Evolving Hand and Facial Hygiene Trends from Asia

TAGS:  Toiletries     Skin Care    

The COVID-19 pandemic has started more than a year ago and has immensely impacted hygiene habits around the globe. The spread of the virus and its different mutant forms has led to an explosive demand for hand sanitizers and thus a significant increase in the hand sanitizers’ sales.

The regulations in Asia have evolved to include a larger scope of ingredients that qualify as disinfectants to provide enough supply, such as:

• Chlorine Dioxide or
• Peroxyacetic Acid

Even in Muslim countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, the use of alcohol in hand sanitizer has been approved by the authorities although alcohol is not considered as “halal”, as a preventive measure against the circulation of the virus.

Public hygiene has been strongly reinforced by government messages but also social media challenges such as the University Hand Washing Dance Challenge hosted by Tencent Wesee’s video streaming platform that created a big buzz on Chinese social media.

Let's explore the latest trends to maintain hand and face hygiene followed by Asia.

“Alcohol Hands” & Other Skin Troubles

Indeed, the newly adopted habit of frequent hand washing and hand sanitizing has led to the rise of many new hand skin troubles, mainly due to the use of alcohol and repetitive hand wash. Hand drying has become a major skin concern, and hands becoming rougher. A Japanese survey from May 2020 from Hygienic Cosmetics Organic¹ on 1111 mothers says:

• 25.4% are concerned with dry hands
• 23.2% are concerned with rough hands, and
• 13.1% with both concerns

A new coined term Alcohol hands (酒精手) has appeared in China, and refers to skin irritations and damages such as dryness, peeling, cracked, or chapped hands.


To answer the needs of consumers, many brands have launched basic sanitizers first, before quickly upscaling their offer with added benefits:

• From the promise of very high efficiency to the emergence of hybrid products,
• From the disinfection emergency to the search of a new compromise with safe and natural formula,
• From the family-friendly bottle to the new formats adapting to the new routines, and
• Even as far as innovative devices that become lifestyle items.

Hand Sanitizer Becomes a Territory for Innovation

When the virus first started to spread in China, local brands have been quick to answer with sanitizing cleansers boasting the appropriate alcohol content (between 70% and 75% ethanol) according to recommended official guidelines and promising to eradicate 99.9% of harmful germs (One Leaf Hands Disinfectant Cleanser²). The offer was quickly enriched with added skincare ingredients such as:

• Aloe Vera, and 
• Glycerin to keep hands hydrated.

For instance, Shiseido in April 2020, developed a skin-friendly hand sanitizer dedicated to medical institutions containing 75-80% ethanol and glycerin, at the request of the Japanese government.


From the desire for efficiency, consumers quickly evolved to look for products that not only protect them but take care of their tired hands. La Vigueur - Pluie de Vigueur³ (KR) hand cream made with 62% of ethanol and also deeply moisturizing ingredients such as:

• Shea Butter
• Canola Oil, and
• Macadamia Seed Oil that embodies the answer for hybrid sanitizers

The use of citrus such as Yuzu peel or lemon extract as hydrating ingredients has been noticed in many products, from Japan's (Shiro Hand Refreshner) to India's (Nykaa Clean Hands Sanitizer⁴).

As life with the virus became ordinary, a desire for safe and natural sanitizers has emerged, to avoid both skin troubles and the use of possibly “harmful” formulas in everyday life. Hence, Asian brands have proposed alternatives:

• Edible food-grade alcohol from corn (TOUN28 Hand Cleansing Gel + Moisturizer⁵)
• Botanical ethanol derived from sugarcane (Mimc One Protect Botanical)
• A natural alcohol-free ingredient, such as HOCI - Hypochlorus acid (Whitefactor Skin Cleanser)⁶
• Children-friendly products with nice foamy textures and safe formula based on Benzalkonium Chloride (Frogprince Kids Wash Free Foam Hand Sanitizer), or Chlorhexidine (PLANT’SIM Baby Plant Wash-free Mousse Hand Sanitizer)⁷

Not only hand sanitizers must be harmless, but they also need to integrate easily into the routine of consumers. Spray formats with multiple usages, from any surfaces to personal care have flourished. Indonesian makeup brand, Make Over went as far as proposing a sanitizer for hands, make-up brushes and any surfaces. Japanese brand, Zeal Cosmetics even proposed a spray formulated with Ostrich antibodies⁸ that supposedly blocks the virus and can be sprayed on hair and face masks too.

New formats have emerged in Asia to allow consumers to carry them around easily and even use them with pleasure. Some of these formats include:

• The mini spray in pocket format for impromptu use out of the house, a cute mini pouch to carry in your bag (JO & CO's Minions Hand Sanitizer).
• The mono dose for the most hygienic use (Secret Key's Premium Hand Clean Gel⁹).
• Brands like Scent Library¹⁰ (CN) even added a fragrance selection to hand sanitizers in order to make the experience both functional and sensorial.

Last but not least, in the series of innovations in hand sanitizing, at-home touch-free disinfectant devices, such as USAMS Mino Auto Disinfection Sprayer¹¹ are equipped with an infrared detector to allow your hand to be disinfected without touching any surface when coming from the outside.

Hands are the New Face

If hand sanitizers have become a “must-have” item in the routine, hands have surely become the new “face” in terms of dedicated care.


A case in point to illustrate this evolution, is the launch of their iconic Ultimune Concentrate in a hand cream formula in December 2020 by Shiseido. Named Shiseido Ultimune™ Powerizing Hand Cream, this high-functional hand cream uses the Immune Generation Technology™ to create smooth skin while protecting it from external stimuli. It also includes a “Multi-Defense Shield” that covers the skin's surface with a highly-adhesive oil component to prevent adhesion of micro-particles in the air (pollen, dust, and dirt) while protecting the skin's barrier function by retaining moisture in the stratum corneum.


Another interesting example of a brand taking hand care routine to another level is Singapore-based brand, Skin Inc that has developed a duo product in a bottle¹², with 1 side for hand sanitizing and the other for hand serum. The serum used is power-packed with the most efficient skincare serums from the brand:

• A combination of Vitamin B3, Licorice, Ceramides and Hyaluronic Acid to soothe the skin after sanitizing,
• Cica to strengthen the skin,
• Multi-vitamins to repair & protect, and
• Multi-polypeptides to promote skin regeneration. 

Skin Inc also recommends using the serum coupled with their skincare LED device for a total repair, anti-aging and spa-like treatment.

The hand cream has even evolved to become a lifestyle item with the recent launch of Korean hype brand, Tamburins The Shell Perfume Hand¹³, a hand cream perfume that soothes fatigues hands with comfortable hydration, provide shine, moisture, as well as an array of 8 fragrances: FEY9, VEIN, POSY, HER, FLOW, BLESSED, FEAR, 000.

Face Care is Now All About Deep Cleansing & Touch-free

The last aspect to look at in the Covid-era is how the new obsession with sanitizing has impacted the skincare routine. The perfect example is the new Korean brand, Laundry You¹⁴ that takes the “skin disinfection” claim to a new level. Inspired by the idea of “skin also needs laundry”, they have developed a face cleansing gel called Clean Face Gargle Gel to Foam, that reminds of a mouthwash bottle and provides a 99.9% anti-bacterial effect, as well as a pore cleansing brush that looks exactly like a toothbrush to leave the skin squeaky clean.


Asian brands have launched multiple mist formats to enhance skin protection and easily reapply without touching the skin throughout the day. Decencia has developed Moist Barrier Mist with a Veil technology that forms a protective film on the skin to protect from pollen and other skin aggressions. Stick has also become a popular format to apply serum or moisturizer without touching the face or as a new-normal version of a successful foundation in a touch-free and transfer-free format (Pola Long-Lasting Airy Stick Foundation).

The COVID-19 situation seems to settle down in many Asian countries, however, the level of hygiene is likely to remain significant as not only diseases but also general external aggressions like pollution will be part of the future, and so will the need for disinfection items. However, it is foreseeable that brands will bring new levels of sophistication in hand care, providing extra benefits, diving into sensorial experience, maybe even elaborate new rituals.

Suitable Ingredients Used to Maintain Hand Hygiene

View all the commercially available ingredients used in hand wash and sanitizing products, analyze technical data of each product, get technical assistance or request samples.




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