#Trending2022: CosmeticsDesign-Asia’s 10 hottest stories on social media this year

Silicone-free ‘one of the most important’ hair care trends in Korea​

The pervasiveness of the clean beauty movement and the increasing emphasis of health is driving the demand for silicone-free hair care products in South Korea.

The emphasis on health has also been influenced by the clean beauty movement, which has permeated across Korea’s personal care landscape, influencing skin care, make-up and now, hair care.

Most notably, the clean beauty and health movement is fuelling the demand for silicone-free hair care products.

Scent Journer develops beneficial scents for pragmatic Asian consumers​

A Singapore-based start-up has developed perfumes that solve the Asian consumers’ biggest pain points with fragrances, while also delivering tangible benefits to them.

Founder Joyce Lian observed that consumers have a more pragmatic approach to perfumes compared to their western counterparts.

This led her to develop “mindful perfumes”,​ concoctions that do not just smell good, but also deliver tangible benefits for the user.

Innerbottle pilots closed-loop beauty e-commerce platform in South Korea​​

Circular beauty start-up Innerbottle has linked up with LG Chem and CJ Logistics to pilot a new B2C beauty e-commerce platform that will allow consumers to recycle their cosmetic packaging easily and effectively.

“Until now, consumers could just dump the bottle in the trash. But with our new platform, they can just hit recollect and CJ will visit their homes and offices to collect the empty bottles, making it easy for them to recycle,”​ CEO Steve Oh explained.

Once collected, the plastic bottles are sent to LG Chem, which will process them into post-consumer resin (PCR) which can then be used to remake more bottles.

Age reversal is dead’: How the pandemic redefined anti-ageing for beauty consumers​​

The acceleration of wellness and self-care trends during the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating the eradication of the beauty consumer’s long-held desire to completely erase the signs of ageing.

While the pro-ageing or well-ageing skin movement has been gaining traction for a while now, the pandemic well and truly accelerated it, said Harini Sivakumar, CEO of India-based brand Earth Rhythm.

“Over the pandemic, there was more emphasis on mental wellness, self-care, and positivity overall. This has translated to body positivity and inclusivity, which I believe has played a huge role in this. With ageing now completely interlinked with these movements, consumers want to have healthy skin and be able to flaunt their real skin.”​

Everyday care: Anessa set to introduce sunscreen serum in response to changing lifestyles​

Japanese sun care brand Anessa introduced a sunscreen serum to its existing line-up this February in response to the changing lifestyles and habits of consumers.

The Anessa Day Serum was developed in response to the new habits that have emerged because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Namely, the increased awareness of skin care and lifestyle changes such as remote working.

With consumers increasing their investment in skin care, parent company Shiseido saw an opportunity to develop a sun care product that people would “want to use every day” regardless of environment.

How to win over… beauty consumers in a rapidly evolving e-commerce landscape​

The beauty sector might be one of the hottest arenas in e-commerce, but there looks set to be boundless new opportunities on the horizon for digital-savvy brands, from social commerce advances to the metaverse.

The events of the last two years have transformed nearly every aspect of our world. Seemingly overnight, the little adjustments became dramatic shifts that promise to have a long-lasting effect on society, including the way we shop.

The prolonged pandemic has made online shopping part of our daily lives.

Japanese dermatologists link hair loss to COVID-induced ‘cytokine storm’​

A team of Japanese dermatologists believe COVID-19-related hair loss is likely due to the overproduction of cytokine that is typically associated with the disease.

In a letter to the Journal of Dermatology​, a team of dermatologists from Japan said it is likely that various hair loss symptoms will emerge following the outbreak of COVID-19.

The researchers hypothesised that hair loss could be attributed to the “overzealous cytokine production”​ associated with the COVID-19 illness.

How to win over… the eco-conscious consumer while avoiding the pitfalls of greenwashing​​

Sustainability is one of the hottest topics in beauty today, but how can the sector move beyond packaging to innovate with new concepts, product formats and materials to win over the eco-conscious consumer, while avoiding the trap of greenwashing?

For years now, sustainability in the beauty industry has been taking growing increasingly important and it is no exception in Asia Pacific.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic happened. This awakening led people to question things like kerbside recycling processes, the integrity of carbon offsetting and greenwashing practices.

Allozymes claims proprietary tech increases actives yields, boosts sustainability​

Biotechnology start-up Allozymes’s claims its proprietary tech gives the cosmetic industry a way to produce natural active ingredients in an environmentally responsible manner, while also reducing cost, time and resources.

The company’s proprietary microfluidics technology allows the company to study and sieve out the right enzymes by using tiny water droplets as vessels so it can move through the hardware.

This gives the firm 200 times higher chance of success, allowing it to engineer one enzyme in around two months.

Portuguese beauty brand Ignae eyeing region’s booming luxury niche beauty market​

A skin care brand developed with ingredients sourced from the Azores archipelago believes its brand has huge potential in Asia’s high-end niche beauty segment.

The Portugal-based skin care company traces its roots back to 2009 and was founded by Miguel Pombo, who was previously working in the cosmetics industry dealing with regulation. Pombo, an Azores native, developed his range of skin care products inspired by the unique biodiversity of the archipelago.

The Azores are a collection of nine volcanic islands. With a subtropical climate and rich fertile soil, it is home to a unique assortment of flora, including Europe’s only tea plantations and rainforests.