Skin care

Can machine learning help cosmetics and personal care brands build consumer loyalty?

11-Jul-2019 By Deanna Utroske

Launchmetrics thinks so. The data analytics company launched a new brand decisioning platform today called Insights by Launchmetrics that promises to help beauty brands spend smarter on marketing as well as to compare and contrast a beauty brand’s performance...

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

11-Jul-2019 By Amanda Lim

We round-up of our most-read brand-related stories of the region, featuring Sensai, Laura Mercier, Watsons, Bobbi Brown and L’Occitane.

Why footprint is worth more than bottom line for Asia’s halal cosmetics brands — top VC

11-Jul-2019 By Richard Whitehead

One of Malaysia’s leading investors has flown the flag for halal cosmetics startups, saying they hold huge potential in a changing market.

Loving local: Malaysian commerce chief sees vast potential for Kedah’s natural extracts

10-Jul-2019 By Richard Whitehead

The rural and sparsely populated northern Malaysian state of Kedah holds vast potential for cosmetics firm that can tap into the region’s natural resources, according to a leading commerce chief.

‘Tesla of beauty’: Aussie outfit OBJ outlines global ambitions for new cosmetics tech business

10-Jul-2019 By Amanda Lim

Australia-based tech firm OBJ Limited has signalled its ambition to become the ‘Tesla of beauty devices’, arguing the sector is still very much in its infancy and ripe for innovation.

What trade wars mean to smaller beauty players

09-Jul-2019 By Simon Pitman

Trade wars have been grabbing the headlines for the past couple of years, with protectionist policies spelling both opportunity and barriers for small- to medium-sized beauty companies.

Coty bounces back, rumors of Kylie Cosmetics bid persist

09-Jul-2019 By Simon Pitman

Coty is finally bouncing back after its acquisition of P&G’s beauty business and with share prices rising, the company is now rumored to be in negotiations to buy a stake in Kylie Cosmetics.

Biodegradable beauty: Lonza utilises sea plant-based gel to create sustainable sheet masks

09-Jul-2019 By Amanda Lim

Lonza has developed a sustainable solution to disposable facial masks and patches, which it believes will be a game-changer for the category.

Sasa expands online footprint with the launch of flagship on HKTVmall

09-Jul-2019 By Amanda Lim

Beauty retailer Sasa has strengthened its e-commerce presence with the launch of an online flagship store on HKTVmall.

Singapore skin cream shock: Infant hospitalised after ‘potent medicinal ingredients’ cause serious adverse reactions

08-Jul-2019 By Amanda Lim

Four cosmetics creams in Singapore were found to contain potent medicinal ingredients, with one causing an infant to develop Cushing’s syndrome.

Beauty Broadcast

WATCH: Geltor poised for APAC expansion with Korea as starting point

08-Jul-2019 By Amanda Lim

CEO of Geltor sees plenty of opportunities for its new vegan collagen and is planning to use Korea as a springboard to expand further into Asia-Pacific.

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

05-Jul-2019 By Amanda Lim

In our round-up of the top five stories trending online, we highlight Dr Roebuck’s Unilever-funding, the potential of mangosteen extract and baobab oil in cosmetics, and more.

Amazon fails to create Gen Z shopper loyalty, new study shows

04-Jul-2019 By By Natasha Spencer

Global commerce consultancy, Wunderman Thompson Commerce, reveals how the retail giant’s market share dominance drops amongst the Gen Z demographic who do not have the same level of loyalty towards the e-tailer as older shoppers.

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

04-Jul-2019 By Amanda Lim

We round up our top stories on e-commerce developments featuring Lazada’s new partnership with Bobbi Brown, the integration of Modiface onto Amazon’s platform and more.

Pulp fact: Coffee by-product can help wound healing twice as fast as nature

04-Jul-2019 By Richard Whitehead

Australian research has found that applying the pulp that surrounds a coffee bean was significantly more effective in helping wounds heal than simply letting nature take its course.

From The Editor's Desk

How trade wars are impacting the cosmetics industry

03-Jul-2019 By Simon Pitman

Global trade has seen some big changes in recent years, highlighted by massive shifts in international trade agreements that have impacted many areas of business, including the beauty and personal care industry.

Amorepacific taps Lazada to help Sulwhasoo reach younger consumers

03-Jul-2019 By Amanda Lim

Amorepacific has partnered with Lazada to extend Sulwhasoo’s online footprint in South East Asia and reach its younger consumers with its luxury brand.

Halal cosmetics market set to soar to $52bn by 2025 as sector becomes ‘increasingly inclusive’

03-Jul-2019 By Richard Whitehead

Not only is the market for halal cosmetics growing at full tilt, but users are also willing to pay a premium for certified products.

in-cosmetics Korea 2019

Healing holistically: Corum launches new all-round ingredient that targets skin recovery

03-Jul-2019 By Amanda Lim

Taiwan-based cosmetics firm Corum has launched a new ingredient that it believes offers a holistic approach to skin recovery at this year’s in-cosmetics Korea trade show.

Our First Cosmetics Design Summit: What Does the Skin Microbiome Industry Look Like?

02-Jul-2019 By Natasha Spencer

On 24th-25th June, we held our inaugural Cosmetics Design Summit on the skin microbiome in Amsterdam to ask, converse and answer the questions dominating the new space that meets beauty, health and wellness.

Trade war, regulations and trends: ACA Leaders’ Forum 2019 highlights most pressing issues affecting cosmetics sector

02-Jul-2019 By Amanda Lim

The impact of the US-China trade war on the global cosmetic industry’s supply chain, along with new regulations in China and Indonesia, will have a major impact on the beauty industry in the year ahead.

Not up to scratch: Singapore researchers find a third of eczema apps inconsistent with guidelines

02-Jul-2019 By Amanda Lim

Researchers from Nanyang Technological University of Singapore have claimed that a third of eczema management apps available today do not comply with international guidelines

Globalising K-beauty: Multi-brand retailer Olive Young launches global e-commerce site

02-Jul-2019 By Amanda Lim

South Korean health and beauty retailer Olive Young has launched its global e-commerce platform to extend its footprint overseas.

GALLERY: Our top 10 most-read stories of June

02-Jul-2019 By Amanda Lim

Check out our recap of the most read cosmetics stories of April, featuring the latest in beauty innovation, trends and regulations.

Honey, I shrunk the sores: Honey cream as effective in beating cold sores as pharmaceuticals

01-Jul-2019 By Richard Whitehead

A unique pharmacy-backed trial, one of the largest medical studies of its kind ever undertaken in New Zealand, has shown that honey derived from New Zealand's kānuka trees is as effective in healing cold sores as pharmaceutical anti-viral treatments.

The Science and Storytelling of Skin Microbiome

28-Jun-2019 By Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe

Our inaugural Cosmetics Design Summit, held in Amsterdam on 24th-25th June, focused on the current skin microbiome landscape, challenges and opportunities — asking is it a trend or a key cosmetics segment?

5 Movements Impacting Beauty and Personal Care

27-Jun-2019 By By Natasha Spencer

Beauty and personal care industry growth peaked at its highest levels in a decade in 2018, and the sphere is expected to continue this success in 2019 and beyond. So what’s propelling its flourishing popularity?

Korea focus: Our most-read stories on the K-beauty industry

27-Jun-2019 By Amanda Lim

We round up our top stories on the South Korean beauty market, featuring the Swiss potential of K-beauty, Sephora’s K-beauty ambitions and more

From The Editor's Desk

What will make skin microbiome a long-term trend?

26-Jun-2019 By Simon Pitman

This week’s two-day Cosmetics Design Summit on Skin Care Microbiome Innovation concluded with a panel discussion to explore whether the microbiome trend is a fad or here for the long-term. The consensus was unanimous…

“For a better world”: Amorepacific plots 2020 sustainability goals in newly published annual report

26-Jun-2019 By Amanda Lim

K-beauty conglomerate Amorepacific has published a new report detailing its sustainable practices and its 2020 goals that focus on three strategic directions -promotion of a sustainable lifestyle, contribution towards a cyclical economy, and ensuring...

Kao develops non-invasive RNA monitoring method after discovering its presence in sebum

26-Jun-2019 By Amanda Lim

The Bioscience Laboratory of Kao Corporation has claimed to have developed a new, non-invasive method of measuring human RNA after researchers discovered its presence in sebum.

Korea duty-free cosmetics concerns: New labelling system to prevent illegal re-selling

26-Jun-2019 By Amanda Lim

The Korea Custom Service has introduced a new labelling system for duty-free cosmetics as part of a drive to crackdown on the illegal buying and reselling of products.

Why is Algenist going vegan?

25-Jun-2019 By Deanna Utroske

This week the algae beauty brand announced its new product formulation and marketing strategy, adding the on-trend ‘vegan’ qualifier to its already of very contemporary list of designations: marine, biotech, naturally derived, etc.

Private equity firm to acquire financially-strapped K-beauty brand Skinfood for $171m

25-Jun-2019 By Amanda Lim

South Korean beauty brand Skinfood is in the process of being acquired by private equity firm, Pine Tree Partners, for ₩200bn.

Relentless wave: South Korea’s cosmetics exports rocket 26.5% to surpass $6bn

25-Jun-2019 By Amanda Lim

The Korean wave shows no signs of abating with the nation's cosmetics sector recording 26.5% growth in 2018 with the market now topping US$6bn.

Halal beauty: How the thriving segment is reshaping Asia’s cosmetics landscape

24-Jun-2019 By Amanda Lim

Once a niche segment, halal beauty is now affecting Asia’s personal care landscape in tremendous ways in terms of trends, opportunities and regulation.

Athletic apparel maker lululemon launches personal care

20-Jun-2019 By Deanna Utroske

The Canadian company announced its move into the new consumer goods sector just this week. lululemon’s initial personal care product portfolio is small but carefully targeted to meet the needs of the brand’s active consumers.

Profit jump: New sales strategy pays off for L’Occitane as net profits grow 21.8%

20-Jun-2019 By Amanda Lim

Hong Kong-listed L’Occitane has seen profits grow by 21.8% to €118.6m ($131.8m) in first year of new ‘pulse’ sales strategy.

Japan focus: Our top stories featuring Japan’s cosmetics industry

20-Jun-2019 By Amanda Lim

We round up of our most-read news pieces on Japan, featuring Intercos’ Japan expansion, Kewpie’s new egg-based ingredient, Shiseido’s ambitious new targets and more.

Inconsistent policies: Aussie researchers call for more harmonised sunscreen guidelines

20-Jun-2019 By Amanda Lim

Researchers are calling for consistent sunscreen guidelines in Australia after analysing 69 policies and concluding a more joined-up approach is needed.

Beyond the hype: How one company uses social media to create hit brands

19-Jun-2019 By Amanda Lim

Singapore-based beauty brand Supernova says it is redefining how beauty products and brands are created for the millennial-driven beauty market, with the help of social media.

Recycling revolution: Amorepacific aims to recycle 100% of its empty bottles by 2025

19-Jun-2019 By Amanda Lim

Beauty conglomerate Amorepacific has signed an MOU with TerraCycle to step up its efforts in recycling empty bottles, with the firm hoping to hit the 100% milestone by 2025.

Capsum brings sustainable natural beauty supply chain indoors

18-Jun-2019 By Deanna Utroske

Each year, the formulation technology company hosts pop-up events in Paris, New York, and LA to showcase their unique microfluidic tech as well as a concept-of-the-year. Capsum’s innovation for 2019 is a self-contained facility where botanical ingredients...

New Rituals: Brand debuts first standalone Hong Kong store as it targets APAC expansion

18-Jun-2019 By Amanda Lim

Home and body cosmetics brand Rituals has opened its first standalone store in Hong Kong as it seeks to strengthen its presence in the ‘dynamic’ Asia-Pacific region.

Glico going global with its corn starch glycogen for skin care products

18-Jun-2019 By Amanda Lim

Japanese firm Glico says domestic success for its skin care ingredient Bioglycogen - an enzymatically synthesized corn starch-based glycogen - has prompted it to explore export opportunities.

Beiersdorf: the multinational’s 2019 performance so far

17-Jun-2019 By Lucy Whitehouse

Beiersdorf, German parent company of major skin care brands including Nivea and Eucerin, kicked off 2019 with a new strategy and an additional investment program announced. We take a look at where it’s got to so far this year.

Assessing ‘invisible’ damage: Kao develops a new method to quantify UV skin damage

17-Jun-2019 By Amanda Lim

Japanese firm Kao Corporation claims to have found a way to evaluate UV-induced skin damage by measuring ultraweak photons emitted from the body called biophotons.

K-baby beauty brand ramps up marketing in Hong Kong to increase brand awareness

17-Jun-2019 By Amanda Lim

South Korean baby personal care brand Goongbe has stepped up efforts to increase its brand awareness to capture the attention of baby skin care consumers.

Skin Science: Our top stories on cosmetic formulation and science

14-Jun-2019 By Amanda Lim

We dive into our most-read stories on formulation and science, featuring Kewpie’s egg-based collagen booster, the cosmetic potentials of mangosteen extract and more.

Why is this vegan handbag company getting into the beauty business?

13-Jun-2019 By Deanna Utroske

Thanks to funding from an anonymous angel investor, GUNAS will soon be selling soaps. The company Sugandh Agrawal founded in 2009 is, according to New York City – based financial advisor Neil Mohinani, currently valued at $5 million and by 2025 that figure...