Skin care

Avon’s results point to need for bigger changes – analyst

20-Nov-2018 By Simon Pitman

A disappointing third quarter results for Avon has prompted one analyst to suggest the company need to make some big changes to remain competitive.

Exclusive Interview

How e-commerce is set to revolutionise The Philippines’ beauty potential

20-Nov-2018 By Natasha Spencer

Speaking with Sharon Kwek is Senior Innovation and Insights Analyst, Beauty and Personal Care at Mintel, we ask what has happened in beauty in The Philippines in 2018 to make it the next market to watch in 2019.

Dow takes on social media trends with new “selfie-ready” concept collection

20-Nov-2018 By Amanda Lim

Dow Home and Personal Care is showcasing new products positioned for the digital generation – driven by the latest social media trends.

Award-winning company Elementis sees Asian market as a source of inspiration

20-Nov-2018 By Amanda Lim

Elementis says it is looking to Asia for inspiration while engaging in collaborative efforts with its customers.

Halal growth and Tmall e-commerce potential underlined at record-breaking Cosmoprof Asia

19-Nov-2018 By Amanda Lim

Cosmoprof Asia 2018 marked its 23rd year by opening doors to its largest show ever – with opportunities for halal products and e-commerce in the spotlight.

Is plant-based protein the next wellness influence on beauty?

16-Nov-2018 By Lucy Whitehouse

While animal-derived ingredients are on the rise, these don’t cater to the huge potential for vegan beauty. Is the answer plant-based alternatives? We take a look in this Editor’s Spotlight feature.

Laws & Regulation: Top news on cosmetics regulation across the APAC region

15-Nov-2018 By Amanda Lim

We round up of our most-read cosmetics regulation stories of the region, featuring animal-testing, China’s import tax for luxury beauty, and sustainability in the supply chain.

New product launch strategies embrace offline promotion

14-Nov-2018 By Natasha Spencer

The online to offline (O2O) retail environment has led many businesses to create effective campaigns through digital platforms to entice consumers through the doors of their physical companies, but what is it about offline marketing techniques that are...

Shiseido’s nine-month sales growth driven by Japan, China and travel retail

14-Nov-2018 By Amanda Lim

Shiseido’s nine-month profits and sale “reached all-time highs” with help from China and travel retail sales, and despite natural disasters and supply shortages in its home country.

Cargill goes back-to-basics with nature-derived beauty system

14-Nov-2018 By Amanda Lim

Cargill Beauty introduces its Beauty System 1.0 at in-cosmetics Asia in Bangkok, in response to the growing consumer demand for simple, natural, sustainable and ethical beauty products in the region.

Croda opens marine biotech center in Canada

14-Nov-2018 By Deanna Utroske

The specialty chemical maker is looking to the marine environment and biotechnology as a sustainable alternative to conventional personal care ingredient manufacturing. And having acquired Prince Edward Island – based Nautilus Biosciences at the start...

Evolution of the multifunctional trend: around the clock products

14-Nov-2018 By Lucy Whitehouse

Consumers consistently demand more from their skin care and cosmetics products. In this dedicated feature, we ask whether multifunctionality still important, and what’s new?

Special Edition Newsletter – Active Beauty

Active Recovery: the personal care and wellness category for people living energetically

14-Nov-2018 By Deanna Utroske

Cross-industry lifestyle brands focus on the full spectrum of their consumers' world. Cosmetics and personal care brands are getting in on the lifestyle trend too by including products for beauty, wellness, fitness, stress, and more in their product...

No Sweat: Meeting the unique needs of active beauty consumers

14-Nov-2018 By Amanda Lim

Beauty brands are increasingly positioning themselves to align with consumers’ growing interest in physical exercise by creating products designed for an active lifestyle.

Exclusive interview

Mood-enhancing, de-stressing and relaxing to change the face of beauty

13-Nov-2018 By Natasha Spencer

Asia-Pacific accounts for 33% of global beauty and personal care products that help with de-stressing and relaxation, launched between January-September 2018.

BASF expands presence in sub-Saharan Africa

13-Nov-2018 By Lucy Whitehouse

BASF Personal Care says increasing its presence in sub-Saharan Africa allows it to respond to a personal care market that is “growing fast and holds great potential”.

Editor’s Spotlight

Trend Spotting: mushrooms of the world

12-Nov-2018 By Deanna Utroske

The use of mushrooms in beauty product formulations has been an emerging for years. But now it seems that the prolific fungi are gaining real popularity with skin care consumers. Certainly, the natural cosmetics and personal care movement can take some...

Halal packaging could add value to cosmetics for Muslims

12-Nov-2018 By RJ Whitehead

Cosmetics manufacturers are starting to turn to Halal packaging to tap into the huge and fast-growing Muslim markets in Asia and around the world.

Cannabis cosmetics crusader celebrates year on from Aussie hemp food legalisation

12-Nov-2018 By RJ Whitehead

Almost exactly a year ago, changes to the Australian Food Standards Code finally permitted the sale of low-psychoactive hemp seed as a food, after years of lobbying by producers and industry groups. Hemp skincare’s popularity has trickled down from last...

Aussie cosmetics firm spurns domestic market to sell directly to China through daigou

11-Nov-2018 By RJ Whitehead

While once the daigou channel was an unorganised means of distribution from countries like Australia to China for mostly health products and supplements, it is quickly transforming into something far more proper—especially for cosmetics manufacturers...

Editor’s Spotlight

The conscious beauty supply chain

09-Nov-2018 By Deanna Utroske

Conscious personal care consumers, mission-driven fragrance brands, and feel-good cosmetics marketing campaigns are hard to miss now days. So smart suppliers and distributors are not only helping beauty makers tell more nuanced ingredient stories, they...

Blood and beauty: time for the industry to cater to the menstrual cycle?

09-Nov-2018 By Lucy Whitehouse

The wellness trend across consumer goods industries has seen new avenues to engage consumers emerge: is the potential of beauty that works with the rhythms of the menstrual cycle one such area? We explore in this Editor’s Spotlight feature.

Revealed: The beauty innovations that are helping to combat urban stress

09-Nov-2018 By Amanda Lim

Blue light, stress and pollution were among the skin stressors under scrutiny at in-Cosmetics Asia, where companies showcased the latest innovations to combat the effects of urban living.

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

08-Nov-2018 By Amanda Lim

We round up of our most-read brand-related stories of the region, featuring L’Oréal, Estée Lauder, Tmall, CK Hutchison and more.

Japanese spa and wellness veteran to launch DIY skin care brand

08-Nov-2018 By Amanda Lim

Tomoka Y. Nguyen wants to bring a focus to ingredients and a holistic approach to beauty with her new brand of homemade skin care, JOJOMOKA.

Shiseido Americas prepares for growth by acquisition and tech acceleration

07-Nov-2018 By Deanna Utroske

This week the cosmetics company announced its new tech hub in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as well as changes to Marc Rey’s role, adding the responsibilities of chief growth officer to his current position as president and CEO of Shiseido Americas. Both...

Compost to cosmetics: Aussie project to turn waste into value-added products

07-Nov-2018 By RJ Whitehead

Research into transforming detritus into commodities gets substantial public investment.

N-Collage: The Halal and ‘cruelty-free’ alternative to cosmetic collagen

07-Nov-2018 By Amanda Lim

Geltor CEO Alex Lorestani reveals more about the firm’s ‘cruelty-free’ alternative to collagen, N-Collage, and the wealth of possibilities it offers the cosmetics industry.

Johnson & Johnson to buy Japanese skin care holding company

06-Nov-2018 By Deanna Utroske

In a forward-looking statement issued late last month, the consumer packaged goods and pharmaceutical company announced an offer to acquire Ci:z Holdings Co., Ltd., which owns the Dr.Ci:Labo, Labo Labo, and Genomer skin care brands as well as some salon...

Coty wants to lead the beauty industry into a cruelty-free future

06-Nov-2018 By Deanna Utroske

This week the multinational personal care, cosmetics, and fragrance maker announced a new partnership with the advocacy group behind the Leaping Bunny logo. Along with the announcement came news that the Cover Girl makeup brand has been certified by Cruelty...

Gallery: Our top 10 most-read beauty and cosmetic stories in October

06-Nov-2018 By Amanda Lim

Here's a recap of the most-read beauty and cosmetic stories of September, featuring the latest in animal-testing, Halal trends as well as updates on Chinese import taxes.

‘Regulatory grey area’: Chinese herbal toothpaste controversy highlights licensing and standards anomalies

06-Nov-2018 By Amanda Lim

Yunnan Baiyao, a Chinese toothpaste brand that has become a household name for its herbal approach to treating bleeding gums, has defended its use of tranexamic acid in its formula, which has led to question the brand’s label claims.

Editor’s Spotlight

The beauty industry’s stake in worldwide wellness

05-Nov-2018 By Deanna Utroske

According to the Global Wellness Institute’s 2018 report, wellness is now a $4.2 trillion business; and the beauty, personal care, and anti-aging categories account for $1,083bn of that figure. Here, Cosmetics Design looks at brands and trends navigating...

Gemstones in beauty: An Asian-inspired trend that’s yet to hit Asia

02-Nov-2018 By Amanda Lim

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but it is semi-precious stones that are carving a niche for themselves in the world of beauty. Ironically, says Sharon Kwek of Mintel, this trend has yet to take root in Asia, where gemstones and crystals are part and...

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

01-Nov-2018 By Amanda Lim

In our round up of the top five stories trending online, we highlight the latest developments on the beauty industry in Vietnam, animal-testing in China and trends in gender-neutral fragrances.

Clariant: Transparency in supply chain is a “key demand”

01-Nov-2018 By Amanda Lim

Speciality chemicals company Clariant is working to reposition itself as sustainable solutions provider and a naturals expert as demand for transparency increases in the market.

Editor’s Spotlight

The skin care category you may have missed

31-Oct-2018 By Deanna Utroske

Lip care and lip color have grown in recent years; and some might say that lip products now comprise a stand-alone category—one that epitomizes the multifunctional formulations blurring the boundaries of beauty today. Here Cosmetics Design takes a closer...

Creator of apple-based antioxidant skin cream targeting APAC expansion

31-Oct-2018 By Amanda Lim

The founder of Renovatio and creator of APSKIN, an antioxidant skin cream made from apples, is eyeing further expansion in Asia-Pacific (APAC) beginning with Thailand next year.

Thai beauty brand Annabella to enter China with Global Scanner deal

31-Oct-2018 By Amanda Lim

Chinese e-commerce platform Global Scanner is to help Thai skin care brand Annabella expand into the country’s $1 trillion market.

Belleza Y Salud

Colombian government backs moves to internationalize Belleza Y Salud

30-Oct-2018 By Simon Pitman

Cosmetics Design caught up with Juan Carlos Castro Lozano, executive director of the ANDI National Business Association of Colombia Chamber of Personal Care Products to find out how the organization has been helping to make the Belleza Y Salud event more...

Euromonitor on the future of skin care and cosmetics formulation and marketing

30-Oct-2018 By Natasha Spencer

Asia dominates beauty and personal care sales when compared to its global counterparts, with an anticipated value increase of $33 bn (€29 bn) between 2017 and 2022.

Innovations and trends on display at in-Cosmetics Asia’s new series of R&D tours

30-Oct-2018 By Amanda Lim

For the first time at in-Cosmetics Asia – which begins today, Tuesday October 30 – a series of 90-minute research and development (R&D) will be taking place across all three days.

Australian brand Mitten hopes to bring Turkish bath rituals to Asia

30-Oct-2018 By Amanda Lim

Mitten is striving to reincarnate traditional Turkish bath rituals into modern Asian homes with its line of luxury exfoliating mitt that treats skin in under three minutes.

Exports driving force: International K-beauty trade grows four-fold in four years

29-Oct-2018 By Amanda Lim

South Korea’s cosmetics exports has become the driving force of the country’s exports sector, with its value quadrupling over the last four years to reach $4.95bn.

Singapore’s Luxasia poised for ambitious expansion in Vietnam

26-Oct-2018 By Amanda Lim

Luxasia, a Singapore-based luxury beauty and lifestyle omni-channel distributor, has identified Vietnam as a strategic growth market, brimming with potential.

China Focus: Our top stories featuring China’s cosmetics industry

25-Oct-2018 By Amanda Lim

We round up of our most-read news pieces about China, featuring exclusive partnerships, reduced import tax rates and why compulsory animal-testing will take more than five years to stop.

Standards, sustainability and safety: IFRA working to increase awareness across APAC following Singapore launch

25-Oct-2018 By Amanda Lim

The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) is making it a priority to increase awareness of the IFRA standards across APAC, following the launch of its new regional offices in Singapore.

Sustainable solutions: How the first step to socio-environmental harmony can begin with a single tree

24-Oct-2018 By Amanda Lim

‘Start small and you’ll support business sustainability’: That’s the advice for cosmetics companies seeking to offset the negative social and environmental impacts of their products and protect raw material supplies.

CK Hutchison and Meitu target millennials by integrating social media into retail

24-Oct-2018 By Amanda Lim

CK Hutchison, owner of beauty retailer and pharmacy Watsons, has struck a deal with Meitu to build a new social media orientated business model that enhances online and offline interaction with consumers.

in-cosmetics North America 2018

in-cosmetics North America 2018, in photos

24-Oct-2018 By Simon Pitman

Here are some of the photo highlights of a the busy in-cosmetics North America event, where there were many new ingredient launches, a strong conference program and underlying themes such as the adaption to the needs of indie beauty formulators. Click...