Beauty trend in South East Asia 2024
Introduction
When it comes to the Asian beauty market, China, Japan and South Korea – the 3 biggest cosmetic locations – are fast becoming saturated. Brands searching for the new ‘golden opportunity’ in the region could geographically diversify and focus on South East Asia (SEA) – a region pitched to see double digit growth in the beauty sector over the next decade. Among learning new buying locations, online touchpoints and reimagining go-to-market strategies, brands will need to take a deep dive into the audience of SEA beauty buyers.
To help, this deck explores current usage of beauty products in SEA, product discovery patterns, social media’s relationship with the industry, and a few beauty trends taking the region by storm.
1. Make-up is back to its former (pre-pandemic) glory
We don’t think you’d be surprised about the slump in make-up purchases throughout Covid-19; lockdowns and less social occasions saw demand dry up. But the number purchasing make-up has rebounded since then.
The year-on-year increase of make-up purchases saw the biggest jump from lower income consumers in SEA, likely as inflationary pressures have cooled, and discretionary spending becomes easier to justify as economic outlooks brighten. What’s more, cosmetic sales rocketed +23% among Gen Z in the region, along with hairstyling products which also saw 30% growth.
It’s clear the region is stepping up its buying intentions in the beauty sector – particularly as younger, and less affluent consumers re-join the purchasing demographics. For brands, this data reinforces the golden opportunity in SEA right now as demand reaches new highs.
2. Getting to grips with SEA beauty buyers
Around 6 in 10 (62%) beauty buyers in SEA are female, and by majority, are married millennials living in, or close to, big urban cities.
One thing that sets beauty buyers in SEA apart from the rest of the world is their approach to beauty research. Over half say they trust what online reviews say about products and are more inclined to put the leg work in to read up on new purchases before buying them – expensive or not. Male buyers in the region will more often reach for the premium version of products, while female beauty buyers in SEA are happier to opt for mid-range goods. What’s more, their more focused on deal-hunting as nearly 7 in 10 women look to use discount codes.
We can see that while each audience in SEA has its own nuances, brands can begin to lean into this consumer group through an effective strategy with pricing deals, and a wealth of useful product information – peppered on social platforms, brand-owned sites, and in-store.
3. Most used cosmetic products every week
Female beauty buyers in SEA are more likely than global beauty buyers to use lip make-up, facial skincare, and face make-up. L’Oreal and Maybelline are popular in the region, with 26% of beauty buyers in SEA using either of them each week.
While the use of other face products like blusher and mascara have remained mostly flat in previous years, lip make-up has ramped up – jumping 11% since Q3 2021. In some instances, using lip make-up in SEA markets outshines Western markets; for instance, more beauty fans in Philippines and Indonesia use it than those in the UK, France and the USA. On the flip side, hairstyling and coloring has an under-average demand in SEA and hasn’t reached the level of desire seen in the West, or neighbors like South Korea and Japan.
With these nuances in mind, brands should look to evaluate beauty buyers’ cosmetic usage before taking on this market, and it’s here our data can help.
4. Livestreaming is beauty’s best friend in SEA
The attention on livestreaming in recent years has been sharply focused on larger markets like China and South Korea in the East, but it’s time to broaden the horizon.
You might think China’s livestreaming prowess is unmatched - let's stop you there. More beauty buyers in Vietnam (58%) have used TikTok to watch a livestream than in China (53%). The growth of livestreaming on the app in SEA – +9% since Q2 2021 - is a good indicator that this type of content is increasingly favored by consumers, and is likely to land even if it takes place outside of TikTok.
It will allow brands to connect with shoppers in a personalised and interactive way, meaning beauty brands can build up strong online communities and generate sales through a wider array of channels.
5. Social is a hit, but don’t forget vlogs
Like other beauty buyers around the world, most of SEA consumers do their research through social channels. They are more than 40% more likely to use TikTok (86% do) and over 50% more likely to use Pinterest.
But we see other nuances at play here too. For younger consumers, traditional search and social is being supplemented with micro-blogs, vlogs, and mood-boarding. All 3 enter the frame as they continue inspiration-driven search journeys. For example, in the region, 66% of beauty buyers who use Pinterest are looking for style and beauty information there compared to less than half of users outside of the region.
Brands may therefore want to explore injecting content on wider platforms, particularly those that have added shopping features – like Pinterest and TikTok.
6. Putting the ‘beauty’ in beauty sleep
Beauty products have the potential to act in both aesthetic and remedial ways. For SEA consumers, this is a big deal. This is only more important as the wellness industry takes off, meaning beauty brands have an opportunity to bridge the gap and provide relief for consumers who may otherwise be looking for solutions in other places.
Compared to the average consumer in the region, SEA beauty buyers are more likely to suffer from skin and sleep related issues, so finding products that work in their favor is a bonus – and might turn the tide when it comes to purchase.
Gen Z are hit hardest by sleep issues, so brands where young consumers are their main target may want to explore beauty lines that offer wellness support outside of conventional care. Aesop is one example of offering targeted wellness remedies in their products, such as their flight spray, or brands like Oto and their sleep drops.
