It seems that the trends that have made the biggest splash recently have all originated in Asia, the most notable being BB creams.
Originally developed in Germany in the 60’s to protect skin after surgery, BB creams were introduced in South Korea in 1985. They became hugely popular, touted as the secret to Korean actresses beautiful skin. Their popularity spread to other Asian countries and led to the introduction of BB creams in the U.S. in 2012. They have become the latest must-have product for every woman, and many men.
BB creams are marketed as multi-taskers that not only cover but also treat acne, sun damage and wrinkles. To do this well they must be applied carefully and Taiki has developed a cosmetics sponge specifically for BB cream application. The patented Duo Sponge has a thin layer of TPP sponge laminated to an NBR core. The top layer provides a soft and luxurious surface to smooth on the cream; the barrier between the layers prevents absorption for less waste and mess.
So what other Asian trends are headed West? We canvassed the beauty industry and here are our predictions.
Mineral bath in a bottle
For centuries, Koreans have been visiting jimilbang, baths infused with minerals, ginseng, iris, peach flowers and antioxidants. After what would have to be an amazing smelling soak, the skin is scrubbed removing impurities and dead skin. These ingredients have been bottled and can be spritzed on the skin. A quick scrub later and pore clogging cells and sebum are gone.
Mask your beauty
Japanese women have enjoyed masks for centuries. Geishas used a still to extract botanical essences, soak a piece of silk from a kimono in it, and then apply to the face. More recently, gel and non woven masks have been used to deliver treatments directly to the skin. Taiki has witnessed a huge demand for masks in Asia, with over 125 million delivered in 2012. Gel masks, like Taiki’s Aquatic Mask, can deliver anti-aging and moisturizing ingredients more effectively to the skin because so little of it is lost to evaporation. This mask technology also releases active ingredients into the skin. Non woven masks conform to the skin and deliver targeted lightening and anti-aging benefits. Many mask-based products popular in Asia are already being offered by the major U.S. brands.
Facial abuse
Asian women have long been brushing their faces and many Westerners have discovered the benefits of a facial brush. What we haven’t adopted (yet) is applying moisturizer with slaps to the face. Described as “patting with force”, Korean women believe that this will stimulate circulation and increase the energy in the skin. Although there is no particular product associated with this trend, we hope that it will become popular because the idea of women slapping themselves in the face is too comical to not want to see.
Whether it’s masks or slapping, we have our eye on developments in Asia to know what is coming next in beauty products design.