Hair care

APAC’s the way: China the growth driver as APAC delivers three of top five markets for L’Occitane

04-Jul-2022 By Nurul Ain Razali

L’Occitane International saw China emerge as its top driver for sales in FY2022, charting a net sales growth of EUR327.9m (U$347.3m), alongside other significant APAC markets Japan and Hong Kong.

EXCLUSIVE IN-DEPTH INSIGHTS

How to win over… beauty consumers in the shifting post-pandemic brick-and-mortar landscape

29-Jun-2022 By Amanda Lim

Major brands including Sephora, Lush Cosmetics, Health & Glow and SUGAR Cosmetics have exclusively shared their insights on how they are redefining the in-store consumer experience in the wake of the COVID-pandemic.

Back with a vengeance: New data reveals top emerging beauty trends as ‘revenge spending’ soars in Japan

27-Jun-2022 By Amanda Lim

Coloured brows, K-beauty, sustainability, and genderless cosmetics are among the top trends to keep an eye on in Japan as beauty consumers embark on revenge shopping sprees, according to new data.

Filling a grey space: K-beauty giants see mega demand for shampoos that conceal grey hairs and prevent hair loss

22-Jun-2022 By Amanda Lim

South Korean cosmetic titans Amorepacific and LG Household & Healthcare (LG H&H) have both recently launched shampoos that can conceal grey hairs to great success, signalling a huge demand for anti-ageing hair care products.

Beauty Broadcast Video Series

Less for more: Waterless beauty trend ‘bound’ to become mainstream – Lush Cosmetics

20-Jun-2022 By Amanda Lim

Lush Cosmetics’ Singapore director believes beauty is ready to be ‘100% waterless’ based on rising consumer education and its own innovations.

K-beauty vs eco: Cosmetics industry most significantly impacted sector by post-pandemic demand for greener products

14-Jun-2022 By Amanda Lim

A new survey by Korea International Trade Association (KITA) has revealed that South Korea’s cosmetics industry was the most significantly impacted sector by the post-pandemic demand for eco-conscious products.

What’s trending? The most-read stories on APAC beauty market and consumer insights

10-Jun-2022 By Amanda Lim

In our round-up of the recent trend developments in the Asia Pacific beauty and personal care market, we feature stories on beauty’s role in travel retail, demand for silicone-free hair conditioners, beauty live commerce in SEA, and more.

Q&A

Thai Trade Center director's thoughts on Thai cosmetics in US market

09-Jun-2022 By Ravyn Cullor

Korean beauty and Japanese beauty have found their place in the US market, and the Thai beauty industry wants to follow in their footsteps.

New horizons: EZZ Life eyes opportunity to grow business two-fold on the back of new beauty business

08-Jun-2022 By Amanda Lim

Australian healthcare company EZZ Life Science Holdings has entered the beauty and personal care space with a new hair care range which it hopes can help double its business in the next couple of years.

Summer essentials: Warm weather driving sales of spray-type sunscreens and humidity-proof hair styling in Japan

08-Jun-2022 By Amanda Lim

The arrival of summer is heralding the demand for spray-type sunscreens and humidity-proof hair styling products in Japan, according to new data.

COVID-19 and climate crisis bolstering vegan beauty demand: Review

07-Jun-2022 By Kacey Culliney

The global COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing climate crisis has bolstered demand for vegan topical and ingestible cosmetics as consumers look to improve consumption patterns beyond food, finds a review.

Offline acceleration: Earth Rhythm prioritising kiosk expansion to reach new consumers

06-Jun-2022 By Amanda Lim

India-based direct-to-consumer (DTC) beauty brand Earth Rhythm is set to expand its offline retail footprint, starting with plans to open 50 kiosks across India.

Beauty is entering ‘exciting era’ in biotech, says Givaudan Active Beauty

03-Jun-2022 By Kacey Culliney

Biotechnology continues to fast-evolve, presenting great opportunities for the beauty industry to advance in new molecules, improved processes and evidence-based actives, says Givaudan Active Beauty.

GALLERY: Top 10 APAC cosmetic stories of May 2022

02-Jun-2022 By Amanda Lim

Our recap of the most-read cosmetics stories of March, featuring the latest in beauty news, innovation and trends.

‘Drive their own trends’: Native Extracts outlines ambitions to establish Indian hub to develop ‘I-beauty’ ingredients

31-May-2022 By Amanda Lim

Ingredient supplier Native Extracts is working to establish a stronghold in India where it hopes to drive research and development on native botanicals and help promote ‘I-beauty’.

Beauty ‘escapism’ in the metaverse: ‘Why recreate reality when you can bend the laws of physics?’

30-May-2022 By Lynda Searby

Everybody is talking about the metaverse - a new, mysterious and still largely undefined space, but one that is brimming with beauty opportunities, says a marketing expert.

Hyper-personalisation: CJ OnStyle launches personalised shampoo developed with Cosmax

25-May-2022 By Amanda Lim

South Korean firm CJ OnStyle has launched a new personalised beauty brand with a bespoke shampoo it developed in collaboration with K-beauty ODM giant Cosmax.

Unapologetic and authentic: Coty, Estée Lauder and L’Oréal brainstorm the ‘gender freedom’ rise in beauty

24-May-2022 By Kacey Culliney

Genderless and gender fluid have risen as beauty concepts over time, but gender freedom takes things further to capture and empower the hearts and minds of every consumer identify, say leading beauty execs.

Caring conditioners: Asia demand on the rise for silicone-free hair conditioners - BASF

24-May-2022 By Amanda Lim

Demand is rising across Asia Pacific for health-focused products including silicone-free hair shampoo, but BASF believes their vast potential in silicone-free conditioners too.

How to win over… beauty consumers in a rebounding travel retail market

24-May-2022 By Amanda Lim

From pop-ups to new launches, and digital immersion to sustainability, we reveal how major brands and duty-free retail giants are expecting an imminent travel retail beauty boom as travellers once again take to the skies.

L’Oréal’s India ambitions: CEO expresses resolve to grow on the back of e-commerce acceleration

23-May-2022 By Amanda Lim

L’Oréal Group CEO Nicolas Hieronimus is aiming to grow the firm’s business in the booming Indian beauty market on the back of the acceleration of e-commerce in the country.

Skin science: Top five stories on cosmetics science and formulation

20-May-2022 By Amanda Lim

We dive into our most-read stories on formulation and science, featuring new research on coriander oil as an anti-ageing ingredient, new findings on Sandalwood’s protective abilities and more.

COVID-19 impact: How the pandemic has changed Korean millennials, Gen Z beauty attitudes – review

18-May-2022 By Nurul Ain Razali

The beauty needs and shopping habits of Korean millennials have undergone a significant shift on the back of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a systematic review by researchers.

No doubt: Estée Lauder CEO remains ‘enthusiastic’ about China despite growing concerns

18-May-2022 By Amanda Lim

The CEO of the Estée Lauder Companies has underlined his strong conviction in China’s beauty market despite a recent dip in performance and fears related to an economic recession.

Going live? Why live commerce is still sluggish in SEA’s beauty market - KOL

17-May-2022 By Amanda Lim

Singapore-based livestreaming outfit, MyBKKShop, believes live commerce holds abundant potential for South East Asia’s (SEA) beauty sector, but says the region is hindered by factors such as archaic technology and a fragmented market.

Mibelle founder: Biotech innovation is ‘where we need to go’ in beauty

16-May-2022 By Kacey Culliney

Greater investments in biotechnology will help truly advance beauty innovation, satisfying consumer needs and addressing planetary woes, says the founder of Mibelle Biochemistry.

‘Recycling has to end’: Beauty industry needs to focus on reuse and refill to tackle packaging predicament

12-May-2022 By Amanda Lim

The beauty industry has been too focused on recycling and needs to shift focus on reuse and refill solutions, says two circular beauty brands, Bhuman and Emma Lewisham.

What’s trending? The most-read stories on APAC beauty market and consumer insights

11-May-2022 By Amanda Lim

In our round-up of the recent trend developments in the Asia Pacific beauty and personal care market, we feature ‘endemic beauty’ trends in Japan, curly hair demand in India, the potential of Sing Beauty and more.

Eco boost: Five recent developments in sustainable beauty across APAC

10-May-2022 By Amanda Lim

We round up our five most-read stories featuring innovative solutions to the sustainable beauty movement coming from Asia Pacific.

‘It needs to be benefits led’: Circular design expert explains why most eco-friendly propositions fail

10-May-2022 By Amanda Lim

Most circular design projects tend to fail as companies tend to begin to implement circular elements too late and fail to keep the mainstream consumers’ basic needs and concerns in mind.

GALLERY: Top 10 APAC cosmetic stories of April 2022

09-May-2022 By Amanda Lim

Our recap of the most-read cosmetics stories of March, featuring the latest in beauty innovation, trends and regulations.

Listen to Beauty 4.0 – A Podcast by CosmeticsDesign-Europe

The future of beauty tech? The metaverse, NFTs and blockchain, says Mintel

04-May-2022 By Kacey Culliney

Beauty tech is developing at a fast pace and there are plentiful opportunities for brands to play into this space, from smart consumer devices to metaverse engagement and blockchain for traceability, says Andrew McDougall, director of BPC at Mintel.

Exclusive In-Depth Insights

How to win over… The misunderstood Generation X beauty consumer

04-May-2022 By Amanda Lim

With the beauty and cosmetics needs of the 'sandwiched generation' often misunderstood and unmet, we shine the spotlight on the trending categories, strategies for marketing success and the new product development white spaces to attract the...

Beauty Bites Gallery

Hot topics: Top 5 beauty and cosmetics stories trending on our socials right now

03-May-2022 By Amanda Lim

In our round-up of the top five stories trending on our social channels, we highlight an in-depth analysis into green beauty, a study on pigmentation-related genes in Korean women and more.

Hallyu herald: Shopee Korea scores $3m government project to bring K-beauty to Poland

02-May-2022 By Amanda Lim

The South Korean arm of South East Asian e-commerce platform Shopee has inked a deal with the Korean SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) to form a logistics service to facilitate the entry of Korean products to Poland.

Inclusivity in SimplySiti: Malaysian cosmetics outfit undergoes major rebranding for the post-pandemic era

29-Apr-2022 By Nurul Ain Razali

Malaysian cosmetics firm SimplySiti, fronted by songstress and Voice of Asia Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin, is gearing up for major rebranding this year.

‘The worst is over’: COVID-19 outbreak in HK forces Sa Sa to lose 480 business days in Q4

27-Apr-2022 By Amanda Lim

Hong Kong beauty retailer Sa Sa International says it lost approximately 480 business days over the fifth wave of the pandemic as COVID-19 infections among staff members forced it to shutter its stores.

SEA ripe for further online beauty boom if brands can join the dots

26-Apr-2022 By Amanda Lim

A Thai-based firm set up by former Lazada execs that has worked on e-commerce strategy with the likes of Lancôme, Kiehl’s, The Body Shop, and Clarins says the region is ripe for further online beauty sales success, providing firms can align their digital...

Product profiles: Top stories on the product innovations in the APAC beauty space

26-Apr-2022 By Amanda Lim

In our round up of the recent product developments in the Asia Pacific beauty and personal care market, we look into the updated Laneige Waterbank range, a waterless body wash, men’s intimate hygiene products and more.

‘A new paradigm of clean beauty’: Amorepacific’s latest brand makes use of upcycled oakwood to create scents

26-Apr-2022 By Amanda Lim

K-beauty major Amorepacific has launched Longtake, a new sustainable clean beauty brand that makes use of upcycled oakwood to create its signature woody scents.

Spicy findings: Mix of peppers and turmeric as effective as minoxidil in treating hair loss – study

21-Apr-2022 By Amanda Lim

A team based in China has found that a concoction of capsaicin, piperine, and curcumin compounds was as effective as minoxidil in treating alopecia areata.

Circular Beauty: How can industry make circularity a mainstream reality? FREE webinar

21-Apr-2022 By Amanda Lim

A raft of industry players are joining the circular beauty movement, but how can the sector encourage consumers to adopt circularity en masse?

Let's catch up: 5 CosmeticsDesign articles to revisit today

20-Apr-2022 By Ravyn Cullor

CosmeticsDesign has been experiencing some technical difficulties, but we're back! You can revisit these popular articles while we start publishing again.

Beauty Broadcast Video Series

Tiny but mighty: Can strength in innovation enable Singapore’s beauty sector to rival Asian giants?

20-Apr-2022 By Amanda Lim

Singapore’s thriving cosmetics industry has been hailed as ‘one to watch’ with several domestic brands finding success in international markets thanks to groundbreaking research and extensive product innovation.

Unlocking potential: Plum eyeing untapped vegan demand in hair, body care, and make-up

20-Apr-2022 By Amanda Lim

Vegan beauty brand Plum is aiming to unlock the potential it sees in India’s hair care, make-up and body care and sectors to fuel its growth this year.

Kao launches waterless dry shampoo sheet first developed for use in space

13-Apr-2022 By Amanda Lim

Japanese personal care major Kao Corporation has launched a pair of dry shampoos under hair care brand Merit in response to the growing demand for dry shampoos that can be used on the go, including a shampoo sheet concept first developed for use in space.

Free the curls: India’s Arata sets sights on curly hair care market in India and beyond

11-Apr-2022 By Amanda Lim

Indian personal care brand Arata is aiming to fill what it believes is a huge gap for hair care products designed especially for curly hair types in its home market and in the wider Asian region.

Guest Article

Natural and organic cosmetics: An overview of certification options

08-Apr-2022 By Tjaša Grum, CE.way Regulatory Consultants

Interest in natural and organic cosmetics continues to rise amidst a wider green beauty boom, but with little regulation around these two terms, certification schemes have taken on fresh importance - for industry and consumers alike.