One sector that is increasingly ripe for further growth in the region is “beauty-from-within”—the concept of taking ingestible ingredients for beauty purposes, rather than topically applying them to skin or hair.
As holistic wellness concepts combine with consumer thirst for scientific proof of efficacy and innovative technology, the sector is gaining more momentum. Longevity is trending as innovations in cellular rejuvenation and biohacking target the root causes of aging.
The market is not yet saturated, but there has been plenty of innovation in ‘inside-out’ beauty supplements in APAC countries over the past year from local brands.
For example, the South Korean derma skincare brand Cell Fusion C launched edible sun care. Shiseido introduced a “beauty-from-within” supplement for its anti-aging Ultime range. LG Household & Health Care’s Vital Garden released an edible retinol supplement, and another South Korean firm, Clio, debuted its ingestible beauty brand, TRUE RX, in drugstores across Japan.
How the beauty & wellness markets in APAC vary
Zarina Kanji, managing director for the UK and Europe at APAC specialist market intelligence agency WPIC, explained that that “beauty-from-within” resonates with Asian consumers as the concept itself is “rooted in Asia’s past.”
Speaking on the topic at the trade show Vitafoods in May, she said that although the overarching trend of ingestible beauty is gaining traction across Asia, different sub-trends are shaping the market in each country.
The Chinese market has witnessed the fusion of Traditional Chinese Medicine with tech-based skincare and AI-driven personalization, as well as increased demand for products that supports skin after surgery or treatments, Kanji said. She highlighted social media tool Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) as “the major driver for growth.”
In Japan, popular sub-categories in the beauty sector include keratin care, skin barrier repair, sun care and cross-category products with multiple benefits.
The South Korean beauty market is currently driven by a “prevention-first mindset,” Kanji said, with anti-aging concerns starting in the teenage years. Beauty supplements and functional foods are in high demand, and ‘slow aging’ is a widely embraced concept. She cited figures indicating that 84% of South Korean consumers take supplements daily and that the supplements market in the country has grown by 25% since 2021.
Southeast Asia (which includes Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei and Timor-Leste) has a very young consumer base, with half the region under the age of 30, according to WPIC data. Kanji noted that Vietnam and Indonesia are the main markets and that “Halal is big here.” Shopee, Lazada and TikTok all play significant roles in driving growth for beauty brands in this region.
What trends are driving the APAC beauty supplements market?
Overarching trends driving the beauty market in the APAC region include:
- Tech-based innovation
- Huge growth of AI-powered live commerce
- Hyper-personalized product development, often using AI
- Use of blockchain technology for sustainability and added provenance
- Consumer diligence about product formulation transparency
As with other international markets, Kanji noted that there has been a recent surge of interest in “nourishment,” “longevity” and “movement.” As a result, more people are thinking about their health, wellness and beauty in a more holistic way. She highlighted that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has “gone mainstream.”
Kanji also pointed out that young people are “really embracing spirituality in these markets,” which creates new opportunities in the wellness sector.
China has seen a huge uptake in sports participation as part of the movement trend. Cycling, hiking, and skiing are the top three sports in the country’s $52 billion outdoor sports market.
This uptake was also partly driven by the “punk health” movement—squeezing in healthy daily habits to offset less-than-healthy ones—and the government’s Healthy China 2030 initiative. Some notable wellness trends include taking white kidney bean extract for digestion and weight management and adding goji berries to coffee.
“Chinese consumers want to live longer by thinking and looking well,” Kanji said.
“Two nutrients that have seen huge popularity here are Vitamin B and fish oil,” she noted, highlighting that WPIC worked with the Nordic fish oil brand Fjorda and made half a million dollars in 30 minutes through live commerce during the annual 11.11 festival in November.
Meanwhile, Japan is a highly sophisticated market when it comes to scientific advancements and efficacy. Here, collagen, protein, gut health supplements, multivitamins and nootropics are trending.
In South Korea, working out has also become more fashionable. A new word, “Ounwan,” has even been coined to announce that someone has completed their workout for the day. Demand for personal trainers is growing in Japan and South Korea, while “Strong and Lean” is emerging as a dominant trend in Southeast Asia.
In the longevity category, collagen and fish oil are the two leading supplements across APAC, and 94% of consumers in the region have modified their lifestyle to embrace holistic health.
“These consumers really think the future of beauty is inside out,” she added. “They like science-backed ingredients, and Southeast Asia is the market to watch.”