
LG executives: US protectionism will affect our performance
LG Group Vice Chairman Koo Bon-joon has warned that the global business environment, and more specifically the group’s first quarter results, will be affected by the protectionist policies adopted by the US, according to a report published by Korea Joon-ang Daily....

Johnson & Johnson launch Singapore Design Lab
Johnson & Johnson is set to launch a new Design Lab in Science Park, Singapore, in a bid to consolidate its Singapore offices into one place, with beauty and vision being a key focus of the facility. Set to open its doors in May, the new facility will be the...

Talcum powder should come with advisory packaging for children, says AESEAN
A warning from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) about the unsatisfactory product labelling of talcum powder products has been shared by the FDA with regards to the use of the product on children. The FDA Advisory No. 2018-047 emulated ASEAN advice...

Shiseido announces new three-year plan to achieve sales of ¥1.2 trillion by 2020
Shiseido has announced a New Three Year Plan, spanning 2018 to 2020. The plan builds on and will help to realize the medium to long-term goals set in its Vision 2020 mission back in 2014. From 2015 through 2017, Shiseido has completed the ‘Rebuild the Business...

China to simplify registration for new cosmetic ingredients?
China could be set to simplify the registration process for new cosmetic ingredients as it revises its primary chemical regulation, MEP Order 7, according to a report published by Chemical Watch. The current registration process, which requires dual registration for...

Indonesian PT Kimia Farma acquires majority stake in Saudi Dawaa Medical
Indonesian pharmaceutical company PT Kimia Farma has announced the acquisition of a 60 percent stake in Saudi Arabian Dawaa Medical, a subsidiary of Marei Bin Mahfouz Group, according to a report published by Antara News. “Kimia Farma’s capital investment in Dawaa...

Chinese influencer draws audience of 4 million for Matsuya Ginza live
Chinese social media star, Candy Lian drew an audience of more than four million viewers for her first online spot for Japanese department store Matsuya, according to a report published by the Japan Times. The ‘Walk into Japan’ video, broadcast live via social media...

Sa-Sa to pull out of Taiwanese market by end of March
Hong Kong cosmetics and skincare retailer Sa Sa international has announced it will be removing all of its 21 stores from Taiwan by the end of March, 2018. The company is set to be closing the stores due to them running at a consecutive loss for six years, with the...

Asean updates Cosmetics Directive to ban fragrance ingredients
The Asean Cosmetics Committee has updated its Cosmetics Directive to include the ban of three fragrance ingredients, effective 23 August, 2019. The ingredients are 3-and 4-(4-hydroxy-4-methylpentyl) cyclohex-3-ene-1-carbaldehyde (HICC);...

New CEO appointed for Procter & Gamble India
Procter & Gamble India has named a new CEO. The US FMCG giant’s Indian division will be headed up by Madhusudan Gopalan, effective April 1, according to a report published by the Economic Times. Gopalan replaces Al Rajwani, who is due to retire in June and will...

Jurlique expands production capabilities with new $30 million natural beauty plant
Australian skin care company Jurlique has expanded its production capabilities with the launch of a new $30 million natural beauty plant, located near to the company’s botanical ingredients farm, at Mt Barker in the Adelaide Hills. Developed with sustainability in...

Laneige to beef up men’s offer; announces Park Seo-joon as new face
Laneige has announced that South Korean actor Park Seo-joon is to front a new campaign for its men’s grooming brand, according to a report published by Star2. The AmorePacific-owned brand revealed that the move formed part of a wider plan to grow its men’s range,...

Johnson & Johnson appeases watchdog by adopting joint New Zealand-Australian SPF standard
Johnson & Johnson will ensure all sun care products it sells on the Australia and New Zealand markets comply with the countries’ joint SPF standard, according to a report published by Stuff. The move has been prompted in response to an investigation conducted by...

Life sciences industry a key focus for South Korean government, with cosmetics crossover plans afoot
The South Korean government has placed emphasis on the life sciences industry, including pharma and biotech, and is looking to create 35,000 more jobs within the sector, according to a report by the Investor. Following the announcement of a long-term development...

Johnson & Johnson Innovation opens public-private office in Australia
Johnson & Johnson Innovation has cut the ribbon on its Johnson & Johnson Innovation Partnering Office @ Monash (JJIPO@Monash) in collaboration with the Victorian State Government and Monash University. The initiative aims to accelerate healthcare innovation...

Haw Par Corporation to double revenue in India with new product launches
Haw Par Corporation is planning to more than double its Indian revenue through the launch of new products, according to a report published by DNA Money. In an exclusive interview with DNA Money, Executive Director A K Han revealed that the company, which currently...

Avon to pull out of Australian and New Zealand markets by year-end
Avon has announced that it will withdraw from the Australian and New Zealand markets entirely by 2018’s close, according to a report published by news.com.au. In a statement, the company revealed that it would cease to trade in the two markets. “As part of the...

Christian Dior invests in fragrance industry with perfume-only boutique opening in Singapore
Christian Dior has opened a fragrance boutique in Singapore – Maison Christian Dior – highlighting the company’s dedication to the perfume industry. Showcasing the beauty giant’s range of 20 signature scents in one place, the boutique also sells candles and Mitzah – a...

Procter & Gamble hosts gender equality panel discussion for female Olympians
Worldwide Olympic Partner Procter & Gamble has held a panel discussion on gender equality, part of the Love Over Bias instalment of its Thank You, Mom campaign, during the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang, 2018. Female Olympians such as Anita DeFrantz, Michelle...

FDA files criminal charges against Belo Medical Group over sales of unregistered cosmetic products
The Food & Drug Administration has filed administrative and criminal charges against the Belo Medical Group regarding the alleged sale of unregistered cosmetic products. The FDA has insisted the company stop selling 11 products, which are said to be unregistered....

Amazon India to beef up beauty as Flipkart acquisition ups the stakes
Amazon India is planning to launch its own line of beauty and personal care products in a bid to see off competition from Flipkart in the wake of its Myntra acquisition, according to a report published by the Economic Times. “Amazon India is talking to contract...

Shiseido smashes 2020 target as sales hit ¥1 trillion in 2017
Shiseido has hit the sales target that it set for 2020 early, reporting sales of ¥1 trillion for the financial year ended December, 2017, according to a report published by Asia Nikkei. The Japanese cosmetics manufacturer saw operating profit hit a record ¥80.4...

Deep freeze: Winter Olympics presenters struggle to talk as temperatures cause cosmetics to freeze
The sub-zero temperatures at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics are causing the make-up worn by BBC presenters to freeze on their faces, according to a report published by the Daily Mail. Olympic medallist and commentator Amy Williams took to Twitter to ask for...

Enter Lalavla: GS Retail unveils new name for Watsons in Korea
GS Retail is set to rebrand its recently acquired Watsons chain in Korea, according to a report published by Joongang Daily. The revamped stores will be designed to appeal to the millennial generation, with new name Lalavla described as ‘younger and hipper’. “After we...

Botox maker Allergan acquires biotech Elastagen
Allergan, the maker of Botox, has announced the acquisition of Syndey-based biotech firm Elastagen for US$95 million. The acquisition will see Allergan, a multi-billion dollar global biopharmaceutical company, purchase the University of Syndey spin-off Elastagen in an...

Procter & Gamble acquires New Zealand skincare competitor Snowberry
Procter & Gamble (P&G) has acquired New Zealand skincare brand Snowberry in what is thought to be a multi-million dollar deal that was closed last week. The acquisition will add Snowberry’s range of natural skincare products will evolve P&G’s current...

Shiseido Japan appoints R/GA as creative agency
R/GA has won the lucrative Shiseido account within Japan as the beauty company aims to reinvent its communications and business approach. R/GA, which entered the Japanese market just a year ago, will act as one of Shiseido’s agencies and has a five-strong team working...

Nivea India injects personality into new lip care campaign
Nivea has unveiled a new campaign for its Original Lip Care Balm. #UnlockYourSparkle was produced by DigitasLBi and is aimed at encouraging women to celebrate their individual personality, according to a report published by Economic Times’ Brand Equity. The spot,...

Wal-Mart to invest in India’s Flipkart?
Wal-Mart is said to be in talks to acquire a minority stake in Indian e-commerce platform Flipkart, according to a report published by Reuters, quoting the Economic Times as its source. The US retail giant is said to be considering the purchase of up to 20 percent of...

Profit plunges 76.2 percent at AmorePacific as Chinese tourists steer clear
AmorePacific has lost its billing as Korea’s top cosmetics producer as net profit for the fourth quarter of the financial year plunged 76.2 percent, according to a report published by Yonhap News. The drop was attributed to a decline in the number of Chinese tourists...

Procter & Gamble commits $30 million to women-owned businesses across India to promote gender equality
Procter & Gamble has committed $30 million to women-owned business across India in a bid to cement its stance on gender equality, according to a report by the Economic Times. The personal care giant will run the initiative over the next three years and will...

Beiersdorf Singapore offers Passion Peers one-year social media contract
Beiersdorf Singapore has appointed Passion Peers to handle its social media duties in a one year contract. The digital transformation company will have the option to extend the contract following the initial 12 months, and will be working on the personal care...

AS Watson hosts first retail-themed Big Data Hackathon in Hong Kong
AS Watson hosted the first retail-themed Big Data Hackathon in Hong Kong. The 36-hour, non-stop event attracted over 110 tech and data science professionals. “For retailers, big data is a game-changer. AS Watson Group is adopting a data-first strategy towards...

Vietnam’s cosmetics market booms: imports double to US$6 billion in 2017
Vietnam’s cosmetics market has enjoyed stellar growth in recent years, with an average increase of 30 percent per year, according to figures released by the Vietnam Essential Oils, Aromatherapy and Cosmetics Association as reported by Vietnam.net. The majority of that...

Unilever plays on New Zealand-Australia rivalry with new ‘cheeky’ ad campaign
Unilever’s Lynx brand has launched a new tongue-in-cheek advertising campaign across TV, digital and social in collaboration with Emotive Content, according to a report published by AdNews. The campaign, designed to promote new fragrance Lynx Australia, is a humorous...

Jyothy Labs to drive naturals and ayurveda portfolio with Henkel India-acquired brands Margo and Neem
Jyothy Labs is set to delve deeper into the naturals and ayurveda market with the Margo toilet soap and Neem toothpaste brands, which it acquired as part of its Henkel India portfolio. The company is looking to hit ₹500 crore by 2021 from its naturals and Ayurveda...

Who will buy K-beauty’s Style Nanda? L’Oréal, Shiseido and LVMH-backed L Catterton rumored to be bidding
The parent firm of K-beauty budget brand Style Nanda is said to have received a series of letters of intent to bid for the brand, according to a report published by The Investor, quoting industry sources. LVMH-backed L Catterton and Hong Kong-based Affinity Equity...

Huda Beauty launches in India on Nykaa.com
Huda Beauty has joined Nykaa.com’s roster of premium brands, marking its entry onto the Indian market, according to a report published by Business Standard. The Dubai-based brand launched on the Indian e-commerce platform last week, joining its Luxe offer. "If there’s...

India on track to become Unilever’s largest market
India is on track to become Unilever’s largest market by sales, according to a report published by Business Recorder. Hindustan Unilever beat analyst estimates to report a 28 percent rise in profit for the three months to December, totaling INR13.3 billion. Business...

Shiseido researchers unveil LED-lashes using ‘wireless power feeding’
Japanese beauty company Shiseido has unveiled new battery-free LED lashes through ‘wireless power feeding’ technology that transmits power using micro waves from remote places. Researchers teamed up with Ritsumeikan University to develop the 3.5-cm-long receiver...

L’Oréal replicates Chinese skin in Shanghai-lab to better cater to regional consumer
Beauty giant L’Oréal has become the first cosmetics company to reconstruct Chinese skin in order to allow R&D teams to create more region-specific products such as anti-aging serums, whitening creams, and pollution-fighting cleansers in the lucrative Chinese...

Rise in new Taiwanese cosmetic companies help country reach all-time export high
The Taiwanese Ministry of Economic Affairs has announced an all-time high in cosmetic exports in 2017 thanks in part to a rise in new cosmetic brands being launched abroad and achieving success in countries such as China. The total amount of cosmetic products exported...

Unilever Philippines plans plastic sachet recycling facility
Unilever Philippines is said to be considering the possibility of building a plastic sachet recycling facility in the country, according to a report published by the Business Inquirer. The Anglo-Dutch FMCG giant will assess the profitability of a pilot scheme in...

South Korean government to help boost K-beauty presence in ASEAN markets
The South Korean government has pledged to assist the K-beauty camp in growing its presence in the ASEAN market, according to a report published by Yonhap News. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will run a series of educational programs for manufacturers on customs...

South Korea leads pack in driving uniform cosmetics regulation in Asia by 2019
South Korea is set to bring a uniformed change in the South Asian cosmetics market by 2019, with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announcing it will form a new council with ASEAN member countries to create standardized regulations. The move is hoped to allow South...

Sephora continues India expansion with a further 50 stores set to open by 2022
Beauty retailer Sephora has upped its expansion into the Indian cosmetics market with the announcement it will launch 10 stores a year in the country, with the retailer aiming to hit 50 stores in the next three to four years. Operating in the country in partnership...

Thai government issues health warning after penis whitening trend goes viral
The Thai Public Health Ministry has issued a warning after images of a Thai man undergoing a whitening treatment on his penis went viral, according to a report published by the BBC. The ministry has warned of the possible side effects such a treatment could provoke,...

Laneige names Kim You jung as new face
Laneige has named actress Kim You jung as the new face of the brand, according to a report published by The Straits Times. Kim will replace K-drama stalwart Song Hye kyo from March. Song has fronted the K-beauty brand’s campaigns for the past 10 years, and will now...

Kidults: SK Planet reports surge in make-up sales to South Korean children
Elementary school pupils in South Korea are snapping up make-up at an astonishing rate, according to a report published by Branding in Asia. E-commerce platform SK Planet reported a 251 percent leap in sales of cosmetics to children in 2016, while a study posted on...

Counterfeit South Korean products said to be flooding Chinese-speaking countries
A large number of counterfeit South Korean cosmetic products are said to be flooding Chinese-speaking countries, according to a report by Business Korea. It is thought that Hong Kong custom’s officers seized a significant amount of counterfeit products during the...
LATEST NEWS