Skin Care

K-beauty giant Amorepacific eyes US market expansion leveraging recent award-winning tech innovations

26-Jul-2023 By Cassandra Stern

The company is spearheading expansion efforts on the backs of CES Innovation Award winning Authentic Color Master by Tonework technology and the launch of custom skin care brand Custom.me.

How to win over… consumers in the cutting-edge derma beauty category

26-Jul-2023 By Amanda Lim

Here we reveal exclusive insights from top skin care companies L’Oréal and Kenvue on the drivers and trends of the rapidly advancing derma skin care category in Asia Pacific.

Singapore’s A For Apothecary makes first overseas venture via Amazon US

26-Jul-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

Singapore-based brand A For Apothecary is set to debut in the US on the back of local success of its hypoallergic and paediatrician approved products.

Skin science: Top five stories on cosmetics science and formulation

25-Jul-2023 By Amanda Lim

We dive into our most-read stories on formulation and science, featuring microbiome skin care innovations, studies on durian extract and more.

Moving with the times: Garden of Eden invests in clinical trials to strengthen derma brand position

25-Jul-2023 By Si Ying Thian

A Malaysian derma beauty brand is investing in clinical trials to strengthen its product claims and brand position in an increasingly demanding skin care market.

Looking back: NIQ 2022 Q4 beauty & personal care trend takeaways

24-Jul-2023 By Cassandra Stern

Overall trends in purchasing behavior both on and offline as well as purchasing dynamics indicate healthy growth in the Beauty and Personal Care product categories overall despite the pressure of rising inflation in average product prices.

Road to recovery: Sa Sa Q1 buoyed by return of tourists to HK, Macau

24-Jul-2023 By Amanda Lim

Sa Sa records 53.3% turnover increase in Hong Kong and Macau as more tourists return to its home market in the first quarter (Q1).

K-beauty export strategy: Less dependence on China, greater market diversification – MFDS

24-Jul-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) plans to intensify its market diversification strategies and tap into promising growth in South East Asia and Europe, as China exports dip.

Beiersdorf & DKFZ join forces to “intervene in the skin’s epigenetics” to help prevent skin cancer

21-Jul-2023 By Kirsty Doolan

The multinational is collaborating with the German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ) in a €4.8m research facility to find a way to prevent the skin disease.

Brand story: Updates from L’Oreal, Kao, Amorepacific and more top beauty brands

21-Jul-2023 By Amanda Lim

We round up our most-read stories on the top beauty brands, featuring news updates from L’Oreal, Kao, Amorepacific and more.

Mellow Cosmetics ramps up international expansion into Middle East, Asia as makeup rebounds

20-Jul-2023 By Si Ying Thian

Australian makeup brand Mellow Cosmetics plans to break into the Middle East and Asia to capitalise on recovery in the makeup category.

GALLERY: Top 10 beauty and cosmetic stories of June 2023

19-Jul-2023 By Amanda Lim

Our recap of the most-read beauty and personal care stories of June 2023 – featuring our analysis on the Thai beauty market, the future of generative AI in beauty, and more.

Catching up: L’Occitane CEO outlines China plans for L’Occitane en Provence, Elemis

19-Jul-2023 By Amanda Lim

French beauty company L’Occitane has outlined marketing plans for brands L’Occitane en Provence and Elemis, particularly in the rebounding Chinese market.

Three takeaways from Cosmoprof North America 2023 in Las Vegas

18-Jul-2023 By Cassandra Stern

Trends in skin care technology, sustainable packaging materials, and ocean-inspired ingredient formulations dominated this year’s convention floor.

‘Clean beauty that shows results’: Justhuman targets underserved mature women with new line

18-Jul-2023 By Si Ying Thian

Justhuman’s new hair and skin care line is capitalising on the microbiome movement to bridge the gap between clean beauty and fast results, and sees ‘massive growth’ in Gen X consumers in both India and US.

‘More than selling skin care’: Plendi banks on multifunctionality and inclusivity to build brand awareness

18-Jul-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

Aussie skin care brand Plendi adopts a single-product strategy to navigate the challenges of cosmetics start-ups in the local market, including competition with big players and cost concerns.

WCD 2023

New advancements: Pond’s brand rejuvenation underscored by research and innovation

18-Jul-2023 By Amanda Lim

Unilever-owned Pond’s Skin Institute has debuted two skin care product ranges tackling skin ageing and brightening based on the autophagy process at the 25th World Dermatology Congress (WCD 2023) in Singapore.

Prickly potential: Antioxidant and antibacterial properties found in prickly pear extract – study

17-Jul-2023 By Si Ying Thian

The cladode and peel extracts of prickly pear show potential in skin care for its skin brightening, antioxidant, and antibacterial benefits, says new research from Taiwan.

Don’t call it a comeback: Behind the resurrection of first-gen K-beauty brands Skinfood, Nature Republic, Etude

17-Jul-2023 By Amanda Lim

First-generation K-beauty brands have navigated their way back to relevancy by banking on brand values, zeroing in on trends and playing on nostalgia, says one expert.

Chlitina develops new brand featuring microbiome-friendly peptide extracted from saliva

14-Jul-2023 By Amanda Lim

Taiwanese beauty company Chlitina has launched a new beauty and personal care brand featuring an exclusive antibacterial peptide extracted from human saliva.

Make some 'shroom: Why wild mushrooms may have potential cosmeceutical applications

13-Jul-2023 By Gary Scattergood

A Portuguese study has singled out two wild mushroom species as a new potential source of natural compounds with applications in the cosmetic industry.

Peptide power: Multi-peptide eye serum improves skin appearance around the eyes

13-Jul-2023 By Si Ying Thian

Using a multi-peptide serum for 28 days helped smoothen skin appearance around the eyes, but participants reported limited impact on fine lines and wrinkles, say Chinese researchers.

Korean red ginseng by-product found to contain anti-ageing properties and protect against UV damage – new study

12-Jul-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

Korean red ginseng marc (KRGM) gintonin is a potential candidate to replace synthetic ingredients in anti-ageing and sun protection products due to its ability to reduce cell ageing and improve wound healing, researchers say.

Expanding footprint: Kao aims to raise market share of key global brands via product renewal and flagship stores

12-Jul-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

Japanese cosmetics giant Kao Corporation has dedicated resources to strengthen the presence of selected brands worldwide, with premium brand SENSAI leading the way through an upcoming flagship store in Shanghai.

Flawless solution: Heure engineers delivery system that interacts with microbiome to inhibit melanin production

11-Jul-2023 By Amanda Lim

Singapore-based skin care brand Heure has engineered its proprietary encapsulation tech to interact with the skin microbiome to deliver actives that can inhibit melanin-producing tyrosinase.

L’Oréal derma chief: Consumer demand for aesthetic procedures drive cosmeceutical growth in APAC

11-Jul-2023 By Amanda Lim

Surging interest in medical aesthetic procedures among consumers in Asia Pacific is one of the key emerging growth drivers for L’Oréal’s dermatological beauty division.

25th World Congress of Dermatology

Dermatology community calls on governments to help crackdown on skin misinformation – WCD 2023

10-Jul-2023 By Amanda Lim

The dermatology community can do better to educate public but needs help from government bodies to tackle misinformation, says the president of the 25th World Congress of Dermatology (WCD 2023).

Passing hype or here to stay? Sun patches score domestic success, but overseas opportunities in the balance – K-beauty expert

06-Jul-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

South Korean cosmetics brands such as IOPE and Mediheal have hopped on the bandwagon of sun patches, which have gone viral on social media, although the longevity of its popularity hangs in the balance.

Hyper-personalised beauty: Future of customisation will give consumers ‘daily or weekly’ solutions

05-Jul-2023 By Amanda Lim

The advancement of technology will drive personalisation to offer beauty products tailored right down to a ‘daily or weekly basis’, says the VP of a personalised beauty brand.

Immuno beauty: Verdilab targets Asia expansion on the back of skin immunity awareness

05-Jul-2023 By Amanda Lim

A Swiss brand based on five decades of research on immunology and ribonucleic acid (RNA) is aiming to expand in Asia, where it hopes to gain ground among consumers that now have a heightened sense of the role skin plays in immunity.

Sunny outlook: Dr. G doubles down on SEA expansion on the back of sunscreen popularity

04-Jul-2023 By Amanda Lim

K-beauty brand Dr. G is continuing to expand in South East Asia with a new store in Malaysia, where its sunscreen range is enjoying significant success.

A greener path: Gold nanoparticles biosynthesised with banana extract show cosmetic benefits

04-Jul-2023 By Amanda Lim

Gold nanoparticles extracted using unripe banana extract show biofilm inhibition, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-tyrosinase activities, among other cosmetic benefits.

‘Flash absorption’: Almora Botanicals proprietary blend claims to be 10 times lighter than conventional face oil

03-Jul-2023 By Amanda Lim

A luxury Ayurvedic beauty brand founded by the former chairman of Himalaya Wellness has developed a hero blend of seven oils that it claims is 10 times lighter than facial oils found on the market.

‘Diversify away from China’: Middle East and Western markets could be new hotbed for K-beauty brands – expert

30-Jun-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

Korean cosmetics giant Amorepacific’s Laneige has recently accelerated its global expansion footsteps into the UK and Middle East, underscoring the shift in target markets of K-beauty brands.

Tea for the skin: Anti-ageing and antioxidant benefits found in fermented Miang tea

30-Jun-2023 By Si Ying Thian

Researchers in Thailand have been working to find a new ingredient for skin care and cosmeceutical products from probiotic-fermented Miang tea.

BIOJUVE skin care features novel microbiome-friendly probiotic

29-Jun-2023 By Cassandra Stern

Earlier this year, Crown Laboratories, Inc. launched the BIOJUVE skin care collection incorporating hero ingredient Xycrobe technology, whose efficacy is backed by clinical results.

Q&A: DIOR launches first International Reverse Aging Scientific Board

28-Jun-2023 By Cassandra Stern

Board members include specialists in fundamental and human sciences and will focus on advancing research efforts into the recently identified ‘twelve hallmarks of aging’ to accelerate research and understanding of skin health.

China focus: Latest developments in China’s booming beauty market

28-Jun-2023 By Amanda Lim

We round up the most recent developments in the exciting Chinese beauty market, featuring news updates from Coty, Yatsen, Fancl, and more.

How to win over… the pro-ageing skin care consumer

28-Jun-2023 By Amanda Lim

Industry players and skin care innovators such as The Body Shop and Caudalie reveal exclusive insights into the evolving consumer preferences and advancements in technology in the ageing skin care market.

‘Convenient beauty’: South Korean delivery app on its Vietnam’s cosmetics venture to diversify offerings

27-Jun-2023 By Si Ying Thian

South Korean delivery app Baemin has taken a leap into the Vietnamese beauty market by launching a skin care and makeup brand, and is capitalising on K-beauty trends to customise products for the needs of local consumers.

Novelty factor: Desire for niche beauty brands high among travellers seeking differentiation

27-Jun-2023 By Amanda Lim

The demand for smaller and niche beauty brands is rising in travel retail, where luxury and Gen Z consumers have a heightened appetite for discovery and novelty.

‘Magic of Tmall’ not what it used to be: Coty’s Lancaster finds route to success in China with Douyin livestreaming

27-Jun-2023 By Amanda Lim

Coty-owned Lancaster is capitalising on the immense popularity of Douyin and livestreaming, bypassing e-commerce major Tmall.

Japan’s RÉALI de GELÉE RICH addresses gap in men’s skin care with dual-function cleanser and easy-to-follow regime

26-Jun-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

Japanese skin care brand RÉALI de GELÉE RICH is aiming to resolve the common concerns of male office workers, after its survey found that less than 10% of respondents use a face wash that meets their needs.

‘From fad to long-term trend’: China grants licence for in-store personalised cosmetics services to L’Oréal, Estée Lauder

26-Jun-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

China’s personalised cosmetics industry has hit a new milestone, with Shanghai leading the way in allowing approved retailers to produce customised products in stores, although challenges in quality and safety management remain to be overcome.

Brand story: Updates from Coty, Kao, Puig and more top beauty brands

23-Jun-2023 By Amanda Lim

We round up our most-read stories on the top beauty brands, featuring news updates from Coty, Kao, Puig and more.

King of fruit for cosmetics? Antioxidant and whitening properties found in durian extracts

22-Jun-2023 By Si Ying Thian

The cosmetic potential of durian extracts has been highlighted by Thai researchers, who say its benefits span moisturising, whitening and antioxidant effects.

Anti-fatigue focus: HK's Cary launches multifunctional skin care targeting Asian males

21-Jun-2023 By Si Ying Thian

Hong Kong skin care brand Cary believes it has found a significant market gap for tinted skin care products for male consumers.

Helping hand: COVID-era start-ups navigating the next stage of growth get help from P&G

21-Jun-2023 By Amanda Lim

Pandemic-born beauty start-ups Mira and Oupus Organics tackle the next level of business advancement with support from consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble (P&G).

What European beauty brands need to know about Chinese consumer trends - S’Young International

20-Jun-2023 By Kirsty Doolan

Launching into the Chinese beauty market is notoriously hard for European brands due to the cultural and language barriers, yet it can be a highly lucrative move when successful, says a Chinese partner company that has worked with the likes of Johnson...

Silver carp scale collagen found to reduce melanin production – China study

20-Jun-2023 By Si Ying Thian

Silver carp scale collagen peptides (SCPs1) have been shown to reduce melanin production by inhibiting protein expression of cAMP-CREB signalling pathway – demonstrating its potential in skin whitening products.