Beauty product innovation is incorporating some unconventional inspiration. On the one hand, a number of beauty brands are joining forces with unlikely collaborators including food and drink brands. On the other hand, food and drink brands themselves are launching their own beauty products.
As explored in the Mintel Trend Extend my Brand, consumers’ desire for novelty is pushing brands to refresh their existing product ranges with innovative offerings that intrigue and delight the senses.
Here, we explore some innovative product launches from across the APAC region that demonstrate this playful fusion:
7-Eleven Coffee Scrub (Australia)
7-Eleven has entered the beauty world with a limited edition Coffee Body Scrub. And just like its signature coffee, a jar of coffee scrub costs only $1. The scrub is designed to demonstrate that the coffee used to make 7-Eleven’s beverages is real, freshly ground beans rather than instant coffee. According to Mintel Global Consumer data, 61% of Australian consumers think it’s worth paying more for products of a higher quality.
As with most coffee scrubs, this promises to exfoliate the skin, remove dead skin cells and soften and hydrate the skin with its added nourishing oils.
Source: 7-Eleven Australia
Flushed Dumplings (China)
About four in 10 Chinese female consumers aged 18-49 use blushers. Given its popularity, local cosmetics brand Flower Knows and e-supermarket Freshippo jointly launched ‘blush’ dumplings. The co-branded ‘blush’ dumpling gift box (WOW邂逅花神 “腮红”团子) consists of Peach & Cheese-, Poi & Milk- and Chestnut & Cream-flavoured dumplings.
Source: FOODaily
Kopiko Lips (Indonesia)
Indonesian coffee candy brand, Kopiko, collaborated with local beauty brand Studio Tropik to launch the Coffee Lip Treat, a lip moisturiser with the distinct and familiar aroma of Kopiko. The vegan-friendly lip oil comes in two variants – Americano: Berry Wine and Cappuccino: Nude Milky Brown. It contains caffeine and nourishing Arabica coffee seed oil meant to moisturise lips and give them a sheer tint. According to Studio Tropik’s Instagram page, it sold over 2,000 of its Coffee Lip Treats in the first week of launch.
Source: Studio Tropik
Sake bath (Japan)
Deriving from the long-held Japanese folk wisdom that using sake to bathe in does good to one’s skin and warms one’s body, Fukumitsuya, a sake brand with a history spanning four centuries, has for the first time produced a sake designed especially for this purpose.
Source: Sora News 24
Sugarcane cosmetics (Thailand)
Sugarcane is more commonly used in drinks in Southeast Asia and is already known as a natural ingredient in the region. Mitr Phol, Asia’s biggest sugar and bio-energy producer, launched skincare products made from sugarcane. Aside from being sugar-based, the Hydrating Sugar Body Wash and Hydrating Sugar Foaming Hand Wash include other nourishing ingredients such as jojoba oil, lactic acid and Vitamin E, which help moisturise and soothe the skin.
Source: Manager Online
What’s next
Extensions come in many forms for beauty, food and drink brands. Consumers’ rising disposable incomes in the APAC region motivate them to seek new and meaningful experiences. This presents an opportunity for brands to take a strategic new direction, for instance, crossing over to different sectors to capture consumers’ changing needs and lifestyles.
