Five Asian skincare brands promoting clean beauty for a new generation of aware customers
As Asian consumers become more aware of healthy and natural beauty products, skincare companies in the region are stepping up to cater to the market. Here are five brands that offer toxin-free and chemical-free beauty
Sheet masks, snail slime, blotting papers – Asia has no shortage of beauty trends and cutting-edge ingredients that have taken the world by storm. One area where it has been lagging behind, however, is the development of non-toxic, chemical-free skincare brands.
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While Australia and America have been pioneers in this category, there is still a big gap for home-grown Asian brands that truly personify the idea of “clean” beauty.
“Growth has been slow because of education. Too many people think that natural products are ineffective, which is a major barrier. Then you have the products themselves – many Asian-based brands I have tried so far haven’t delivered in terms of results,” says Brenda Lee, founder of Beyorg Organic, a Hong Kong based retailer that specialises in natural skincare.
Asia, like every other region, has specific skincare concerns and demands, be it lightweight, highly absorbable or stain proof formulas
“We’ve seen a real shift in customers and how they want to experience beauty. It’s not just about big brands, and social media platforms have built awareness about alternatives. Customers want to explore new products, especially grouped around wellness, and skincare is a part of it,” says Lianna Mann, vice-president of beauty & well-being at Lane Crawford.
With its abundant resources and history of natural medicine, Asia could easily position itself as the new hotspot for organic skincare. The region is home to countless pure ingredients, including tea (LVMH has used a special Chinese tea for its first in-house brand Cha Ling) and precious oils such as rose and sea buckthorn to marine ingredients such as kelp and konjac.
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Asia-based beauty giants such as Amore-Pacific are continually developing new technologies and innovations for international conglomerates, so there’s no reason why home-grown brands can’t harness this.