Hot topics: Top 5 beauty and cosmetics stories trending on our socials right now

Beauty consumers want humid-proof make-up that feels like ‘second skin’ – Kosé Singapore​​

Demand for light, barely-there make-up that can resist humidity while also providing some skin care benefits will endure post-pandemic, especially in warm, equatorial climates.

While masks may no longer be needed features such as transfer-proof will continue to be important, especially in the hot and humid marktes, claims Kosé Singapore.

Products like its bestselling Comfort Make-up Cream from Esprique were developed for such conditions.

Sephora’s ‘next-gen’ site mixes high-tech tools with the human touch​

Beauty omnichannel retailer Sephora says it is incorporating digital technology with the human touch via its first Asia ‘next-gen’ store in Singapore.

The 426-square metre space was three years in the making, envisioned to be the next-generation store with “technology at the heart of its design”, said Alia Gogi, President of Sephora Asia.

The new store is the result of the omnichannel retailers’ research and study to understand how technology could help “unlock” the beauty consumers’ journey.

Japanese dermatologists link hair loss to COVID-induced ‘cytokine storm’​

A team of Japanese dermatologists believe COVID-19-related hair loss is likely due to the overproduction of cytokine that is typically associated with the disease.

In a letter to the Journal of Dermatology​, a team of dermatologists from Japan said it is likely that various hair loss symptoms will emerge following the outbreak of COVID-19.

The researchers hypothesised that hair loss could be attributed to the “overzealous cytokine production”​ associated with the COVID-19 illness.

Food start-up pushing mushroom mycelium as natural and sustainable ingredient for cosmetics​

A Singapore-based food start-up cultivating mushroom mycelium as an alternative protein source believes it can also serve the cosmetics industry as a natural, sustainable, and completely food-safe ingredient.

According to the start-up, mushroom mycelium is the equivalent of a juvenile-stage mushroom.

As a cosmetic ingredient, mushroom mycelium taps into several trends in the market, such as the insatiable consumer demand for natural, safe, and effective ingredients.

How to win over… protective mothers in a rapidly growing baby personal care market​

We reveal exclusive insights from established and rising baby care brands on what it takes to earn the trust of protective parents and why Asia Pacific is the hotbed of growth for this sector.

Health and wellness are highest on the consumer agenda, and this market is no exception. When it comes to baby care, safety is the biggest concern for parents.

This is a particularly sensitive topic in Asia Pacific, where parents today are still haunted by the Chinese milk scandal of 2008. This tragedy saw over 300,000 children in China poisoned and six dead from consuming melamine-laced infant milk formula.