Asia’s innovations offer tailored solutions

Equally for formulators looking for inspiration, there is a great deal of innovative product development taking place in Japanese and Korean laboratories; two countries now becoming synonymous with cosmetic innovation. For instance, Japanese consumers are already well ahead of the curve in terms of DNA testing. This has for sometime been talked about by futurologists as a way to ensure that products are manufactured perfectly for the individual. Testing DNA is now increasingly popular as a way to target disease predisposition and other physical factors through the use of home DNA testing kits which can be bought in drugstores. Over the next few years the DNA testing industry is expected to grow considerably, and with it the desire for more and more products specifically tailored to the individual. 

Tailored to the individual’s needs

One cosmetics company in Japan, Pola, is going some way towards this goal within the cosmetics industry and has launched a brand which offers 2.56 million combinations of its skin care offering, and customers are able to identify which one is suitable for them by using the company’s skin analyser. Of course, in-store skin analysers are not new but the overall offering is certainly a glimpse into the future. Sales of the new Pola Apex range have shown a 70% increase¹ on the previous non-tailored version, which indicates that they are providing what the consumer wants. The marketing text for the Pola Apex product says it involves: “…conducting a cell-level skin condition test for each customer and compiling a chart of ingredients and prescription based on the test results. The skin is not judged in isolation but taking into account the various factors that affect it including the season, the region, age, lifestyle, health and so on, and holistic skincare advice is then offered.”²