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23-OCT-26 · Culture & Consumers

Last Week in Beauty & Wellness: Wellness Sampling, Scalp Care and a Korean Pharmacy Brand in Japan

Six stories from 12 to 18 October 2026, and what they tell brands growing in China and Asia.

Each week we pick the stories that say the most about how consumers discover, compare and trust beauty, wellness and health products. Here are six from 12 to 18 October 2026, with our reading of each.

1. IPSY launches IPSY Wellness

On 15 October, IPSY announced IPSY Wellness, a quarterly membership that brings its curated discovery model into wellness. Members choose from three collections, Skin, Hair and Total Wellness, each with four products including supplements, treatments and tools. Goli, Sakara and Apothékary feature at launch. IPSY's own research found that 69% of members surveyed won't commit to a routine without sampling first, and that 66% are interested in wellness but feel overwhelmed by the options.

Our reading: wellness is bought on trial and trust. People want to try a product and understand why it works for them before they make it part of their day. That holds just as strongly for consumers in China and Asia, where shoppers compare carefully before they commit.

2. Scalp care borrows from skincare

Head & Shoulders unveiled a Scalp Care Collection on 15 October: three regimens built on skincare ingredients, Scalp Soothe with Niacinamide, Scalp Purify with Salicylic Acid and Scalp Restore with Bio-Ceramides. The same week, Retail Beauty reported that Caudalie is entering haircare for the first time with a Hair Density Serum, developed over six years of research around its grapeseed-derived Vineoxyl technology.

Our reading: skincare language now sells haircare. When a brand moves into a new category, a clear ingredient story is what makes the step easy to trust. It is also what gives people something to share when they recommend a product.

3. Coty launches the Coty Fragrance Club

Also on 15 October, Coty launched the Coty Fragrance Club in Paris: a global community that brings fragrance experts, educators, creators and community leaders together with Coty's fragrance teams. Members from four regions, China among them, joined the launch with perfumers including Nathalie Lorson and Fabrice Pellegrin, and the club will continue as an ongoing exchange on consumer behaviour, culture and innovation.

Our reading: categories grow around the people who talk about them. Listening to those voices early, and giving them a real role, is where lasting demand starts.

4. Luxury beauty moves into pet care

Jing Daily reported on 14 October that beauty houses are moving into pet care. Jo Malone London launched an Orange Blossom & Cedarwood dog shampoo with pet-care specialist WildWash, and Rituals introduced a Dog Care collection of 11 products, from shampoo to paw balm and an air and fabric freshener. In China, the urban dog and cat market reached RMB 300.2 billion in 2024, up 7.5%, according to the 2025 China Pet Industry White Paper cited by Daxue Consulting, as owners spend more on each animal.

Our reading: self-care now reaches the whole household. The interesting part for brands is the replenishable routine: shampoo runs out and balm gets used, so the real test is the second purchase.

5. REVICLE enters Japan

On 13 October, The Asia Business Daily reported that REVICLE, a Korean cosmeceutical brand sold only through pharmacies at home, has entered Japan through the beauty and drugstore chain ainz&tulpe. Sales began on 8 October at major stores including Shinjuku in Tokyo, with plans to reach around 80 ainz&tulpe stores across Japan.

Our reading: proof at home makes the next market easier. A brand that already understands its first customers arrives with a story people can trust, and that story travels across Asia.

6. Shanghai moves to cancel lapsed cosmetics filings

On 14 October, the Shanghai Medical Products Administration published a notice listing general cosmetics whose filings it plans to cancel because the filer did not submit the 2026 annual report. In China, filers of general cosmetics must submit an annual report between 1 January and 31 March for every product filed for more than a year. Filers have 15 days to object. Zhejiang and Liaoning published similar notices the same day.

Our reading: in China, compliance continues long after launch. Keeping filings current is part of keeping a product on sale.

The thread

  • Let people try first. Trial turns interest into a routine.
  • Explain the ingredients clearly. A clear story makes a new category easy to trust.
  • Listen to the community. Categories grow around the people who talk about them.
  • Build routines people return to. The second purchase is the real test.
  • Keep compliance current. It keeps the product on sale.

In every story, trust was built close to the consumer. That is how ÉDELSKIN helps beauty, wellness and healthcare brands grow in China and Asia.

Which of these six would shape your brand's next move in China and Asia? We would be glad to hear.

About ÉDELSKIN

ÉDELSKIN is an international commercialization company helping beauty, wellness and healthcare brands enter and grow in China and selected Asian markets. edelskin.com

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