The US-headquartered nutrition company has dabbled in the beauty category with its Herbalife SKIN range that was introduced in APAC in 2014.
The company has been observing a steady demand for beauty-related nutrition products and hoped to capitalise on the trend by offering a topical product that could complement them.
“There has been strong demand from our consumers and distributors for products that can help them achieve healthy skin with good nutrition. We saw great potential and opportunity for us to expand our outer nutrition portfolio,” said Adam Pineda, VP of marketing, Asia Pacific, Herbalife Nutrition.
The firm designed the Herbalife Nutrition Vitamin Mask series specifically for APAC to capitalise on the compelling popularity of face masks in the market.
According to a report by Statista, the APAC face mask market is expected to reach USD21bn in 2025, representing 41% of the global market.
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Spotlight on vitamins
The focus on the health crisis has also renewed interest in vitamins.
Herbalife Nutrition’s Asia Pacific Nutrition Myths Survey 2020 found that close to 80% of the respondents believed that vitamin C and fruits can help boost immunity and resistance to infection.
Pineda added that the company has seen this trend play out on the nutrition side of the business.
“We also observed a general trend where consumers are taking more micronutrients to support their immune system. We have seen an increased demand for the Herbalife Nutrition Formula 2 Multivitamins Complex, Roseguard, and Schisandra Plus as a result.”
The firm has incorporated this into its masks by formulating the product with a unique proprietary vitamin blend that includes a complex of 12 Vitamins along with ingredients such as aloe vera, Jeju sea salt and Jeju rice extract.
“While most are aware of the importance of nutrition, many believe that nutrition only plays a role in food-related products. In fact, it is important to incorporate nutrients by using science-based ingredients in non-food products to provide the nutrition that our skin requires,” said Pineda.
Pineda said the company believed the consumer need to maintain skin health will continue in the longer term.
“In Asia Pacific, skin care dominates beauty and personal care, and skin health is increasingly important in both developed and emerging markets. We do see a continuous trend where consumers are taking care of their appearances to minimise effects from environmental stressors and maintaining healthy, youthful skin as they age.”
While the company is placing more focus on its nutrition business at the moment, Pineda said it was observing the skin care market in APAC.
“At the moment, we are focused on our core mission of helping people lead healthier lives through the power of nutrition. With the launch of the Herbalife Nutrition Vitamin Mask series, our immediate goal is to ensure that consumers understand the benefits of the products and know how to maximise its benefits for the good of their skin,” said Pineda.
“As for future expansion plans, we will closely monitor consumer behaviours and trends to explore new opportunities and address them accordingly.”
With the pandemic restricting peoples’ movement, Herbalife, which traditionally relies on face-to-face interactions to move its products have had to rely more on online channels.
Now, the company is relying on digital tools such as its website, mobile app and even WeChat store for China.
“The investments we've made in technology have allowed our distributors and their customers to stay connected when face-to-face interactions are unable to take place. Our ongoing technology strategy is focused on improving distributor scalability, increasing distributor-to-customer connectivity and enhancing the customer experience.”
