Many Asian beauty consumers have a deep understanding of skin health, and how it can be affected by internal and external factors including the environment, physical/mental wellness and diet. Detox diets—common within the food and drink industry—and ‘skin detoxing’ have the exact same goal and that is to eliminate impurities from the body and make the skin glow.
While not a new concept in Asia, the term ‘detox’ is less discussed within the beauty space, and is more often described using functional terms such as ‘purifying’, ‘exfoliating’ or ‘deep-cleansing’.
The Asian skincare industry uses the term ‘detox’ less in comparison to Europe. According to Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD), between 2015 to 2017, Asia Pacific accounted for just a fifth of the world’s new skin launches which featured a ‘detox’ claim. Europe, on the other hand, accounted for over half of these products launched in the same time period.
The first line of skin defence starts with cleansing the skin and products for this use terms like ‘purifying’ or ‘brightening’. Brands looking to penetrate Asia should use these terms to describe daily-use skincare products, such as cleansers or serums, that maintain a good skin condition.
While regular skin maintenance will minimise clogged pores, drawing out impurities requires a more intensive skin treatment or a ‘skin detox’. This is where products such as clay or mud masks with concentrated formats should be used.
Boosting your mornings with a skin detox
Clay or mud masks are gaining popularity as an intensive skincare solution featuring highly-absorbent ingredients that draw out impurities and tighten pores when it dries. This mask format is most commonly-used in the evenings.
As Asians largely practice body detoxes in the morning to kickstart the day, a similar concept could be applied to masks that strengthen skin barriers in combating against external stressors experienced through the day. In fact, Mintel research reveals that a quarter of female consumers use rinse-off masks in the mornings.
The usage occasion (day or night) could dictate the mask’s format. This can drive the respective detox claims which will appeal to consumers who use rinse-off masks as a thorough skin treatment. Skin Inc’s latest offering, Oxy Recharge Bubble Mask, is a great example of a detox mask that can be used in the morning as it recharges, detoxes, peels and brightens skin in just 30 seconds.
Skin Inc’s Oxy Recharge Bubble Mask