INTERVIEW Tim Probert – Editor, Personal Care Global Magazine


Ahead of in-cosmetics Asia in Bangkok, editor Tim Probert caught up with Kayla Villena – head of beauty & personal care at market research provider Euromonitor International – for some insight on the latest industry trends in the region


TIM PROBERT (TP): What are the hot skincare trends in Japan? KAYLA VILLENA (KV): Cica is the new hot ingredient in skin care. Awareness of cica, a Korean-origin plant-derived skin care ingredient that has both anti-inflammatory and soothing properties, has become well known for helping solve the skin problems caused by the continued routine of wearing masks throughout the year. Dr. Jart and VT, Korean skin


care brands which include cica, are now available at drugstores/ parapharmacies, as well as on major e-commerce platforms. In addition, in 2021, major brands from outside of Korea and Japan, such as Dior, launched creams, sheet masks or lotions containing cica, indicating that these products are rapidly attracting Japanese consumers.


TP: How is K-Beauty evolving? KV: K-Beauty trend is fading, causing unprepared brands to fall out. With the popularity of K-Beauty, many players entered skin care to benefit from the sales growth and it was very easy for non-beauty and personal care players to join in. However, as the K-Beauty trend started to fade, many of these newcomers suffered losses and even discontinued their brands in a short period of time. For instance, Kolon Industries,


an apparel and footwear and personal accessories manufacturer, launched a skin care brand, Likewise, in September 2020. With trendy packaging and locally sourced ingredients, the brand started to retail through multiple channels, including drugstores and e-commerce platforms. However, the brand failed to


penetrate the saturated market, and it was announced that it would be discontinued in January 2022. This trend may lead to changes in the skin care category, as it will allow brands that have


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established a strong identity, brand position and product quality to survive, and those that simply followed the K-Beauty trend using OEM (original equipment manufacturer) and ODM (original design manufacture) capabilities are more likely to fail.


TP: What are the latest developments in China? KV: Following the negative impact of home seclusion and strict lockdown measures in China, beauty and personal care has enjoyed a surge in sales growth, driven by demand for better skin health, products that enhance personal wellbeing, the rise of Chinese beauty, and the ineluctable momentum of e-commerce and new retail experiences. For instance, dermocosmetics


are winning over more consumers by being the product of choice for aftercare products. As cosmetic surgery is becoming increasingly popular amongst Chinese consumers, especially millennials and Generation Z urban dwellers, the prevalence of cosmetic medical procedures is also driving up the demand for aftercare products, including but not limited to repairing facial masks, ampoules and sprays, with such products usually having a dermocosmetic nature.


TP: Is Covid still having an impact on consumer choice in China? KV: The resurgence of COVID-19 in the first half of 2022 has clear implications for retail overall, and beauty and personal care is no exception. The development of the Omnicron outbreak, which has spread to many regions across China, is an obstacle to growth in the wake of strict home seclusion restrictions and the temporary closure of retail stores. However, the trends outlined


here can be expected to prove resilient. Consumers and Chinese


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INTERVIEW


Big in Japan and elsewhere in Asia


society are becoming steadily acclimatised to the virus. The severity of its impact on retail can be expected to be less pronounced than in 2020, while the rapid evolution of e-commerce and retail digitalisation spearhead new growth opportunities. These products are usually


launched by companies with a laboratory background and are recommended by beauty clinics and doctors to accelerate skin repair after medical procedures. The expected rise in cosmetic surgery is therefore set to drive growth in dermocosmetic skin care products.


TP: How about Australia/New Zealand and south-east Asia – are consumers there looking for something different from eastern Asia? KV: Australia and New Zealand still have a skin health focus that has come to define consumers in APAC, but growth in skin care there is more defined by the slow beauty movement, which focuses on beauty rituals while using fewer but better quality products. Many Australians have


inadvertently become early


adopters of the slow beauty trend, as it also goes hand-in-hand with sustainability and a mindful approach to beauty consumption. Niche local brands are responding to the slow beauty movement through different initiatives, such as hybrid products.


TP: What are the key non- skincare trends in APAC? KV: In China and in other markets of APAC, unisex fragrances are booming. Within premium fragrances, which includes premium men’s fragrances, premium women’s fragrances and premium unisex fragrances, unisex has by far the strongest growth potential. Premium unisex fragrances are


gaining increasing popularity in the Chinese market, exemplified by Tom Ford and Jo Malone. Such products are particularly favoured by young working class females, who strive to fight against gender stereotypes and pursue a sense of independence, specifically using fragrances to signal that they do not necessarily have to gravitate towards scents that have been traditionally perceived as female.


PC November 2022 PERSONAL CARE


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