Why Vegan K-Beauty Products Are Hugely Popular Among Korean Consumers
We talk to founder Isaac Han about the rise in popularity of clean K-beauty, the shift in priority to sustainability amongst K-consumers and the beauty of simplicity.
South Korea has always been a pioneer in the skincare an beauty industry with their elegant formulas, intensive research and development as well as wide range of brands catering to all sort of skin types and budgets. And while clean beauty has planted its roots in the Western beauty market, it is interesting to see how K-beauty brands interpret and implement clean beauty as the demand for conscious and sustainable beauty products increased in the last few years. Now, more than ever, Korean consumers are looking for clean, vegan options and that was when Sioris came into the picture.
Derived from the words "simple" and "original", Sioris was first launched in 2017 and has become a household name particularly amongst clean K-beauty enthusiasts for its minimalist, environmentally conscious packaging and simple formulas that leans heavily on the freshness of the ingredients used. All of which are home-grown and harvested ethically without harsh chemicals or pesticides. Paired with its mid-ranged price point and high efficacy in soothing troubled, irritated skin — Sioris has gone global, garnering fans from all over the globe.
L'OFFICIEL Singapore speaks with founder, Isaac Han, who has been in the cosmetics industry for over a decade about the rise in popularity of vegan beauty, how he tackles sustainability in a high volume market, and the best products to start with for anyone hopping on the green beauty movement.
Sioris is derived from the words "Simple" and "Original". What led you to create the brand and what made you choose to focus on simplicity?
In the past, most natural ingredients were imported from abroad. Preservatives should be added for a long shelf life. Sioris is mainly composed of organic plants grown in Korea. Sioris aims to simply deliver the fresh nutrition of plants to our skin without artificial processes.
What was the product that led Sioris to become the household name in K-beauty that it is today?
I can say that it is ‘Time is running out Mist’. This mist is a multi-purpose mist divided into water and oil, and you can use toner, essence, and oil at once. Sioris emphasises a lot on using home-grown, natural ingredients to create their products.
Could you tell us more about your harvesting process and how you maintain sustainability in a high volume, consumeristic market?
In principle, Sioris uses local materials to make fresh cosmetics. When we decide on the main ingredients, we select the raw materials that have secured some cultivation. We prefer to use raw materials harvested in season, but some raw materials can be frozen and processed after three months if necessary.
The brand also utilises seasonal ingredients grown in Korea. What is your favourite seasonal ingredient that you think people should incorporate in their routine ASAP and its benefits?
If it's your first time using Sioris, I recommend Milk cleanser and Mist made of Yuja(citron), and Essener made of green tea. Yuja contains a large amount of vitamin, which brings vitality to the skin, and green tea is rich in antioxidants such as catechin, which helps to make healthy skin.
What are the challenges of working with seasonal ingredients in your formulations?
General materials can be used immediately because they are stored by the manufacturer, but seasonal materials take a lot of time and cost more because they need to be extracted according to the harvest date.
What is it about Sioris’ formulations that makes it stand out from others in the market?
If you look at all the ingredients of Sioris, you can see that there are not many ingredients. We do not use a small amount of conceptual raw materials and add more than 2% of the effective ingredients. We focus on producing the maximum effect by combining seasonal raw materials and sub-components well.
Vegan beauty is becoming more popular in Korea. What do you think led to this shift in this prioritisation in K-beauty consumers?
This is because if satisfaction with products was important in the past, value consumption for the environment and ethics gradually becomes important. What containers are used to protect the environment and what efforts are made to improve animal welfare and human rights will become more important in the future.
The brand is known for its minimalist packaging, which reflects Sioris’ ethos. Aesthetics aside, how does Sioris’ packaging tie into its commitment to sustainability?
I'm always thinking about packaging. Although the use of eco-friendly containers is gradually increasing, design cannot be missed as a cosmetics brand. Currently, Sioris' cleansers, body care and hair care lines are equipped with metal-free pumps, 100% recycled plastic containers, and easy-to-remove labels.
Sioris has pretty much everything you need for a comprehensive routine. Is the brand planning to expand its product range in the near future?
Sioris released body wash and body cream in March this year, and shampoo and conditioner in August. So now we aim to experience the organic lifestyle of Sioris not only on the face, but also on the whole body and hair.
For Singaporean consumers, what do you think is the best product for them to get as an introduction to the brand?
As I mentioned before, I recommend milk cleanser, mist, and essener. Especially, Essener has excellent soothing and moisturizing effects, so I think it will suit hot Singapore customers.
