Beauty on the go: RTE hyaluronic acid jelly booming with young consumers in SEA

Part of the reason is because conventional forms of nutraceuticals, such as pills and capsules, are less appealing to the younger crowd.

Hyaluronic acid, on the other hand, has seen its popularity spread​ from major beauty markets such as South Korea and China to the South East Asia region. It is mainly used in beauty supplements to help retain moisture in the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines.

“Our HA Jelly is especially popular among the younger consumers because some of them feel intimidated by pills and capsules, and the berry-flavoured jelly is actually tasty,” ​said Vivian Ang, Assistant Manager of Search & Advertising at Best World International Ltd, parent company of Avance.

The HA Jelly contains 60mg of hyaluronic acid and less than 11 calories per stick. It serves to promote skin hydration and prevent premature breakdown of collagen and elastin.

It is also one of Avance’s three core beauty products, which have been packaged into a “Get Glowing Radiance Pack”.

Just like how beauty products from the same range, such as facial wash, toner and moisturiser, are often used together, more brands like Avance are pushing out beauty supplement packs.

For Avance, each pack consists of products that boast varied functions and work independently to boost skin health.

Aside from HA Jelly, the two other products are GLO Caps and Collagen Plus, which come in capsule and powdered drink formats respectively.

The hero ingredient of the GLO Caps is glutathione, an antioxidant that defends against free radicals and has the ability to regenerate other antioxidants like vitamins C and E in the body; while each Collagen Plus stick contains 5000mg of fish collagen peptides, pearl powder, pomegranate, watermelon extract and vitamin C.

Notably, collagen supplements have been gaining popularity for their plethora of benefits. Besides its anti-ageing effects, collagen is also said to improve joint health, increase muscle mass, maintain a healthy gut, and stimulate nail and hair growth.

“The benefits of the three supplements cater to different needs. This appeals to the busy consumer who is looking for convenience and multifunctionality,” ​Ang added.  

Stronghold in APAC​

Aside from beauty supplements, immunity-support products are another major category for Avance, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, industry players are expecting to see shifts in consumer demand from this year.

The pandemic has intensified the adoption of self-care, as an increasing number of consumers began to value their health and wellness in a more significant way.

A report by Grand View Research found that women aged between 31 and 50 years were the biggest consumers of multivitamin or mineral supplements in 2021.

Sharing the sentiment, Ang said: “We target a wide ​range of consumers, from children to the elderly. But of late, we are focusing on those in their late 20s to 60s, as we see an increasing demand from this group.”​

In addition, the report also stated that the global market size for women’s health and beauty supplements was valued at USD 55.4bn in 2021. It is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 4.8% to reach USD 84.4bn by 2030.
Heightened awareness of dietary supplements’ benefits and greater accessibility to these products — particularly via direct sales channels — have fuelled the market growth of beauty supplements.

Asia-Pacific remains the largest women’s health and beauty supplements market, contributing to 38.6% of the global revenue.

“Our strongest markets at the moment are Taiwan and Singapore, but other South East Asian countries like Malaysia as well as Hong Kong are also faring well. We will continue to build on these markets,” ​Ang said.