The company launched Recherché Edible Skincare, its first full range of edible skin care actives last December.
The Recherché Edible Skincare collection features two products: Collagen Amino Acid and Skin Brightening Plus that retail for SGD98 (USD74) each.
The formulations contain highly concentrated actives as well as natural plant-based ingredients.
Collagen Amino Acid contains Recherché Collagen Amino Acids, which have a molecule size of less than 400 Daltons, making it easier for the body to absorb it.
Additionally, this collagen has a unique profile of naturally occurring tripeptides composed of amino acids glycine, proline and hydroxyproline.
According to the company, under the microscope, these shows up as triple helix, which is collagen in its most biologically active form. “In other words… it reactivates and ‘teaches’ your body to produce the essential collagen and hyaluronic acid it needs to stay beautiful, youthful and healthy.”
Instead of a capsule or tablet, the products come in a powder form so it can be mixed easily and quickly into food and drinks such as fruit juices or yogurt to remove the hassle of taking a separate supplement.
The company has conducted in-house clinical studies on the supplements. For instance, in a self-assessment of 112 users of Recherché Collagen Amino Acids over six weeks, 94% reported firmer skin, 90% reported improved nail strength and 89% reported stronger hair.
New developments
These two products are only the start of the firm’s expansion into edible beauty products and it already has more products in the pipeline.
“We have always believed that beauty is literally more than skin deep. Our approach to beauty is holistic. We believe that topical skin care is only a part of the equation. We expect more cutting-edge edible skin care actives, especially when we are tapping a lot into biotechnology, which by itself is fast-evolving,” said Coreenna Ong, co-founder and head of R&D.
At the rate of innovation in the industry, Ong said edible skin care would potentially be able to effectively address the causes of skin concerns such as pigmentation, wrinkles, loss of elasticity, acne, rosacea at the source of the problems.
Ong revealed that the firm is currently researching edible skin care solutions to treat acne, which often stem from internal factors.
“We are also developing edible skin care [products] to address the root causes of ageing in a more holistic and comprehensive way beyond repair and boosting of collagen production,” she added.
With interest in edible skin care steadily rising, the company believes there is plenty of room for the ingestible beauty category to grow.
“We do foresee healthy, and perhaps exponential growth in terms of consumer interest in edible skincare,” said Ong.
Recherché first dabbled into the edible beauty space in November 2019 when it collaborated with Singapore-bubble tea chain LiHo to launch a series of beauty teas with collagen and skin care actives.
Through the projects, the company has observed that consumers were growing more aware of the importance of targeted nutritional supplementation for specific concerns – such as skin care.
“With the easy accessibility and availability to information and knowledge, especially since the past decade, people understand more and more that topical skin care alone is not going to cut it,” said Ong.
Aside from the physical aspect of looking good, Ong added that the category is also being driven by the increasing interest in wellness.
“There are also the intangible aspects of our being such as our mind, moods and sense of well-being that need to be in equilibrium. The foods and drinks we consume do contribute to both our physical, mental and emotional well-being, which in turn affect our appearances.”
Sales and distribution targets
The company hopes to achieve at least SG$3 million (US$2.2m) in sales this year.
Currently retailing on its website, it is eyeing department store chain, Metro.
It is also discussing with partners in Indonesia and China to launch the products.