Asian cosmetics are steadily gaining ground in the global market. South Korea is now one of the most dynamic and influential beauty markets in the world. With more than €11.3 billion  turnover, it is the ninth largest market in the world for cosmetic products, just behind France and India. The country therefore has the highest consumption of cosmetic products per capita in the world, with an average of more than 20 products used per month.

Cosmetics in Japan, the world’s third-largest cosmetics market, are estimated at €19.4 billion. Recently supplanted by China and overtaken by the United States, this market nevertheless remains one of the most dynamic in the industry with consumers always looking  for new products.

Five companies from the cosmetics industry in these two countries and leaders in their fields participated  in an online press conference, to present their strategies and innovations.

High on the agenda for all participants was sustainability and innovation.

Here’s our wrap of the companies below:

Unipack

This South-Korean company, which was recording fast growth before the pandemic, plans further expansion through massive investments in the development of sustainable packaging solutions for the beauty and personal care market. The company plans to build on bio-sourced, recycled or even compostable materials, as well as refillable solutions. Unipack aims to offer a wide range of products that help to reduce the environmental footprint of packaging. The company is currently working on cellulose PP which contains pulp waste resulting from the production of stationery or commercial paper. The company also promotes its palettes, powders, etc, which are  based on PCR (post-consumer recycled), PP and PET material, which are in turn recyclable, creating a virtuous loop. Primary packages are not just bottles, boxes or palettes –  the company is expanding its range of laminated paper bags with a PLA film on the inside used for masks, a sector that continues to  grow in the skin care category.

CTK Cosmetics

A  new digital platform by CTK Cosmetics, CLIP, enables contactless collaboration for beauty brands. “CLIP is a digital platform for you to create your own beauty products, which is incredibly fun and amazing. The idea is that you can go into the platform and get inspired by all the different things we have done,” says Christine Ansari, VP EMEA division, CTK Cosmetics. The platform, which already has more than  5000 listings, enables a quick response, allowing brands to speed up product development. Since 2019, the company had been on a path to digitise its business. This need was brought to the forefront when the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted businesses and economies globally. Thanks to CLIP platform, the company can  connect with more independent or emerging beauty brands, which is a point of focus for the company.