Celebrating the inherent connection between beauty brands and their countries of origin, CF’s Around the World In Beauty series celebrates the very best products from each continent. Our next stop on the tour is Asian beauty.
Asia is certainly bursting with beauty innovations. After all, it’s the continent that gave us not only two of skincare’s biggest trending categories – K-Beauty, aka Korean Beauty, and J-Beauty from Japan – but also traditional healing Ayurvedic remedies from countries such as India.
The former helped transform the skincare market – by launching sheet masks onto the world stage and inspiring the ‘glass skin’ trend for a glossy, smooth skin finish – while the latter continues to bring selfcare and holistic health into our beauty routines across haircare and bodycare.
With so many options available, read on to discover the best Asian beauty brands that the CF team trust to enrich your routine…
Japan
J-Beauty brands offer a paradise for skincare lovers searching for formulas that deeply hydrate, lock-in moisture and provide a healthy-looking glossy radiance to your skin. With innovative textures that pack-a-punch while still feeling lightweight, you can discover watery, gentle lotions that nourish, as well as glow-boosting makeup powders that drape over rather than sitting heavily on your skin. Japanese beauty culture also predominately focuses on preventive beauty rituals (rather than tackling concerns after they arise), so you can expect gentle anti-ageing solutions for all skin types and tones.
While other continents 'fight signs of ageing' – Shiseido neatly eptiomises the brilliance of Japanese skincare: its focus on a care-based approach to maximising skin health as we age. Backed by over 25 years of research, Shiseido has supercharged traditional lightweight lotions to help them better deal with our busy, modern lifestyles. That means that the formulas not only hydrate but protect against free radical damage, which keeps the irritating, drying and wrinkling effects of stress, pollution and fatigue at bay.
The Japanese technique of 'double moisturisation' – the layering of multiple lightweight serums and lotions for a really hydrated glow – is the gentle yet effective approach that may help you step away from harsh exfoliators. Sensai delivers it with a particular flourish, using hyaluronic acid-stimulating and deeply nourishing Koishimaru Silk to maximise hydration and the textures of their formulas are second-to-none on the skin.
If you would like your skincare routine to feel more like a luxurious selfcare ritual, turn to Clé de Peau Beauté. From the serums silky smooth textures that you'll actually enjoy applying, to the clever cosmetic scientists behind the balancing formulas, each product is designed to maximise enjoyment and results. This one is powered by a trio of algaes, known for their ability to soothe, brighten and plump all skin types.
One of the largest Japanese-born beauty brands in the world, DHC helped change industry insiders' approach to cleansing. Instead of stripping, aggressive formulas, the classic oil-based formula is celebrated for effortlessly melting away even waterproof makeup, while also providing the perfect opportunity to give yourself a tension-relieving massage.
Liposome by Decorté is one of Japan's best-selling serums and for good reason – it put Nobel Prize-winning liposome technology on the global skincare stage. Liposomes are an encapsulation technique that allows ingredients to penetrate deeper into the skin and keeps them there, which is how this moisture-locking formula helps transforms drier complexions.
From gradianted blushes that provide a more natural-looking glow to your complexion, to creamy lip colours that melt effortlessly into your pout, SUQQU makes accomplishing ‘no makeup’ makeup easy. The products are all designed to be gentle on your skin and, before you apply them, you can also benefit from the award-winning Gankin facial massage technique that the brand guides you through online to sculpt and brighten.
Korea
If there’s a modern beauty trend brewing, Korean Beauty is likely to have been involved in it – just consider sheet masks, spot stickers and niche ingredient spotlighting such as tea and even snail mucin. Beauty founders with Korean heritage, many of which live and work in America with joint citizenship, are also renowned for wanting to share (rather than gatekeep) their beauty secrets, meaning clever and innovative solutions for your common concerns, focusing on caring and protective formulas.
Innisfree is a celebration of the rich natural resources of the Korean peninsula, specifically 14 ingredients grown on the fertile mineral-rich volcanic soil of Jeju Island, which you can experience without breaking the bank. A hero ingredient for the brand is green tea, where everything from leaf to stem is used in face creams, serums and eye serums to maximise antioxidant protection against the sun and pollution, as well as moisturisation. It's no surprises that the ingredient is now trending on a global scale.
This lip mask transformed our beauty editor's pout and is always in her hand luggage for long-haul flights: in fact, it even helped her overcome her lip balm addiction. The secret to its success also powers the Laneige brand as a whole – instead of relying on heavy oils to moisturise, it focuses on innovative water-based formulas that are lightweight and work with rather than against your skin for the best results.
Cica is one of the biggest skincare ingredients trends to come out of K-Beauty and we have Dr Jart+'s Cicapair to definitely thank for bringing it to the global audience. Known for being able to soothe redness, irritation and the effects of breakouts, this colour-correcting tint with SPF protection is a quick and easy way to get the glossy, glowy skin that is so popular in Asia, even if you don't have a naturally clear complexion.
Snail mucin may sound, well, a little bit gross, but it's actually one of the biggest social media talking points in beauty right now – with millions of views on Tiktok for its hydrating and glow-boosting properties. That's due to K-Beauty brands like COSRX and specifically this world-leading essence. Designed to limit moisture-loss from your skin, the snail mucin filtrate is rich in hyaluronic acid. peptides, and antioxidants, and because it has a lightweight lotion texture you get an instant fresh-faced look too.
Founded by Charlotte Cho, who was inspired by the Korean cultural value of 'jeong' – a meaningful connection between people and places and things – its not hyperbole to say that Then I Met You is one of the most exciting brands in beauty right now. With cabinets full of awards and many a 'best product of the year' nominations, the formulas celebrate Korean ingredients such as persimmon, gingseng and fermented rice that have been supercharged in state-of-the-art research facilities in Seoul. This fluffy cleansing balm will brighten up your face wash routine.
Things are juicy over at Glow Recipe where Korean-American co-founders are inspired by the skin-replenishing qualities of fruit concentrates (plus actives such as vitamin C and hyaluronic acid) to power their skincare products, which are designed to easily get people taking on social media. The first product they launched, for example, was this Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask – using one of Korea's most popular fruits and a traditional skin-soothing ingredient as part of a bouncy-textured formula that recharges your complexion overnight.
Peach & Lily actually started as a supplier site that brought the excitement of some of Korean's best K-Beauty brands – including some incredible sheet masks – to the American market. Then, after spotting that gap in the market, founder Alicia Yoon went one step further and launched her own Korean-inspired products, including this best-selling Glass Skin Refining Serum that is packed with glow-boosting actives. The only downside is that the shipping costs outside the States remain high.
India
India has such a rich and notable heritage when it comes to beauty – from its fragrant flower markets that are increasingly inspiring perfumers across the world, to the Ayurvedic herbs and oils that have been trusted for generations to be as health-boosting for your mind and body, as they are for your skin. Indian beauty also turns your beauty routine into a selfcare ritual that is designed to nourish and enrich from head-to-toe, with particularly noticeable results when it comes to shiny hair, lit-from-within radiance and even tension-relieving remedies that make you both look and feel less stressed.
Indian-American influencer (and Live Tinted founder) Deepica Mutyala might be familiar to you as the individual who went viral in 2015 by showing how to use lipstick to neutralise the appearance of hyperpigmentation. Now, her makeup brand is built off the same science of colour therapy, with products that are specifically designed to help you find the perfect skin tone match. A great example is this gradiented powder that allows you to swirl blush and bronzer tones together for a natural-looking glow wherever you happen to need it.
UMA's Wellness Oil is one of the most recommended 'nervous flyer' travel essentials by CF contributors, and it's ability to calm heighten nerves makes sense when you realise that the brand founder, Shrankhla Holecek, has been immersed in Ayurvedic traditions all her life. Her ancestors were Ayurvedic doctors for the Indian Royal family who grew botanical oils in Central India and that same farm-to-face (or pulse point) philospohy enriches the brand to this day.
LilaNur Parfums is India’s first luxury fragrance house, which celebrates the country’s incredible bounty of olfactory riches. Each scent makes use of India's famous flowers, spices, herbs and woods, which are then developed into fragrant journeys with the help of four French master perfumers in Grasse. Plus, as well as providing thoughtprovoking scents that really make an impression on the skin, the brand is designed to help support India's floriculture by driving sustainable work opportunities for rural workers too.
This sibling-founded brand is on a mission to introduce Indian haircare wisdom to the rest of the world, and considering the shine-boosting effects of this award-winning hair oil, it is definitely working. Inspired by the tradition of therapeutic hair oiling, the formula contains Indian botanicals and leading adaptogen ashwagandha to improve the quality and appearance of all hair types. The gorgeous scent only makes the ritual even more enjoyable.
One of India's leading Ayurveda beauty and wellness brand has finally expanded out of its homeland, launching in the UK in June 2023, with the help of parent company Puig. From offering education in Ayurvedic principles to using ancient recipes for its oils and serums, it's a great place to start if you are intrigued by such rituals, especially as each product is recommended according to your dosha as well as general skin concerns. Our beauty editor predicts this is a brand in years to come, we won't stop raving about.
Ilody takes plant actives that have been rooted in Ayurvedic rituals for centuries – Ilody means "garden of the gods" from Sanskrit – and gives them a modern twist, which mirrors the founder Deepika Patel's own exploration of her heritage when growing up in London. This illuminating serum is a particularly good example, considering traditional ingredients such as black tea ferment and tremella mushroom are combined with newly trending gentle exfoliators called PHAs to provide an even better skin glow after use.
If you want a quick introduction to the transformative wellness abilities of Ayurveda – Mauli Rituals are a great place to start. A love letter to the ancestorial roots of British-Indian founding couple Anita and Bittu Kaushal, the products including meditative candles, soothing, purifying clays and oils, as well as these healing salts. Bathing in the scented water they provide makes taking a moment for some healing selfcare feel extra special.
Inspired by the founder's grandmother who still had long, thick, shiny hair into her seventies, Chämpo (which is the Sanskrit term for shampoo) focuses on the ancient Indian practice of cleansing, soothing and massaging the head to boost hair health. Each product is designed with your Ayurvedic dosha in mind – for example, thinning hair can be linked to the Pitta dosha – meaning each formula brings balance to your scalp and hair while treating your overarching concerns.
China and Taiwan
China is well-known as a centre of global commerce and continues to show promise of rapid trade recovery after the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, the Chinese beauty market specifically, according to WWD, could start to rival those of Japan and South Korea in the next five years, powered by its focus on firming, cleansing and anti-ageing routines. Innovation is certainly rife in the Chinese and Taiwanese-American beauty entrepreneur space too, with some of the most popularly sought-after brands of the early 2020s stemming from this creative and results-driven demographic.
When Tatcha finally launched in the UK in 2022, beauty editor’s ran to get their hands on it – having watched their counterparts in the States give it rave reviews for years. The reason: it’s your ticket to ‘just had a facial’ at-home skincare. The Japanese-inspired brand, founded by Taiwan-born, San Francisco-raised entrepreneur Vicky Tsai, takes the essences from ancient Kyoto rituals such as the use of rice water to soften and soothe skin, and supercharges them with modern bioscience to improve penetration and long-term hydration.
Notice the wave of 'gentler' retinoids and exfoliating acids that are on the market currently? UBeauty helped kickstart that movement. Founded by Tina Craig, the products use a patent-pending method of encapsulation that maximises the efficacy of potent actives, and, while the Asian market is known for its layering multi-step routines, the products are designed to offer multitasking benefits for those who prefer a more streamlined routine.
Born to Taiwanese parents, Amy Liu credits both her struggle with eczema and her experience as part of the minority Asian-American community in California with inspiring her to launch her inclusive makeup brand, Tower28. You’ll find the products, including our beauty editor’s favourite blush, in many an insider’s makeup bag.
Alongside his fashion collections, Taiwanese-Canadian designer Jason also has a makeup range which is all about feeling comfortable in your own skin. Focusing on the lips and eyes, if you want to shake up your routine, it’s an easy-to-use approach to self-expression, and this pigment-rich lipstick is not only affordable – it lasts and lasts.
BEST OF THE REST
Asia is such a diverse and large continent, and while, currently, India, Japan and Korean dominate, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there are many countries in the wider region that are slowly but surely building their own influence in beauty on a global scale. First among them are United Arab Emirates – where investment is arguably at its very highest – and Thailand, with its rich heritage in Ayurvedic therapies. Brands from the minds of Singaporean and Vietnamese founders are breaking through too, due to exciting expertise, which is broadening our beauty routines with fresh new approaches to both makeup and skincare.
Patrick Ta is best-known for being the makeup artist behind some of the runways’s most famous faces, including Gigi and Bella Hadid. A ‘king of glow’, the Vietnamese-American’s makeup range has now bottled that flattering ‘lit-from radiance’ he is so known for, with glow-boosting results that look natural and make every skin tone look healthier.
Hearing Nicholas Travis talk about the skincare science behind his Singaporean brand Allies of Skin is fascinating, and his glossy, smooth skin is testament to the fact the formulas really work. If you like to be ahead of the beauty crowd, you’ll find both current and up-and-coming hero ingredients such as peptides, botics and new age stabilised vitamin C, in plenteous supply within his products.
While travels to Thailand offer incredible opportunities to experience a wealth of beauty tinctures, it’s yet to broadly market them on the world stage. Sudtana is helping change that with its farm-to-face hair nourishing products powered by its organic community of local farmers, which can be shipped worldwide. Try it now before the rest of the beauty world gets let in on the secret.
UAE, specifically Dubai, is a fast-growing hub for beauty and aesthetics, so it’s no surprise to see predictions it will become one of Asia’s biggest beauty markets in time. Within makeup, CTZN and it’s trio of Los Angeles-born, Dubai-raised and Pakistani-heritaged sisters as founders is leading the way – providing long-lasting, highly-pigmented formulas that cater for all skin tones.
Probably one of the most successful influencer-launched makeup brands in the industry, HUDA Beauty is the creation of Huda Kattan, an Iraqi-American makeup artist whose parents immigrated to America from Iraq. You have her to thank for powering the super long-lasting liquid lipstick trend and some super covetable eyeshadow palettes. The fragrance brand headed up by her sister Mona – Kayali – which takes you on a fragrance journey through layering scents, is equally beguiling.
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