A Heritage Japanese Beauty House
Defining Vegan Skincare across ANZ, Korea and Singapore
The Challenge
In a world of “clean”, “natural” and “ethical” beauty, what does vegan skincare truly mean, and why should it matter?
The skincare category is full of good intentions but low clarity. Terms like clean, natural, ethical beauty carry overlapping – and often confusing – meanings. When it comes to vegan skincare, consumers associate it with safety, plant-based ingredients, or sustainability, but rarely with proven efficacy, a trait that is ultimately most valued in the market.
For the brand, the risk wasn’t standing out, it was being misunderstood. To succeed, vegan skincare needs to not feel like a compromise or a passing fad. It needed to earn credibility as a high-performance choice that aligns with consumer values without sacrificing efficacy or trust.
The Approach
To define a credible role, we first had to understand how people actually decide on what skincare to use or purchase
Rather than starting with category definitions, we explored how consumers think, feel and choose when it comes to skincare – what reassures them, what raises skepticism, what ultimately drives purchase.
We decoded how vegan skincare is understood across markets, mapped the emotional and functional trade-offs consumers make, and identified where trust is built or lost. Grounding insights in local realities allowed us to define a clear, differentiated role for vegan skincare – one that felt both responsible and results-driven.
Key Insights
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“Vegan skincare” means different things, and not all meanings are positive
In ANZ, it signals ethics and sustainability. In Korea, safety and gentleness – often perceived as less potent in a market obsessed with cutting-edge, high-efficacy ingredients. In Singapore, vegan skincare is frequently met with skepticism, raising doubts around efficacy and whether it is “strong enough” to deliver results. A single global definition risks reinforcing these doubts rather than overcoming them.
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In efficacy-led markets, safety is not enough
Highly mature skincare markets, particularly Korea, are primed to seek results through advanced experimental ingredients (e.g. snail mucin, biotech actives). While vegan skincare cues health and safety, it is often subconsciously positioned as a trade-off against performance.
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Sensitive skin is where vegan skincare can win most credibly
Across markets, consumers with sensitive or reactive skin are more open to vegan skincare – valuing its association with gentleness, reduced irritation, and skin compatibility. This creates a credible entry point where safety and efficacy are not opposing forces, but complementary benefits. There is an opportunity here to position vegan skincare as high-performance care designed for sensitive skin, rather than a blanket ethical choice.