Vietnam’s Cosmetic Trends in 2025: Innovation, Digital Community, & Sustainability

Posted bynat natkamon Posted onSeptember 19, 2025 Comments0

Tags: Beauty Market, Cosmetic market, Gen Z, Millennials, SEA, South East Asia Market, Vietnam marketing

Beauty and cosmetics today aren’t just about looks; they reflect how younger generations (especially Gen Z and millennials) live and care about the world. In Vietnam, which now leads the Southeast Asia cosmetics market, brands that innovate, be authentic, go digital, and embrace sustainability are the ones who will win the crowd.

Vietnam Is Leading SEA’s Beauty Market, But How?

If you’re someone who’s into makeup or fashion, and have been scrolling TikTok, Instagram, or Shopee for quite some time, you’ve probably noticed how Vietnamese aesthetics, fashion, and makeup styles started to dominate the feed. According to Source of Asia, Vietnam already makes up around 57% of the SEA cosmetics market, surpassing Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore combined, and only continues to rise up in years to come.

This particular growth is driven by a rising middle class, higher disposable incomes, and a clear shift toward premium and eco-friendly products. Importantly, the biggest spenders are Gen Z and millennials: consumers who grew up on social media, live by e-commerce, and are constantly shaped by viral beauty trends.

Because of this demographic power, Vietnam doesn’t just follow regional beauty shifts; it often sets them. And when you line up SEA’s overall cosmetics trends with Vietnam’s digital-first, youth-driven market, you will clearly see its impact on the industry across the region.

4 Key Cosmetics Trends Across SEA

1. Personalized & Hybrid Solutions

Tech-driven personalization: Consumers no longer want generic advice, they want beauty that feels made just for them; around 65% of SEA consumers show interest in AI-powered recommendations. In Vietnam, this means apps that analyze your skin with a quick selfie (like Shoppee SkinCam, Watson’s Skinfie Lab, or L’Oréal’s ModiFace) or personal color theory tools that suggest your best foundation shade. This tech makes shopping easier, and Gen Z especially loves it because it feels interactive and fun.

Image from AS Watson

Hybrid and multifunctional products: Instead of buying five different bottles, Vietnamese shoppers are reaching for BB creams that double as skincare, tinted serums that act like both treatment and makeup, or SPF lip tints that blend protection and style. These products are cost-effective and time-saving, which perfectly matches the “on-the-go” lifestyle of younger consumers.

Image from Ubuy Vietnam

2. Livestream & Social Commerce Acceleration

TikTok Shop and Shopee Live dominate this space, where users can watch influencers or KOLs test products in real time and click “buy” instantly. For example, during TikTok’s 9.9 Mega Sale in 2024, beauty livestreams generated millions of views and flash sellouts within minutes.

Image from TikTok Shop Vietnam

What makes these digital channels work is that they combine discovery, education, and conversion in one place. You might watch a KOL trying out a new cushion compact, see live comments asking about shade ranges, and grab a limited-time deal, all in the same session. Vietnamese Gen Z especially values this model, since it feels more authentic than just watching a polished ad.

3. Influencer & Community-Driven Marketing

In Vietnam, popular beauty influencers or KOLs (Key Opinion Leader) like Changmakeup, Trinh Pham, and Quynh Anh Shyn shape how Gen Z thinks about makeup looks and brand choices. Their high-quality tutorials and lifestyle content make them trusted role models, pushing aspirational awareness for global and local brands.

[Tagline or campaigning slogan of the brand ‘SUGARPLUM’ on her post (translated from Vietnamese): Clean. Confident. Current. Own your style and embrace your unique shine with SUGARPLUM – made for the empowered and unapologetic Gen Z.”]

Meanwhile, micro-influencers or KOCs (Key Opinion Consumers) provide peer-level reviews that feel more relatable. Accounts like @hannbeautyy, @ngocchunhatky, or local TikTok reviewers with 50K–200K followers share unfiltered opinions on sunscreen textures, lipstick wear tests, or cushion shades. This authenticity boosts trust and conversion because consumers see someone “like them” making the purchase.

Community-powered launches: Campaigns that combine KOL reach and KOC authenticity perform better than traditional ads. For example, Cocoon Vietnam, a local herbal brand, worked with both big influencers and everyday reviewers to highlight their turmeric and coffee lines. The storytelling about “Vietnamese ingredients, Vietnamese pride” resonated deeply with Gen Z’s love for cultural identity and natural products. When they see content that feels user-generated (UGC), co-created, and community-driven, they engage more. It also explains the rise of local herbal brands like Thorakao, Cocoon, and Skinlosophy, which have built followings through digital storytelling, heritage, and authenticity rather than heavy ad spend.

4. Sustainability-Driven Beauty

Vietnamese consumers are no longer only looking at price, they’re also checking if the packaging is refillable, if the formula is waterless, or if ingredients are safe and plant-based. Searches for refillable packaging grew by 64%, and over 62% of consumers now say sustainability matters more than it did two years ago.

Local innovations as brand’s products:
- Cocoon : Uses Dak Lak coffee in scrubs, Hung Yen turmeric in masks.

Image from the Cocoon Original Vietnam

- - Herbario: Offers natural variety of cleaners with minimal packaging.

Image from The Face Holic

Skinimalism trend among young consumers: This “less is more” approach—simpler routines, fewer products, stronger actives—is currently hot among Vietnamese Gen Z and millennials. They want multifunctional skincare that’s effective but doesn’t overload the skin or the environment.

What Brands Should Do

To win in such a fast-evolving beauty and lifestyle space, especially in the Vietnam market, brands should lean fully into livestream and social commerce. Platforms like TikTok Shop, Shopee Live, and Lazada aren’t just for selling, but they’re powerful tools for real-time interaction, product education, and creating urgency through limited drops or exclusive deals. At the same time, partnering with both KOLs and KOCs is key, while making sure to incorporate local culture or insights into these campaigns, creating a deeper emotional connection with Vietnamese audiences.

What Happio Can Help You Achieve

At Happio, we’re a one-stop digital marketing agency, helping brands connect with audiences through engaging contents, data-driven media strategy, and real-world activations, along with finding the right local KOLs and KOCs to co-create compelling and authentic campaigns together. With all that in our pocket, we ensure your brand’s message will land with impact.

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