consumer interest in sunscreen with a non-chemical formulation.
All eyes on...Four emerging spaces in beauty to watch for growth in 2025
Exclusive insights from beauty and personal care experts highlight the markets and segments they have tipped for growth in 2025.
Societal attitudes towards women’s intimate health have been undergoing a transformation. As awareness grows, women are increasingly empowered to seek products that align with their personal health and lifestyle choices.
Japanese ingredients company, Toyo Sugar, has observed that intimate care was gaining significant traction in its home market.
The company cited evolving consumer preferences and an increasing awareness of personal hygiene as the major drivers of the category.
The major cosmetics regulatory issues on the agenda in 2025
We dissect the regulatory challenges set to shape the year ahead that will affect the Asia Pacific cosmetics sector, with expert insights from leading industry insiders.
From May 1, 2025, cosmetic companies will be required to submit the full version of the safety assessment report registering/notifying their products. This would include safety assessments for all ingredients used in a formulation.
These measures were put in place to “enhance the cosmetics safety assessment system and improve the safety and quality of cosmetics products comprehensively”, said the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA).
This comes after a one-year grace period granted by the NMPA, during which it published a list of substances that would be exempted from the rules.
Lab-grown ingredients, tech-enhanced experiences among key trends to watch – Ai Palette
Consumer packaged goods (CPG) insights platform Ai Palette has identified several key trends in the cosmetics industry to look out for in 2025, including lab-grown ingredients, tech-enhanced experiences, cross-sector holistic wellness, and eco-conscious consumption.
The data in Ai Palette’s recently published 2025 trends prediction report was derived using its proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) tech, as well as supplementary data acquired from various sources and associations.
A total of 61 billion data points across 13 CPG categories in 24 countries, including Asia-Pacific markets like Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, and UAE, were accumulated.
Korean brands hike up 2025 prices as K-beauty demand surges amid economic challenges
South Korean beauty brands are raising their prices amid the country’s rising economic challenges and heightened demand for K-beauty globally.
Last December, LG Household & Health Care (LG H&H) brand O’HUI announced price increases ranging from 1,000KRW (USD0.69) to 5,000KRW (USD3.45) in the new year.
The company also announced price increases for Beyond, ranging from KRW500 (USD0.34) to KRW2,000 (USD1.37).
K-beauty brands Missha and A’pieu from Able C&C and Etude from Amorepacific similarly announced that it would be increasing prices for its brands in 2025 as well.
K-beauty 2024 exports to US, Japan rise while China declines
K-beauty exports to the US and Japan surged in 2024 while exports to China declined, reflecting shifting trade dynamics.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) confirmed that K-beauty exports surpassed the USD10bn milestone for the first time in 2024.
“I deeply appreciate the industry’s efforts in achieving a record-high export value of USD10 billion, despite the increasingly stringent global regulations on cosmetics,” said Oh Yu-kyoung, MFDS Commissioner.
According to the report, 2024 cosmetic exports increased by 20.6% year on year to USD10.2bn from USD8.46bn in 2023.
New Korean study finds botanical that fills gaps in hair loss treatments such as minoxidil
Astragalus sinicus extract (ASE) addresses gaps in existing hair loss solutions by addressing inflammation, oxidative stress, and cellular signalling pathways.
The study focused on Androgenetic Alopecia (AGA), commonly known as male pattern baldness.
It is caused by genetic and hormonal factors, particularly dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
“AGA is characterised by the gradual shrinking of hair follicles, which occurs due to alterations in the hair growth cycle dynamics.”
Drop Zone: Laniege, Paula’s Choice, Bio-Essence start 2025 with new hydration heroes
In this edition of Drop Zone, we look at the new skin care launches from Laneige, Paula’s Choice, Real Barrier that aim to meet the demand for advanced hydration.
The pursuit of a youthful, plump complexion is timeless, ensuring a constant demand for hydrating products.
This demand has been amplified by extreme weather patterns—be it harsh cold or sweltering heat—can leave skin dehydrated and in need of replenishment.
Beauty consumers are increasingly seeking products that not only provide moisture but also enhance skin’s texture, elasticity, and more for overall radiance.
