SEOUL -- Cosmax, a cosmetics original development manufacturer in South Korea, joined hands with the school of pharmacy at the University of Indonesia to develop natural raw materials for cosmetics and carry out a joint study on new products, citing growing demands in the Southeast Asian country for skincare products containing new ingredients.
Under a memorandum of agreement signed on July 1, Cosmax said that Indonesian native plants would be extracted, researched and tested for use as cosmetic ingredients through research cooperation for three years. The strategic partnership with a prominent state-run university in Indonesia is part of a "clean beauty" campaign to introduce products that combine native plants and K-beauty technology.
"The joint research on material development with the state-run University of Indonesia, the No. 1 university in the country, is of great significance," Cosmax Indonesia head Cheong Min-Kyoung said in a statement on July 5. "We will launch a wide range of hybrid products in the green and clean beauty field."
Indonesian consumers are becoming more aware of products containing ingredients and raw materials that fit their skin, Cosmax said, adding that its Indonesian subsidiary has completed halal, vegan and organic production lines for products containing various natural ingredients such as bacuchiol, mugwort, and calendula.
In 2020, Cosmax Indonesia conducted joint research with the pharmacy school of Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) on native Indonesian botanicals for cosmetic formulation purposes. New products are to be released in the second half of 2022.