The announcement was made at the end of August that the beauty brand founded by actress Jessica Alba had partnered with accelerator SuperOrdinary to launch into the Chinese market with an exclusive store in Alibaba Group's Tmall Global e-commerce platform.
According to the release The Honest Company has been working on entering the Chinese market since 2019.
“Launching in China is a key component of our international strategy,” said Nick Vlahos, Chief Executive Officer of The Honest Company, in the release. “As one of the fastest growing beauty markets in the world, there is an incredibly high demand for clean and highly effective skincare and color innovation and we are thrilled to partner with SuperOrdinary to bring our products to consumers across this market.”
SuperOrdinary, which has helped other US brands enter the Chinese market, will manage The Honest Company's presence in China, including navigating the strict and changing regulatory environment.
"Partnering with Honest Company is an incredible opportunity for us to broaden our portfolio of personal care brands and beyond into the Chinese market," SuperOrdinary CEO Julian Reis told CosmeticsDesign through a representative. “This is a particularly exciting moment as Honest is a key leader in the clean lifestyle brand movement - there is a growing appetite for clean beauty and lifestyle brands in the Chinese marketplace and SuperOrdinary is now at the forefront of bridging that gap."
Click through to learn more about these companies and moves like these into the Chinese cosmetics market.
A Thai-based firm set up by former Lazada execs that has worked on e-commerce strategy with the likes of Lancôme, Kiehl’s, The Body Shop, and Clarins says the region is ripe for further online beauty sales success, providing firms can align their digital content with commerce.
CREA is a digital commerce enabler operating in South East Asia. The company was founded by former Lazada executives Aimone Ripa di Meana and Alessandro Piscini.
The company has worked with a range of leading brands including Lancôme, Kiehl’s, The Body Shop, and Clarins. It will soon be bringing aboard more brands thanks to its partnership with global beauty distributor SuperOrdinary.
Since launching in Thailand in 2019, the company is set on growing its presence across the SEA region. This year it is focusing on growing its presence in Singapore and Malaysia “very significantly”.
US biotech company Amyris will be expanding Biossance into China in February 2021 through e-commerce as it ramps up its focus on the Asia Pacific market.
Biossance is the consumer beauty brand of the US-based Amyris. Launched in 2015, the brand is best known for the use of its 100% plant-based Squalane, which is derived from renewable sugarcane.
In late 2019, Biossance expanded its presence to the APAC region via its global retail partner Sephora.
Through Sephora, the brand is currently available online and in 80 stores covering Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong, Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
Global health and wellness brand GNC is adding more products from The Honest Company, a wellness brand started by celebrity Jessica Alba, targeting women’s health needs around sleep, mood, immunity, and hair health.
The companies first partnered in May 2022 with the launch of six products focused on new and expectant mothers including prenatal and postnatal vitamins sold at roughly 1,400 GNC stores nationwide and online through the retailer’s website. The latest expansion will introduce four new products to its women’s health assortment which features other brands including GNC Women’s, Vital Proteins, Womaness, and Hers.
"Our relationship with The Honest Company has allowed us to continue our commitment to women's health and wellness," Karlyn Mattson, EVP, chief merchandising officer, GNC, said in a statement.
Gwyneth Paltrow joined forces with Juice Beauty and Jessica Alba partnered with The Honest Company on a new color cosmetics line. The actors are involved financially and creatively with the principled companies.
By investing in the respective brands, Paltrow and Alba are using their capital and celebrity to go well beyond endorsement and have established themselves as socially accountable business leaders.
Honest Beauty
The Honest Company’s new cosmetics product line is expected to launch this fall, according to foodworldnews.com. Honest isn’t new to personal care. The business, launched in 2011, comprises home goods, baby items, and skin care products.
New York-based Emerald Brand has signed a licensing agreement with The Honest Company for its 100% tree-free paperboard for use in beauty and cosmetic brands.
The deal will allow The Honest Company to replace its existing unit carton packaging with Emerald's 100% tree-free agricultural fiber, said the company in a press release.
Emerald’s Tree-Free technology uses agricultural by-products including sugarcane, wheat and other rapidly renewable materials that are traditionally disposed of, giving these materials a second life.
“Our 100% Tree-Free Paperboard, launched under our Emerald Ecovations division, is the fastest growing segment of our organization. Our demand expectations from innovative brands like The Honest Company have been exceeded and we will continue to invest resources in this division with the objective to displace traditional tree-based fiber in a rapidly growing consumer packaging space,” said Ralph Bianculli Jr., Managing Director of Emerald Brand.
