South Korea’s THE APRILAB banks on SEA’s interest in skin brightening, eyes entry into Indonesia

Founded in 2021, the brand specialises in beauty-from-within products that are fully manufactured in South Korea.

Among its three products, namely Time Blast for anti-ageing, Super Balance for acne care, and Ultrabright for brightening, the latter is the best-seller and particularly popular among SEA consumers.

“Ultrabright offers active ingredients like high-purity glutathione and vitamin C, which are backed by scientific evidence, in a compact, convenient and affordable package. Our main markets are in SEA and consumers in this region are still very interested in brightening products,” an executive manager from the firm told NutraIngredients-Asia.

Specifically, the supplement is formulated with dry yeast (glutathione), fructooligosaccharide, maltodextrin, orange extract, citric acid, vitamin C, and silicon dioxide.

According to the firm, glutathione and vitamin C are powerful antioxidants that are effective for improving hyperpigmentation, redness, dark spots, and acne scars.

Besides inhibiting melanin production, which results in lighter skin tone, glutathione’s antioxidant properties also help reduce free radicals that can cause skin ageing, and repair skin damage from ultraviolet (UV) exposure and pollution.

Each box of Ultrabright consists of 10 powder sachets, with the recommended intake being one or two sachets per day.

The supplement can be taken on its own without mixing with water or liquid, and comes with a citrus flavour, making it an easy and convenient option for those averse to swallowing pills.

“While we have not conducted specific experiments on our products, our products are packed with active ingredients such as glutathione, low molecular weight marine collagen, and prebiotics and postbiotics that have been thoroughly tested and published in research papers.”

A bigger pie

Currently, THE APRILAB’s products are available on e-commerce platform Shopee in SEA countries such as Singapore, Philippines and Malaysia, as well as Taiwan.

The firm also provides shipping to select countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, Spain, US and UK, for purchases made on its official website.

Asked on the markets with growth potential for beauty supplements, the company pointed out Indonesia for its “great market opportunity”.

Based on data from Allied Market Research, Indonesia’s beauty supplements market size was valued at US$170.10m in 2019, and is projected to reach US$355.87m by 2030.

In fact, THE APRILAB has “nearly” received approval from Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan (BPOM), also known as the Indonesian Food and Drug Authority, for distribution in the country.

It has also confirmed a distribution partner for the market, which the firm is set to enter once its products have obtained approval.

At the same time, the company is looking to expand its line-up to include a product targeted at weight management, a category that it sees high demand for.

In addition, the firm “has strong conviction” that ingestible beauty supplements will continue to experience “tremendous growth” globally.

“More and more people recognise that inner health contributes to outer beauty in direct, scientific ways. There is also massive R&D investment being poured into this category by large corporations, driving a greater pie for everyone in the space.”