TAGS: Skin Care Decorative Cosmetic
Asia is the place beauty marketers turn to in order to discover the world’s most innovative formulations, packaging and product formats.
First, South Korea blazed a trail with out-there concepts, such as:
- BB/CC creams
- Sheet masks, and
- Cushion formats
These concepts have been readily taken up by western brands and become staples of consumer skincare regimes worldwide.
Now, attention is turning to the rest of the region in search of the newest and most technologically advanced beauty trends. Let’s learn about trends like skip care, halal beauty & more in detail…
K-beauty Moves to Minimalism
K-Beauty is the beating heart of the innovation that describes South Korea’s obsession with beauty in all its forms. It has helped change the beauty routines of global consumers, paving the way for multi-step
skincare and
make-up routines. Although the 10-step Korean skincare regimen became a thing a couple of years ago, the tide seems to be turning.
Nicole Fall, Head of trends,
Asian Consumer Intelligence Pte Ltd, contends that many consumers simply do not have the resources or time, to spend between 20 to 45 minutes a day going through numerous steps, unless they have personally seen results.
“Consumers want to experience tangible proof that either a product or routine has evidence it works, otherwise they won’t bother with it.”
“South Korea’s younger generation has started to resonate with the minimalism trend and is rejecting unnecessary waste,” observes
Lee Hwa Jun, Senior Beauty and Personal care analyst,
Mintel.
“They often feel content with buying only the essentials. They are looking towards living a simple lifestyle.”
Jun has also noted the term
“skip care” (which means skipping steps in the skincare routine) as an emerging trend among younger consumers.
“These consumers are looking to simplify their beauty routines with multi-purpose, all-in-one products. Some think that ‘skip care’ helps maintain healthy skin.” According to her, stick formats, such as sunscreen sticks and foundation sticks are proving popular in South Korea for their convenience.
Some examples from Mintel include:
- Chosungah’s Superfit Power Proof Cover Stick
- Missha Cicadin Centella Water Sunscreen Stick SPF50+
A further example indicative of the move to minimalism is single ingredient formulations, such as Hanyui’s Artemisia Soothing Essence, that targets dry, irritated skin with pure Artemisia from Ganghwa island in South Korea.
Tech-driven Chinese Consumers
Recently, eyes have turned toward China, the biggest country in the region by far, but it has been slow in developing innovative beauty concepts that travel. Fall warns anyone who believes C-Beauty to be the next big thing and that China should be regarded as the equivalent of thirty countries in one. Fall has used micro-targeted research from thousands of sources to come up with phrases that help to understand the Chinese beauty consumer. “New K-beauty”, “ancient”, “secret” and “traditional” were all words found in the European and US press to describe China beauty.
Whereas formulations and technologies from Korea have captured the hearts and minds of consumers worldwide, Fall maintains that China is not regarded as super innovative, but that marketing and packaging can be unique. For example, there are many products seen as girly, cute and romantic, which appeal to Chinese women’s
“shao nu xin” sentiment, best described as
“heart of a teen girl”. She refers to the influence of Chinese bloggers who refer to fairies and princesses, terms that may sound rather twee to Western cultures where women are making strides toward equality.
According to Fall, Chinese consumers are so used to the fast pace of today’s digital world and therefore enjoy the convenience and highly advanced solutions that digitization has to offer. These include smart mirrors, virtual reality store experiences and augmented reality make-up trials.
“China will continue to be at the forefront of creating tech-driven products and services that will impact Asia and the rest of the world in the years to come.”
Focus on Thailand and Indonesia
Thailand and Indonesia are also countries to watch for beauty trends in the Asia region. According to Jun, there are increasing numbers of mass derma skincare brands launching in Thailand, along with a rise of beauty products in convenience stores such as 7-Eleven and Family Mart.
“Convenience stores have started to disrupt Thailand’s local retail scene, partnering up with local beauty brands to gain market share through the sale of skin care and makeup products in sachet formats as well as travel-sized items,” comments Jun.
Beauty clinics are also on the increase, reflecting the growth of Thailand’s middle-class population and the popularity of beauty tourism. “Dermatologists are moving into the mass market and are introducing more advanced skincare solutions at competitive prices.”
The most significant trend in Indonesia has been a growth in halal beauty.
“There is a huge growth potential for halal beauty if it’s positioning across the various markets is not limited to religion,” observes
Sharon Kwek, Senior Innovation and Insights Analyst, Mintel Beauty and Personal care.
“Halal beauty is set for further growth and is predicted to impact the global beauty industry.” Kwek envisages opportunities for brands looking to enter the halal beauty space to tap into ethical-related positioning and messaging, with more emphasis on consumer lifestyles.
Some best-selling examples of successful local halal beauty brands are:
- Wardah Beauty which uses only raw halal materials in its skincare, make-up and fragrance products
- SO.LEK Cosmetics were created by two siblings from Kuala Lumpur and include a large range of affordable halal lip products, BB cushion, and blusher cushion products.
Future of Asian Beauty
K-Beauty has peaked, plateaued and is even waning in some markets and that there is no single dominant trend in the
global beauty market, believes Fall.
“Every consumer, whatever their demographic, gender or where they live, follows several trends depending on their mood and preferences that day,” she observes.
“For sure, there are growing drivers that underpin decisions such as a desire for more natural ingredients or products that provide convenience, but I genuinely don’t believe a consumer makes a choice on her look or her consumption choices guided by one singular trend.”