Beauty, Evolved: IMCD empowers beauty and personal care brands in Southeast Asia

The Southeast Asian beauty and personal care industry is undergoing rapid growth, driven by shifting consumer preferences and innovation in product development. At the forefront of this transformation is IMCD, a leader in specialty chemicals and ingredients distribution. At in-cosmetics Asia 2024 in Bangkok, IMCD highlighted its Beauty Studio, a groundbreaking platform designed to simplify and accelerate the formulation process for brands, showcasing their commitment to innovation and regional expertise.

IMCD's booth at in-cosmetics Asia, held  from 5-7 November 2024 at BITEC in Bangkok, Thailand

During the trade show, Jim Yumang, Marketing Specialist for APAC Beauty & Personal Care, and Wendi Lim, Marketing & Communications Director for APAC discussed IMCD’s initiatives in the region.

Mr Yumang, with experience in marketing strategy and formulation innovation, leads efforts in aligning IMCD’s solutions with Asia-Pacific’s dynamic beauty trends, and Ms Lim oversees the strategic branding and regional initiatives, and ensures that IMCD’s message resonates across diverse markets.

Together in the following interview, Jim and Wendi (in photo) share how IMCD allow brands to stay ahead in this highly competitive landscape while addressing market opportunities and challenges.

Tell us about IMCD’s activities, in relation to the promotion of beauty and personal care ingredients in Southeast Asia. 

At In-Cosmetics Asia, we showcased the Beauty Studio, a service designed to help customers accelerate their formulation processes. It enables them to stay ahead of trends and supports those without a comprehensive product development system to remain competitive.

The Beauty Studio consists of two key elements:

Chassis Wall: A collection of base formulations, varying in texture and consistency, developed by our technical experts at the IMCD B&PC Asia Pacific laboratories. These formulations serve as blank canvases ready to be customized with actives, sensory enhancers, and other hero ingredients to be standout products.

Digital Selector Tool: A platform that allows customers to select specific ingredient criteria added to the bases, making the customization process efficient and intuitive.

Together, these tools empower our customers to innovate with ease.

How would you describe the market for beauty and personal care in Southeast Asia? What are the growth opportunities as well as the challenges?
The Southeast Asian beauty and personal care market is growing at an incredible pace, and we’re excited to collaborate with our customers to capitalize on this momentum. While skincare remains a dominant category, we’re also seeing immense opportunities in color cosmetics and sun care. By leveraging our active and functional ingredients alongside our technical, marketing, and commercial expertise, we help our customers thrive in these booming segments.

However, there are challenges. Imported goods often dominate consumer preferences, which can overshadow local manufacturers. Additionally, the increasing number of entrepreneurs entering the market raises competition. For brands to succeed, they must carve out unique niches and differentiate their products.

From the consumer point of view, each market has its own nuances and demands. We also understand that every market in Southeast Asia is unique. That’s why we focus on tailoring solutions to the specific needs and preferences of each country.

What products and services were presented by IMCD booth at in-cosmetics Asia?

The key to standing out in the market is to differentiate. However, consumers still like some familiarity in the ingredients they already know work well with their skin. This is the reason why we’ve chosen the theme “Beauty, Evolved” in In-Cosmetics Asia, where we try to guide the evolution of products via hero ingredients – key components of the product that can easily connect with consumers but each have their own special differentiating factor to stand out. This could be new chemical derivatives, delivery systems, sustainable alternatives, or another differentiating characteristic.

Via the Beauty Studio and the latest technologies from our partner suppliers, we’re able to create custom formulations that make use of evolved hero ingredients. We’ve showcased three sets aligned with three of the biggest trends we’re seeing in Asia-Pacific:

Prejuvenation: Maintain youthful skin and protect against aggressors. Ideal for the expanding Gen Z and millennials market who are increasingly becoming the biggest demographic of anti-aging products in Asia.

Skinification: Non-skincare formulations that offer skincare benefits to treat the skin’s health while providing aesthetic or protective effects.

Dermocosmetics: formulations that feature the green philosophies of clean beauty, while incorporating the latest in scientific innovation to show that you don’t have to compromise efficacy for sustainability.

Outside of our booth, we also featured two spotlight products: the Serenity Serum Stick, a highly-natural lightweight stick that provides on-the-go protection against everyday aggressors, and the Pro-Restore Serum Gel Pad – a biodegradable microemulsion jelly patch that heals and repairs skin overnight. These formulations were designed by our technical experts to also align with the latest in Asian beauty trends.

Among innovations showcased at IMCD's Beauty Studio: HA-Collagen Duo Creme,  GlowVibes Retinoid Serum, Biomimetic Peptide Sleeping Mask, Skin Barrier Strengthening Night Cream,  Hyper Hydration Body Spritz, Youth Potion Facial Mist

IMCD also featured the following beauty products: Hyaluron - Serum Shot,  Wide Awake Countouring Drops,  Precision LIne Filler, Spot Eraser, The No-Needle Solution,  PepTEye Depuffing Treatment 

Kindly share the unique features of these products/brands. 

The hero ingredients we’ve introduced are cutting-edge innovations developed by our partner suppliers. These ingredients help brands differentiate their products and connect with consumers looking for high performance and unique benefits.

Beyond the ingredients, we offer support throughout the product development journey. Our labs across Asia-Pacific help with formulation, and our Technical Centers of Excellence conduct tests like SPF, texture analysis, product performance, and other evaluation analyses. We just recently opened one of these centers in Jakarta, which can substantiate product performance like skin brightening, sebum control, moisturization, and even microbial stability to ensure that we’re not exaggerating our claims and assist our customers to build trust with their own customers.

Digitalization is increasingly a part of the product formulation/development process.  Can you tell us about IMCD’s expertise in the area of high-tech formulation?

We’ve embraced digitalization to streamline the product development process. Our platform, MyIMCD allows customers to browse ingredients, access technical documentation, place orders, and track purchases — all in one place.

This 24/7 platform gives customers the flexibility to collaborate with us anytime, ensuring a smooth and efficient journey from concept to commercialization.

What are your expectations for 2025, particularly for the beauty and personal care market in the region? Which countries have strong potential, and why?

Based on hard numbers, the Southeast Asia beauty and personal care market will grow stronger than ever in 2025. We’re seeing ballooning growths in key segments that we mentioned earlier, with the entire market set to become one of the key regions to watch globally in the coming years.

Even though imported goods are being funneled through and used by Southeast Asian consumers, a strong sense of pride for locally produced goods and developments in local innovations within the region enable a strong native manufacturing industry, particularly in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

Australia is another market to watch, due to their more stringent regulations that foster a unique product identity that favors safety and sustainability, which are key characteristics that consumers are increasingly looking for globally.