Hair care

Outsmarting algorithms: Why engagement is the key to a good social media strategy for cosmetics brands

11-Oct-2018 By Amanda Lim

With algorithms limiting the visibility of sales posts, creating an engaged community on social media has become the key to a successful digital marketing strategy for brands.

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

11-Oct-2018 By Amanda Lim

We round up of our most-read brand-related stories of the region, featuring Sephora, Shiseido, Unilever, A.S. Watson and Lush Korea.

This new Target brand includes affordable personal care basics

10-Oct-2018 By Deanna Utroske

The cheap-chic department store announced a new owned brand this week. Smartly will be available in stores starting Sunday and most of the products will cost less than $2—remarkable, considering some of the personal care items in the collection were “developed...

State of mood: The emerging emotional influences behind beauty

10-Oct-2018 By Amanda Lim

Cosmetic companies are working harder to ensure their products cater to consumer efforts to manage their emotional health.

China continues to open its market by reducing import tax rate for luxury cosmetics

10-Oct-2018 By Amanda Lim

The Chinese government announces that it will cut the import tax for high-end cosmetics to 50% effective from November 1 in bid to make its market more hospitable.

Key points for cosmetics registration in Israel that you need to know about

09-Oct-2018 By Lucy Whitehouse

For companies keen to register cosmetics products in both markets, this guest article from regulatory expert reveals the big differences of which to be aware.

Luxasia extends reach into Australia and New Zealand by acquiring majority stake in Pacific SMM

09-Oct-2018 By Amanda Lim

Omnichannel luxury beauty and lifestyle brand distributor, Luxasia, is to take a majority stake in Australia-based fragrance distributor Pacific SMM, further boosting its expansion into Australia and New Zealand (ANZ).

PCHi gears up for its largest edition ever in 2019

09-Oct-2018 By Amanda Lim

With a total of 40,000sqm and 90% of booths taken up, the upcoming edition of Personal Care and Homecare Ingredients (PCHi) is set to be the biggest yet, its organisers Reed Sinopharm Exhibitions (RSE) announced.

Editor’s Spotlight

Trend Spotting: vinegar beauty treatments

08-Oct-2018 By Deanna Utroske

Vinegars have been used globally for centuries in cooking, medicine, cleaning, and personal care. Now with consumers’ interest in naturals, blend-it-yourself products, and time-honored traditions, vinegar is showing up quite often in skin care, hair and...

Holistic approach: How the wellness movement has influenced beauty - Euromonitor

08-Oct-2018 By Amanda Lim

Consumers are changing their perception of beauty and are increasingly choosing a more holistic approach rather than quick-fixes and cover-ups, according to leading APAC analyst.

What the Unilever decision to stick with its UK headquarters means

05-Oct-2018 By Lucy Whitehouse

Investor opposition has meant that Unilever will be keeping its headquarters in the UK, rather than its previously planned move to the Netherlands. We take a look behind the headlines at why.

Data is power: Indie beauty brands get personal with big data

05-Oct-2018 By Amanda Lim

With an ocean of information that can chart consumer behaviour and reveal their innermost desires, big data is empowering indie beauty brands to create truly one-of-a-kind products and services that take bespoke beauty to a whole new level.

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

04-Oct-2018 By Amanda Lim

In our round up of the top five stories gaining popularity online, we highlight the latest developments in China as well as explore the clean beauty scene

Hair care innovations and trends in focus at in-cosmetics Asia

03-Oct-2018 By Amanda Lim

in-cosmetics Asia will highlight hair care at this year’s event, as the Asia-Pacific region sets itself on track to becoming the largest market by 2022.

Very important purchasers: A.S. Watson reveals VIPs spend eight times more than average members

03-Oct-2018 By Amanda Lim

Health and beauty retailer A.S. Watson is upgrading its VIP membership with “unparalleled levels of rewards” as an investment in loyal VIP customers who spend eight times more than the average consumer.

India’s only Halal beauty brand focuses on domestic expansion after raising $3m in funding

02-Oct-2018 By Amanda Lim

Iba Halal Care, India’s only Halal-certified cosmetics brand, has raised $3m in Series-A funding to tackle expansion plans in the nation’s burgeoning sector.

Regulation and safety: global beauty industry update

01-Oct-2018 By Lucy Whitehouse

What’s new in animal testing regulation, naturals claims, nano UV filters and ingredients transparency? In this special feature, we cast an eye over the latest and most impactful shifts in regulation and safety for the beauty and personal care industry.

Avon appoints new General Manager to ‘advance India expansion’

01-Oct-2018 By Amanda Lim

Direct-selling beauty firm AVON has appointed a new General Manager to its Indian operations in bid to improve the company’s position in the country’s fast-growing market.

Feelunique to strengthen presence in China with online flagship on Secoo

25-Sep-2018 By Amanda Lim

European beauty retailer Feelunique has signed a deal with Secoo to launch a flagship store on its e-commerce platform in bid to reach out to its Chinese customer base.

Editor's Spotlight

The big business of natural beauty ingredients

24-Sep-2018 By Deanna Utroske

Acquisitions and launches in the natural cosmetics and personal care ingredients space have been coming along pretty steadily for the past year or so now—evidence that the natural beauty is no longer restricted to the fringes of the industry. Here, Cosmetics...

Cosmetics among Trump’s finalised list of Chinese goods affected by additional US tariffs

24-Sep-2018 By Amanda Lim

Cosmetic-related items were among the Trump administration’s finalised list of $200bn worth of imports subjected to an additional 10% tariffs effective September 24, which will be increased to 25% by the start of next year.

in-cosmetics Latin America 2018, in photos

19-Sep-2018 By Simon Pitman

The Cosmetics Design team was at the in-cosmetics Latin America 2018 event in Sao Paulo, Brazil this week, and in this photo gallery we bring you some of the highlights, including the most important and interesting ingredients and new technology to be...

Natural & Organic Labelling Special Edition

The rise and rise of vegan claims for cosmetics

19-Sep-2018 By Simon Pitman

Cosmetic and personal care carrying vegan claims are definitely on trend these days, highlighted by a daily deluge of new product launches carrying animal-friendly labels, worldwide.

Are free-from products creating harm or safety?

19-Sep-2018 By Natasha Spencer

Free-from claims are designed to provide reassurance to safety and health-conscious consumers, which, in turn, help build trust and confidence in their purchasing decisions. But are they proving successful? Or is the real harm in the nature of these free-from...

Smaller Korean cosmetic firms receive local support in US endeavours

19-Sep-2018 By Amanda Lim

The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy (KCNA) and Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) will sponsor K-beauty fairs in New York and Florida in order to help smaller South Korean cosmetic companies to penetrate the lucrative US beauty...

So what was BASF doing at Cosmoprof North America?

18-Sep-2018 By Simon Pitman

The Cosmetics Design team caught up with Ido Kadman, Marketing Communications Manager at BASF Care Chemicals, to find out what the company was doing at Cosmoprof North America, one of the industry's biggest events, but also one that is very much...

Could North Korean cosmetics soon be available to global consumers?

18-Sep-2018 By Amanda Lim

Beauty products from North Korea may soon be available globally as leader Kim Jong Un again highlighting the potential of the country’s cosmetics sector.

China’s new laws will hold e-commerce platforms responsible for counterfeit cosmetics

16-Sep-2018 By Amanda Lim

China has introduced new legislation that will hold online platforms such as Alibaba and JD.com accountable for fake goods sold by third parties on their websites, in a bid to curb the spread of counterfeits and strengthened their IP protection.

Fragrances in beauty and personal care: market overview

14-Sep-2018 By Lucy Whitehouse

We take a look at where the opportunities and challenges lie for the fragrance market when it comes to the beauty and personal care industry.

CD Buzz Video

Wellness Simplified: Cosmetics Design talks with Tonik founder Pip Summerville

12-Sep-2018 By Deanna Utroske

A fair number of brands exhibiting at this year’s Indie Beauty Expo in New York City were dedicated to wellness. One such brand, Australia-based Tonik makes single-ingredient supplements. Cosmetics Design spoke with Tonik founder Pip Summerville at IBE...

Cosmetics hit as Indonesia sets higher import taxes on more than 1,000 products

12-Sep-2018 By Amanda Lim

Cosmetics and personal care items will face a raise from 2.5% to 10% in Indonesian import taxes as the government goes on the defensive to support its weakening currency.

Unilever simplifies its business structure

11-Sep-2018 By Lucy Whitehouse

Unilever has announced the how it intends to carry out its planned transformation into a ‘simpler, more agile and more focused business’.

Sephora to launch first Asian concept store in Shanghai

11-Sep-2018 By Amanda Lim

Sephora has announced plans to open the first Asian concept store in Shanghai, while unveiling a new campaign and WeChat social retail channel.

Symrise releases sustainable version of multi-functional ingredient Hydrolite 5

11-Sep-2018 By Amanda Lim

Symrise is releasing a naturally derived version of its skin hydration product Hydrolite 5 that is made of by-product of sugar production, on the back of rising demand for natural and sustainable products.

Trends Watch: global cosmetics and personal care ingredients

10-Sep-2018 By Deanna Utroske

4 ingredient sourcing strategies are rising to the top, as consumer demand for plant-derived, natural, and bio-based beauty continues.

China tariffs on cosmetics: Estée Lauder Cos mindful but confident impact will be minimal

10-Sep-2018 By Amanda Lim

Estée Lauder Cos will be able to absorb the impact of worsening trade terms between US and China because of the company’s high growth margins and investments in capacity, according to executive vice president and CFO Tracey T. Travis.

Are consumers losing interest in hair care in Western Europe?

07-Sep-2018 By Lucy Whitehouse

The most recent data from a leading market research provider suggests that consumers in Western Europe are restricting hair care spending in favour of more natural looks.

California sets a precedent in the US with animal testing ban

05-Sep-2018 By Simon Pitman

The California State legislative has approved The California Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act with a stunning 80-0 vote that will make the state the first in the US to implement such a law.

Labio uses fermentation technique for new hair care product

04-Sep-2018 By Natasha Spencer

Active raw material company, Labio, releases its latest hair care product, fermentoil.

Sustainability in beauty: top future predictions from industry expert

04-Sep-2018 By Lucy Whitehouse

Here, we get an expert’s perspective on how the demand for sustainability and the industry’s response are likely to evolve in the coming period.

Unilever utilises A.S. Watson’s customer insight to launch TRESemmé in China

04-Sep-2018 By Amanda Lim

Unilever is deploying A.S. Watson retail insights and expertise of Chinese market to launch TRESemmé haircare in China.

Why is China dominating the APAC cosmetics space?

03-Sep-2018 By Natasha Spencer

China is the biggest cosmetics market in Asia-Pacific and second to the US as the dominating global power nation for all things beauty and personal care.

Formulation innovations from around the globe

03-Sep-2018 By Lucy Whitehouse

In this first edition of our new Editor's Spotlight specials, we cast our eye to the hottest new launches and innovations in beauty and personal care formulation across the globe.

International Beauty: A look at how Umma is bringing K Beauty startups to the US

15-Aug-2018 By Deanna Utroske

Relocating an emerging cosmetics or personal care brand from its comfortable, original market to stores and consumers an ocean away is no doubt challenging. But companies like Umma represent a new generation of beauty distributors, accelerating and investing...

Cargill launches nature-derived ingredients in China

14-Aug-2018 By Natasha Spencer

The beauty arm of the global organisation partners with BioHope and Sanrise China to present natural and sustainable ingredients.

Amino Mason caters to individuals’ hair types

08-Aug-2018 By Natasha Spencer

The Japanese beauty name launches its amino acid-enriched hair care products to consumers with hair of all textures and lengths.

Part 2: Exclusive Interview

Ashland reveals trio of active ingredient technologies

25-Jul-2018 By Natasha Spencer

Ashland speaks to Cosmetics Design Asia on the importance of environmental protection for hair and scalp as it unveils its Optimage SF microgel and SeaStem biofunctional with Zeta Fraction technology offerings.

Exclusive interview

What’s urban living doing to our hair and scalp?

18-Jul-2018 By Natasha Spencer

At this year’s in-cosmetics Korea 2018, Xin Qu, R&D Lab Manager at Ashland’s Shanghai Technical Centre examined how cosmetics actives and pollution shielding technologies can impact the hair and scalp.

Exclusive interview

“No single strategy will work for every brand”: So what should brands do?

17-Jul-2018 By Natasha Spencer

We sat down with strategy and research unit, Inkling London, to explore customer experience, source checking and marketing strategies in Asia-Pacific.

Coty teams with DKSH in Asia

11-Jul-2018 By Deanna Utroske

Again Coty has partnered with the market expansion services company, in this instance to advance the beauty maker’s professional hair care business in Singapore and Malaysia.