Vegan therapy: The Face Shop introduces first vegan skin care line with eco-conscious packaging

The Therapy is a skin care range under The Face Shop. In January, LG Household and Health Care (LG H&H), the parent company of The Face Shop, announced that the line has undergone a vegan revamp with new products that focus on sustainability and ‘clean’ ingredients.

The rebranded line launched in South Korea at Nature Collection and The Face Shop stores nationwide with three vegan skin care products: a cream, a toner, and a balm.

The products feature ingredients such as edelweiss grown in the Swiss Alps and do not contain any animal-derived ingredients nor are they tested on animals.

The line-up is certified by the Korean Agency of Vegan Certification and Services, which is accredited by The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS).

Furthermore, the packaging underwent a complete redesign, this included making the packaging eco-friendlier, with sustainable kraft paper boxes and a refill system for its only cream product, The Therapy Vegan Blending Cream

Instead of buying a new jar of cream, consumers can opt for a pod that can be placed into the existing container, which would reduce the reliance on plastic.

This is in line with LG H&H’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals to promote recycling and a circular economy.

The company has set a goal to use 200 tonnes of recycled plastic in its products by 2025.

Additionally, the firm developed the products with multifunctional use in mind.

The Therapy Vegan Blending Toner combines the function of a toner and serum, its Vegan Multi Balm is an oil-based balm made with 99.3% plant ingredients that can be use on dry patches anywhere on the body.

Responding to vegan beauty demand

LG H&H is a South Korean personal care conglomerate that owns a portfolio of international beauty brands including History of Whoo, The Face Shop and Su:m37.

The Therapy follows the launch of LG H&H’s first vegan make-up range​, which was a collaboration between its skin care brand belif and make-up brand VDL.

The three-piece Belif x VDL made its debut in August last year and was billed as a special collaboration. A few months later in November, LG H&H announced that the line-up would be expanded with seven more products.

The company is responding to the growing interest in South Korea for vegan beauty, especially among the younger generation of beauty consumers.

In 2020, its main competitor, Amorepacific launched a vegan-friendly beauty brand last year, Enuf Project, an online exclusive brand targeted at the same young demographic.

In May 2021, the Busan Cosmetics Industry Association inked a business agreement with the Korean Agency of Vegan Certification and Services.

As part of the agreement, the vegan organisation will offer local cosmetic companies in Busan training and services to help them gain certification to meet the growing demand for vegan beauty products.