APAC | Women in Asia-Pacific have been adopting increasingly proactive approaches to health, beauty and nutrition, although many feel underserved by current supplement markets.
The insights are part of a new White Paper from Lubrizol, which drew on consumer research across China, Korea and Indonesia to explore women’s health, beauty and nutrition needs at different life stages and identify opportunities for innovation.
The research found that women across Asia have prioritised long-term wellbeing and quality of life over short-term fixes. It also showed that their concerns shift significantly with time, and identified distinct needs at four different life stages:
- Active Life & Career (ages 20-39): Focusing on energy, confidence and momentum, women at this stage are highly open to prevention-led solutions and willing to invest in products from brands they trust.
- Family Planning & Motherhood (ages 20-39): This stage emphasises reassurance, transparency, and simplicity. Products that remove uncertainty and simplify decision-making have the greatest potential to earn trust.
- Midlife Transition (ages 40-55): Rather than pursuing transformation, women at this stage are often seeking reassurance that they can continue feeling like themselves through a period of change. Needs around balance, sleep, daily energy and skin resilience are common.
- Healthy Longevity (ages 55+): Women at this stage demonstrate the strongest willingness to invest in solutions that preserve capability, independence and quality of life.
Across all life stages, the research observed a consistent aspiration to live confidently, actively and independently for longer. However, opportunities for targeted innovation were also clear.
In China, for example, 87 percent of respondents preferred solutions tailored to their current life stage, while 66 percent felt underserved by the options currently available to them.
Bernardo Medeiros, Global Vice President, Lubrizol Life Science, and Vice President, Latin America, Lubrizol, said that women’s health and beauty needs have evolved. Across Asia Pacific, and particularly in China, Medeiros saw a fundamental shift from reactive care to proactive wellbeing.
“Consumers are no longer waiting for problems to emerge. They are investing earlier, seeking solutions that help them maintain confidence, vitality, and quality of life throughout every stage of their journey.”
Other findings in the White Paper include:
- Beauty and nutrition are increasingly interconnected, as consumers embrace a more holistic view of wellbeing that links inner health with outward experience.
- Consumers in China had a particularly strong prevention-led mindset, with a proactive wellness index of 34 percent.
- Consumers in China prioritised beauty more highly than those in Korea and Indonesia, and also demonstrated more proactive beauty management behaviours
- In China, the focus on beauty from within increased with age: the percentage of women considering supplement intake for long-term prevention rose from 33 percent at the Active Life & Career stage to 52 percent at the Healthy Longevity stage
- Visibility of results was a powerful driver of adoption, with 62 percent of respondents citing noticeable benefits as a key reason to continue using a product.
“Beauty, wellness and healthy ageing can no longer be viewed as separate categories. Consumers increasingly expect integrated, science-backed solutions that support them through life’s transitions, with benefits that are relevant, effective and trusted,” added Medeiros.
“Our challenge is clear: to innovate beyond products and create solutions that address the changing needs of women at every life stage. Those who succeed will not only meet today’s expectations but help shape the future of women’s wellbeing across the region.”
