Tradition and nature

Sustainable, natural and organic beauty was a big trend at Cosmoprof Asia 2017 with a brand-new hall dedicated to Natural & Organic brands.

Consumer demand for natural cosmetics is growing strongly in the Asia Pacific region. Many of the numerous Australian and New Zealand brands exhibiting at Cosmoprof Asia build on naturalness as a key factor of success, particularly in the baby care, sun care and skin care segments. Thai exhibitors are trying to play the same game..

In China, in a context of fast industrialization and urbanization, but also because of the succession of health scandals, the interest in natural products - which are perceived as healthier - is coupled with a certain nostalgia vis-à-vis ancestral wisdom thus benefiting to products claiming inspiration from the traditional Chinese medicine and / or pharmacopoeia.

Let’s also note that the development of hallal beauty products in the region is partially linked to the search for products perceived as more natural, haowever the weight of Muslim countries - such as Indonesia - also contributes to the development of this offer.

Masks

According to a recent Mintel research, Asia Pacific accounted for 76% of all global sheet mask launches in 2016, followed by Europe (16%) and the US (8%). The product is now a frequent feature in many consumers’ skincare routine.

At Cosmoprof Asia, beauty masks were everywhere and of every type (hydrogel, sheet mask, bio cellulose, fil patch). The Korean brand The Oozoo, for instance, showcased its new Fresh Capsule Masks, which keep the sensitive active ingredients in an airtight capsule protecting their integrity until consumer use. Beauty masks are available to address the need of any specific area of the face (nose, chin, cheeks, eyes, lips). The men’s masks offering, especially from Korean brands, is also growing fastly.

Prestige brands

Their desire for “flawless skin” led Asian women to grow as the world’s best “self-educating” consumers, believing in product efficacy and the importance of investing in skin care and beauty products. According to Euromonitor International, this resulted in the skin care routine expansion in the region, with the number of items reaching to as many as 10 and boosted the premium skin care segment.

In China, this trend has largely benefited to prestige brands imported from Japan, Korea, France or the United States. The trend has been amplified by the importance of e-commerce which has facilitated the access to products.

Urban pollution

Since the beginning of the 2010s, the number of skincare products with anti-pollution claims has augmented constantly in Asia, where the trend emerged before spreading all around the world.

Consumers are increasingly in search of healthier, happier and more balanced lives. They want antidotes to urban congestion and environmental pollution, and greener, more people-friendly cities,” said Matthew Crabbe, Director of Research, Asia Pacific at Mintel.

Men’s competition

The importance of the men’s health care market is another eye-catcher when visiting a show such as Cosmoprof Asia.

According to a recent survey by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, 63 per cent of Chinese male beauty consumers report using cleansing milk, lotion or face cream. Demographic data also show that the one-child policy combined with the preference of Chinese parents for boys has led to the birth of 25 to 30 million more men than women in the last 30 years. Many Chinese men will never get married! The consequence is an increased attention of men to their appearance. For other reasons (the length of military service delaying entry into the labour market) the same phenomenon is observed in Korea.

The next edition of Cosmoprof Asia will take place from 13 to 15 November 2018 with Cosmopack Asia at AsiaWorld-Expo and from 14 to 16 November 2018 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre.