- Increased environmental consciousness in younger consumers drives strong market growth
- VEOCEL™ expects further growth potential in the personal hygiene segment whilst demand for beauty care products remains strong
4 August 2021, Lenzing – Globally, the hygiene components market is predicted to grow to USD92.5 billion by 20221, while the facial sheet masks market is forecasted to reach USD14 billion by 20302. This strong market growth is reflected in Lenzing’s VEOCEL™ brand story in Asia where the brand recorded a staggering double-digit growth in the last year, compared to the pre-pandemic period. It is expected that the high demand for personal hygiene products in Asia will continue, even after the pandemic’s immediate impact lessens, whilst the beauty care segment is also forecasted for high growth.
In particular, the beauty care product trend has started to gain more prevalence in Southeast Asia. Strong growth potential is driven by the rise of environmental consciousness among younger consumers and VEOCEL™ has been actively expanding its partner and customer networks in the region.
Steven Tsai, Senior Regional Commercial Director for Nonwovens Asia, Lenzing, said, “We have observed a significant behavioral change in consumers since the beginning of the pandemic. As people spend more time at home, they are prioritizing self-care, causing them to invest in products which will improve their personal well-being. Globally, VEOCEL™ has three core segments – Personal Hygiene, Beauty Care, and Wipes. In Asia specifically, we are seeing high growth potential in the beauty care segment with an increased demand for facial sheet masks and facial cleansing wipes, as well as in the hygiene market where more consumers are prioritizing their health and cleanliness.”
Strong brand partnerships add value to the planet
Since the introduction of the VEOCEL™ certification criteria in July 2019, the VEOCEL™ brand logo has been featured on personal hygiene and beauty care products made from cellulosic and biodegradable fiber materials. This created an important benchmark for the industry, which is represented by the robust brand partner portfolio the VEOCEL™ brand exhibits across Asia.
VEOCEL™ branded lyocell fibers are currently used in Asian facial sheet mask brands like Annie’s Way, Deepondé, Sensatia Botanicals and Watsons’ HA facial sheet mask collection. Facial sheet masks made of these fibers are not only naturally smooth and certified clean and safe, but they are also of 100% botanic origin and produced using eco-responsible production processes. Lenzing’s patented Translucency technology further complements the fiber’s features, providing a tender luxurious feeling on the skin and a premium level of fineness.
Feminine hygiene product brands such as Yeijimin Forest Story in Korea and Kotex Nature in China also use 100% VEOCEL™ branded lyocell fibers as the top sheet of their sanitary napkins. The recent launch of VEOCEL™ branded lyocell fibers with patented Dry technology will be especially beneficial for products which need to provide a feeling of dryness for the wearer, ensuring great comfort.
New market opportunities from the EU Single Use Plastics Directive
With VEOCEL™ branded fibers confirmed by the European Commission’s Single-Use Plastics (SUP) Directive in June 20213 as sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics in many everyday applications, the brand envisions new business opportunities in Asia.
“The EU SUPD has set a new industry standard which is expected to positively impact Asia as well. We hope the Directive will encourage brands and business partners to re-evaluate global best practices and switch to more eco-friendly alternatives, such as VEOCEL™ branded Lyocell fibers,” Tsai commented, “We believe the demand for sustainable non-plastic nonwovens from renewable sources will continue to increase. We are currently exploring the unlimited possibilities of eco-friendly nonwovens fiber to support the growing demand for sustainable materials in Asia.”
For more information about VEOCEL™ brand’s presence in Asia, please refer to the appendix.
1 Source: Smithers
2 Source: Transparency Market Research
3 The EU Commission’s Single-Use Plastics (SUP) Directive provides standardized marking requirements for wet wipes and feminine hygiene products which contain plastics. More information can be found https://ec.europa.eu/environment/pdf/plastics/guidelines_single-use_plastics_products.pdf
Appendix
A. Key Highlights of VEOCEL™ brand presence in Asia
| Facial Sheet Masks | Sanitary Napkins |
|---|---|
| Watson’s HA (Asia) | Kotex Nature (China) |
| Annie’s Way Bubble Tea Mask (Taiwan) | Forest Story=The Forest (Korea) |
| Annie’s Way Mask Gallery (Taiwan) | 29 Days (Korea) |
| Bridge TimeShield (Taiwan) | Klar (Korea) |
| Necker (Korea) | O’price (Korea) |
| Sensatia Botanicals (Indonesia) |
| Baby Wipes | Wipes |
|---|---|
| Kindoh (Korea) | MyWet (Japan) |
| Amway Wellros (Korea) | Seasons® Dry Wipe (China) |
B. What brands think about VEOCEL™ branded fibers
Annie’s Way (Taiwan)
“Nowadays, consumers pay more attention to safety, naturalness and sustainability in products. Although the product positioning and price of the Annie's way brand is important, we chose VEOCEL™ branded fiber as materials for our masks to show our commitment towards natural environmental protection and embrace sustainability for consumers.” – Rosie Cheng, Overseas Sales Representative, Annie’s Way
Kindoh (Korea)
“Kindoh always tries to provide the best product at a reasonable price to help consumers who have a busy and difficult parenting life. The VEOCEL™ brand aligns with Kindoh’s purpose and through our eco-friendly and biodegradable wipes, we are able to build a greener future for babies and nature. Wipes made of 100% VEOCEL™ Lyocell fiber are the best-selling item within our wipes product category and consumers immediately recognize the difference of wipes containing VEOCEL™ fibers.” – Kisub Lee, Product Manager, Kindoh
Kotex Nature (China)
“We want to provide a comfortable solution that makes the period experience as unnoticeable as possible. Through a plant-based and eco-friendly fiber, the VEOCEL™ brand synergizes with the Kotex brand to provide the best products to support both girls and the environment. Our users say that VEOCEL™ branded fibers are soft, breathable and good for the Earth.” – Elaine Zhang, Product Manager, Kotex Nature
MyWet (Japan)
“MyWet is specially made for personal care and the feel is of utmost importance. We are pleased with the gentle touch of VEOCEL™ Lyocell fibers. As consumers become more eco-conscious, having the VEOCEL™ logo on our product packaging gives consumers confidence that the product has botanic origin and is biodegradable, leaving a good impression for consumers.” – Mr. Daigo Murata, MyWet
Yejimiin Forest Story (Korea)
“Consumers in Korea are very sensitive towards the ingredients of feminine hygiene products. Due to the spread of chemophobia in recent years, more consumers are looking for verified and safe products. This led to our switch to VEOCEL™ branded fibers as it is of botanic origin and eco-friendly. Feedback so far is that the product is refreshing, reliable, safe and eco-friendly.” - Koeun Lee, Marketing Manager, Yejimiin
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