Recently, the functional personal care brand Aquako announced the completion of Series A financing. This round of financing is exclusively invested by Qingrui, and the financing will be used for brand building, product research and development, product line expansion, supply chain construction and other projects.
Aquakom is an effective personal care brand specializing in Asian skin types, aiming to solve the care problems of users in daily life and social scenes, and using facial care scientific research standards to create product solutions with "both efficacy and experience", and has sold more than 200 million products so far, ranking among the top in the entire network.
Create a real efficacy infrastructure for users to perceive efficacy
According to iResearch's "Research Report on China's Efficacious Skin Care Products Industry", skin care has become more and more valued by Chinese people, and the improvement of consumer awareness has made efficacious skin care products recognized by people with problem skin and the ingredient party. Different from the pattern of the early market monopolized by imported brands, the vigorous development of online channels in recent years has allowed many domestic functional skin care companies to break out of the encirclement and become well-known to consumers. As of this year, the scale of China's functional skin care products industry has reached 58.97 billion yuan.
At present, the field of functional personal care is still in the development period of the industry, and the leading brands have not yet emerged to occupy the market. Judging from consumers' experience and evaluation of products, the technical gap between domestic products and imported brands may not be large. Under the background of "national tide", young consumer groups not only have requirements for product efficacy, but also put forward more personalized needs for product experience.
Since the development of Mizuko, "product power" has always been placed in an important position. Different from most imported high-end personal care brands designed according to the skin characteristics and preferences of Europeans and Americans, and there is a big difference between the skin type and needs of Asian women, Aquacom has established a joint laboratory with scientific research experts based on the skin data of Asian women, and established a formula model for Asian skin types from multiple dimensions such as hair, sweat glands, and skin whitening, so as to create a real effect infrastructure project.
In addition, based on the original intention of "safe efficacy that can be said", the Aquakom team insists on only making "real and effective" products that are recognized by authoritative organizations, so that more users can feel the power of effective care. After continuous iterative upgrading of product ingredient efficacy and experience, Aquakou has long held a number of special formulas issued by the National Medical Products Administration, and its innovative creation of bispecific anti-body whitening, mild hair removal, deodorant antiperspiration, hand and foot care and other functional personal care products specializing in Asian skin type have passed strict ingredient testing, human efficacy testing and other tests.
It is understood that unlike ordinary skin care products, special skin care products not only need to submit safety and effectiveness data certificates, but also need to pass the testing of authoritative third-party institutions, and pass the review of the drug regulatory system before they can be marketed, and the whole process lasts at least 1 year.
Listen to the real needs of users and create value for users
Nowadays, users have a diversified lifestyle, which has also given rise to more professional, scenario-based, and emotional personal care needs, and the scene of personal care is no longer limited to the bathroom, but extends to multiple social scenarios such as commuting, partying, and outdoor sports. Personal care products are not just a routine task, but an elevated experience for the body and mind.
Ms. Zhang Bihua, the founder of Aquako, said that the new generation of consumers does not lack products, but needs the experience and spiritual care of a better life. Brands should focus on the real needs of users and think based on the whole scenario of the user's life circle. Products and brands, in addition to meeting functional needs, should also bring cultural, emotional and aesthetic enjoyment.
To this end, the Aquako team conducted in-depth research on the lifestyles of contemporary female users, and designed product solutions suitable for different scenarios for them to solve the care problems of users in daily life and social scenarios.
At a time when users' demand for personal care efficacy has risen to the same level as the demand for facial care efficacy, Aquakou has launched a double anti-whitening body lotion based on accurate insight into user needs. As the first product to apply the concept of "double anti-whitening" (referring to anti-sugar and anti-oxidant) to the field of personal care, this product has a whitening certificate and has been tested for human efficacy. After more than 200 somatosensory tests and a custom fragrance with DSM-Firmenich, the world's leading flavor and fragrance company, Aquakom hopes that users will be happy from the moment they feel the fragrance and feel the beautiful moments in life. It is reported that since its launch in July 2021, Aquako Double Anti Whitening Body Milk has sold more than 15 million bottles of products, and has long occupied the current list of the entire network.
At present, Aquakom has actively communicated with users through two core functional personal care products, double anti-whitening body lotion and hair removal cream, and gradually improved the product matrix to meet users' precise needs for personal care. In addition, Aquakom has completed full coverage of online channels and is actively expanding offline channels. At present, Aquakom has reached cooperation with many offline retail brands such as Watsons, KKV, and Colorist, with more than 20,000 channel terminals.
The consumer market has returned to rationality, but there is still room for growth
According to CICC's research report, in the medium and long term, China's consumer market still has room for sustainable development. China's huge multi-level market has created new opportunities for the channel sinking of consumer enterprises, consumption upgrading, category popularization, and the rise of domestic products have become the general trend; under the resonance of multiple factors, China's consumer market has sustainable development momentum and provides a broad world for the further growth of Chinese consumer enterprises.
Qingrui said that in the upcoming 2023, the slow recovery and adjustment of the market will be a great test for practitioners in the consumer industry, and we always firmly believe in long-termism, vote with investment, and continue to support the industries and companies we are optimistic about. From Ms. Zhang Bihua, the founder and CEO of Aquako, we can always feel her obsession with products and her return to basics. Coming from a retail background, she is not afraid of changes in the environment and continues to do the most important thing in the essence of consumption. In the process of contact with the Aquako team, we were deeply impressed by their spirit full of vitality and combat effectiveness. It's an honor to work with such a founder and team.
At present, a new round of innovation and development cycle has begun, but the demand of Chinese consumers for a better life has always remained the same. Brands that focus on innovation and product power will not only accumulate strength to go through the cycle in this round of market optimization, escort the subsequent development with strong product strength, but also provide more possibilities for realizing user value. It is expected that Aquakom will continue to grow into a new national brand in the field of functional personal care in China, so that functional personal care will enter thousands of households.
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