Hair care

New era of retail: Watsons integrates online and offline with new ‘Play Glam’ concept store in Hong Kong

11-Mar-2020 By Amanda Lim

Watsons has launched a new concept store that integrates online and offline (O+O), which it says creates a new shopping experience for younger consumers.

‘A slice of the tropics’: Malaysia's Tanamera targets UK to strengthen presence in Europe

10-Mar-2020 By Amanda Lim

Malaysia-based Tanamera is eyeing the potential of the UK natural beauty market to further reinforce its position in Europe.

Hair care will see quickest recovery from COVID-19 outbreak in China– Kantar Worldpanel

10-Mar-2020 By Amanda Lim

China’s hair care category will bounce back the fastest compared to skin care and colour cosmetics in the aftermath of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic, according to a new report.

GALLERY: Top 10 APAC cosmetic stories of February 2020

03-Mar-2020 By Amanda Lim

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

Probiota 2020

Beauty and probiotics: Anti-ageing, Gen Z and women key

02-Mar-2020 By Kacey Culliney

There is significant potential to develop probiotics in the beauty space, particularly targeting anti-ageing, Generation Z and women, according to Lumina Intelligence.

All the right brands: Kao’s global cosmetics strategy pays off as G11 portfolio grows 18%

02-Mar-2020 By Amanda Lim

Kao Corporation’s cosmetics business has achieved its strategic targets a year ahead of schedule thanks to the double-digit growth of its 11 global strategy brands, known as the G11 portfolio.

China focus: Most-read stories on China’s cosmetics industry

28-Feb-2020 By Amanda Lim

A round-up on our top stories on China’s lucrative personal care market, featuring the expansion ambitions of Colorite Cosmetics, Aromababy, Bormioli Luigi and more.

Demand for cosmetics and personal care preservatives is on the rise, says Frost & Sullivan data

26-Feb-2020 By Deanna Utroske

While the microbiome skin care movement and consumer interest in paraben-free cosmetics and personal care products might suggest that preservatives are falling out of favor in the beauty industry, new data from the market research and consulting firm...

In-cosmetics global trends to watch

Beauty innovation future: ‘Nature and science are not and will not be separate’ – Mintel

25-Feb-2020 By Kacey Culliney

The future of beauty innovation in the next decade will see nature and science blur, with the true power of biotechnology unfolding to take sustainable cosmetics forward, according to Mintel.

The Clean & Ethical Beauty boom: How to connect with the conscious consumer

25-Feb-2020 By Kacey Culliney

Conscious consumerism is here to stay and as the fast-paced clean and ethical beauty trend takes its grip, industry needs to start delivering on all fronts – overcoming lab and regulatory hurdles along the way.

Watsons China CEO says new cloud-based stores ‘break the limits of space and time’

25-Feb-2020 By Amanda Lim

Health and beauty retailer Watsons is launching cloud-based stores in China this quarter to refine the ‘round-the-clock’ shopping experience for consumers.

Animal testing declines across EU – cosmetics must ‘share good practice’, says charity

24-Feb-2020 By Kacey Culliney

Animal testing for scientific purposes across the European Union has declined in recent years and cosmetics is in a strong position to share advances made with in-vitro alternatives, says UK medical research charity FRAME.

Sa Sa shutting shops: Temporary closures of 21 doors in Hong Kong and Macau as coronavirus bites

20-Feb-2020 By Amanda Lim

The impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has forced the cosmetics retailer Sa Sa to temporarily suspend operations of 21 stores in Hong Kong and Macau as part of cost-saving measures.

Steady as she goes: European brands must take measured approach to Asia entry – Orientana

20-Feb-2020 By Amanda Lim

Owner of Polish beauty brand Orientana says the company is careful not to rush its expansion into the ‘never-ending’ Asian market.

Indie Beauty gains ground at in-cosmetics Global 2020, thanks to Formula Botanica partnership

19-Feb-2020 By Deanna Utroske

Following the success of last year’s Indie Trail feature, the show organizers have teamed up with the online cosmetic science education venture to expand the programing and resources available to indie beauty brand leaders at this year’s edition of in-cosmetics...

Malaysian skin care supply chain continues to miss raw material link despite halal advantage

19-Feb-2020 By Richard Whitehead

Malaysia has its work cut out to compete with Indonesia and Thailand as a leading supplier of skin care ingredients despite having the gold standard in halal certification.

No worries: L’Oréal Group confident it can outperform beauty market in 2020 despite COVID-19 impact

19-Feb-2020 By Amanda Lim

L’Oréal Group CEO cautioned that the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) would cause a temporary slowdown but remained confident that the company would still be able to outperform the market in 2020.

ADF&PCD PARIS 2020

Gen Z turning beauty ‘emotional’, say trend experts

18-Feb-2020 By Kacey Culliney

Generation Z are looking for playful beauty experiences to counter their anxiety about the future but also expect all products to be inherently sustainable and designed with purpose, say trend experts.

Brace for impact: Estée Lauder plots path to recovery from COVID-19 outbreak

18-Feb-2020 By Amanda Lim

Estée Lauder Companies’ CEO says the firm stands ready to invest to aid recovery from the impact of the China novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Beauty Broadcast Video Series

WATCH – Halal, naturally: Cosmetic companies see big potential for natural ingredients in growing halal segment

17-Feb-2020 By Amanda Lim

As more consumers begin to understand that what you put on your skin is as important as what you eat, the halal demographic is now demanding more sophisticated product to cater to their personal care needs.

Coronavirus round-up: How the outbreak of COVID-19 has affected the APAC personal care industry

17-Feb-2020 By Amanda Lim

Our round-up of how the APAC cosmetics industry has been impacted by fall out of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, featuring Shiseido, Estée Lauder, Kosé Corporation and PCHi2020

Amorepacific overseas sales surpass 2 trillion won despite poor performance in Europe

17-Feb-2020 By Amanda Lim

K-beauty behemoth Amorepacific saw its overseas sales hit KRW2.78tn (USD1.69b) for the first time as North American sales jumped 38% in FY2019.

in-cosmetics Global spotlights beauty tech

14-Feb-2020 By Kacey Culliney

in-cosmetics Global will feature a dedicated beauty tech zone, showcasing the latest smart products and providing a platform to network and spark collaboration.

‘It’s not just about the ingredients’: What is toyyiban and its significance on halal principles

13-Feb-2020 By Amanda Lim

As halal beauty becomes more commonplace in the market, one brand owner believes the halal market is in danger of becoming a ‘soulless’ endeavour without the incorporation of toyyiban.

Social media lull pushes South Korean firm to pursue new opportunities overseas

13-Feb-2020 By Amanda Lim

A K-beauty firm that specialises in viral marketing is exploring new avenues in South East Asia and Japan beauty markets as Korean social media-use plateaus.

Get-out clause opens doors for Malaysian cosmetics companies as Indonesia goes halal

12-Feb-2020 By Richard Whitehead

Indonesia new halal certification requirements could provide Malaysian cosmetics companies with an open door to its market, while domestic companies scramble to be registered.

‘A delicate balancing act’: Direct engagement with consumers vital part of luxury communication strategy

11-Feb-2020 By Amanda Lim

More luxury brands are striving to walk the thin line between exclusivity and inclusivity in a segment that has historically been synonymous with being exclusionary.

Coronavirus woes: Kosé slashes profit forecasts as it braces for the impact of the epidemic

10-Feb-2020 By Amanda Lim

Japanese cosmetics firm Kosé Corp has decreased its sales and earnings outlook in the wake of the China coronavirus outbreak.

Shiseido reports ‘resilient’ FY19 performance despite challenges and uncertainties in the market

10-Feb-2020 By Amanda Lim

The Shiseido Company saw net sales and operating profit increase by 5.7% and 5.1% respectively due to the strong momentum in Travel Retail, China and EMEA, its full-year 2019 figures reveal.

Bus ads, Instagram and face apps: Less than 5% of beauty provides ‘cutting-edge’ consumer engagement

07-Feb-2020 By Kacey Culliney

Next-day shipping and 10% discounts are no longer enough to build brand affinity in beauty and as consumer touchpoints balloon, cross-channel and consistent marketing is crucial, says an online marketing expert.

Laws and regulation: Most-read stories on cosmetic regulation in APAC

07-Feb-2020 By Amanda Lim

Our top stories on Asia Pacific cosmetic regulation, featuring updates on China CSAR, changes to the IFRA Standards, top cosmetics regulatory issues on the agenda in 2020, and more.

The Body Shop parent InNature to focus on Natura following Malaysia float

06-Feb-2020 By Richard Whitehead

The company behind The Body Shop in three South East Asian markets is expecting to raise over MYR120m (US$30m) from an upcoming IPO on Kuala Lumpur's stock exchange.

GALLERY: Top 10 APAC cosmetic stories of January 2020

05-Feb-2020 By Amanda Lim

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

Less is more: South Korean firm looks to mature markets to expand minimalist beauty brand

04-Feb-2020 By Amanda Lim

Colorpink R&D hopes to capitalise on the growing demand for more simplified products among urbanites living in fast-paced cities with its minimalist beauty brand, Formulier.

Brand story: Top news on the big-name beauty brands across APAC

31-Jan-2020 By Amanda Lim

We round-up of our most-read brand-related stories of the region, featuring Amorepacific, Kanebo and Kao Group.

Hot Topics: Top 5 trending beauty and cosmetics news stories on social media

30-Jan-2020 By Amanda Lim

In our round-up of the top five stories trending online, we highlight Kao’s first fine-fibre products, Symrise’s project to discover China’s fragrance identity, Lazada’s move into new retail and more.

Ready to roll? Why India’s hair care market is due for an upgrade

29-Jan-2020 By Amanda Lim

India’s hair care market has yet to evolve past the basic products and routines, providing significant opportunities for brands – especially those which can use local ingredients.

L’Oréal: Customised experience and precision beauty the future of tech R&D

28-Jan-2020 By Kacey Culliney

Tech innovation will trigger important advances in customised consumer experiences and precision beauty in the coming years; the challenge will be making products with strong values, says the head of L’Oréal’s Technology Incubator.

More to come: Perfect Corp CEO hints at more AI/AR tech innovations in skin and hair care

28-Jan-2020 By Amanda Lim

The CEO AI / AR firm Perfect Corp believes skin and hair care will be the next big areas of tech development driven by the rapid advancement of mobile camera technology.

Editor's Spotlight

Can plastic waste be transformed in to cosmetic and personal care ingredients?

27-Jan-2020 By Deanna Utroske

In an article published late last year in the ACS journal Central Science, researchers document how polyethylene can be catalytically upcycled into liquid lubricants and waxes.

Beauty online: Our most-read stories on the online beauty market

23-Jan-2020 By Amanda Lim

We round up our top stories on e-commerce developments featuring Lazada’s venture into new-retail, illegal cosmetics on Amazon and eBay, G&M’s expansion into India through Amazon India, and more.

‘Coconut is the future’: Magnakron strengthens presence in APAC as demand for sustainable ingredients rise

23-Jan-2020 By Amanda Lim

Ingredients company Magnakron is reinforcing its business in Asia Pacific as it expects demand for its sustainable coconut-derived ingredients to increase.

Hair shield: Kao develops sebum-reducing tech to protect hair from external pollutants

22-Jan-2020 By Amanda Lim

Kao Corporation has developed a shampoo and conditioner formulation which it claims can protect hair from external pollutants such as fine dust particles and pollen.

Blockchain beauty: ‘For the moment, it remains relatively niche’, says GlobalData

17-Jan-2020 By Kacey Culliney

Blockchain remains expensive and emerging, used only in an experimental fashion across beauty, but the technology offers clear benefits around loyalty schemes and personalisation, says a GlobalData analyst.

Beauty & Packaging: Our top stories featuring packaging and design news in the cosmetics industry

17-Jan-2020 By Amanda Lim

We round-up of our most-read news pieces on packaging and design, featuring Global Cosmetics’ attempts to modernise its business, Kanebo’s big rebrand, AO Biome’s rebrand for the Chinese market, and more.

Health and beauty ‘one of the most exciting’ retail categories, says expert

16-Jan-2020 By Kacey Culliney

Consumer spend in health and beauty continues to rise rapidly and industry initiatives, particularly around clean beauty, make this an exciting category to play in, says a retail expert.

JuE Wong joins Olaplex as CEO

16-Jan-2020 By Deanna Utroske

In November, a private equity firm called Advent International announced it was acquiring the popular hair treatment brand. That deal closed in early January; and now, veteran beauty industry executive JuE Wong is at the helm with plans to expand the...

Can the beauty industry have a positive impact on the environment?

16-Jan-2020 By Deanna Utroske

Yes, if you ask Beauty Heroes and INNOCOS. The clean beauty discovery service and the global INNOCOS summit organizer have teamed up to launch a new awards program recognizing brands and products that are doing just that.

Special Edition: APAC natural ingredients

Rules, processes and traditions: How TCM herbal ingredients differ from other botanical extracts

16-Jan-2020 By Amanda Lim

Nutri-Woods Biotech is on the cusp of global expansion but says there is a lot more education to be done to explain how traditional Chinese herbal ingredients are different from other botanical ingredients found in personal care products.

Western expansion? What APAC beauty brands need to know about testing before exporting to Europe and the US

15-Jan-2020 By Amanda Lim

Cosmetic testing firm Eurofins has highlighted the regulations and necessary assessments beauty brands from Asia Pacific need to undergo before charting its European or North American expansion.