As a branch of functional skincare products, “professional clinic-grade” skincare products have been experiencing huge growth in recent years and have become the preferred choice for consumers pursuing high-quality skincare.
According to the “Post-Epidemic Rational Skincare White Paper” released by CBNData, consumer skincare concerns have shifted towards safety, efficacy, and ingredients after the outbreak of the pandemic. Therefore, compared to mass-market daily skincare products, clinic-grade skincare products are increasingly favored by consumers due to their finer skin type segmentation, stronger targeted effects, and safer ingredients.
One evident trend is that an increasing number of clinic-grade brands are forming deep collaborations with various clinic-grades through a collaborative research model, jointly creating scientific skincare brands with dermatological experts. It can be said that the era of collaborative research brands has arrived.
A typical example is the emerging clinic-grade skincare brand ISEEKLIKE, founded in late 2020. After three years of exploration and growth, it has become a formidable player in the clinic-grade industry, gaining the support of millions of consumers. Additionally, the brand’s offline channels have also entered a stage of rapid scaling and premiumization. The brand development trajectory of ISEEKLIKE serves as a sample for collaborative research brands.
Medical research collaboration, leading the trend of professional skincare brands
In the past three years, Chinese beauty brands have experienced a major reshuffle due to the impact of the pandemic, coldness in investment and financing, and the decline of channel dividends. After a comprehensive cleansing on the race track, the remaining brands have become more solid and grounded.
An obvious fact is that in recent years, many brands that focus on medical research collaboration have experienced rapid development and have become one of the hottest brands in the market. The logic behind this is that, on the one hand, consumers have begun to reflect rationally on the concept of scientific skincare; on the other hand, the market for effective skincare products continues to grow, and brands are starting to collaborate with professionals in the medical field to conduct medical research and develop high-quality products. This also strengthens the brand’s professionalism, scientific image, and high-end positioning.
In the international beauty conglomerates, earlier this year, L’Oréal Group announced that its Active Cosmetics Division has been officially renamed as L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty, giving a “proper name” to several of its brands based on dermatology. Another beauty giant, Shiseido, also considers Clean & Dermatology as the next growth area.
In the Chinese market, brands like Winona, as representatives, have maintained continuous growth by using their background in medical research collaboration and solid basic research to provide professional products that transcend the cycle of trends. This has also demonstrated the potential of medical research collaboration in the industry.
As a rising skincare brand, ISEEKLIKE seized the opportunity and was established at the end of 2020. It was founded through the collaborative efforts of several professor-level research consultants and nearly 30 founding members, who worked together for more than 700 days and nights.
According to the information available, ISEEKLIKE has 12 research consultants, including Jin Chenglong, Liu Bangyu, Wang Minghai, and Zhang Xuhua, who possess internationally advanced achievements in dermatology and decades of clinical experience in skin beauty.
For example, Jin Chenglong, the Technical Director of Suzhou MeiLai Scar Repair Center, is the founder of the AOPT-LTL model for repairing the skin barrier and the artificial dot matrix thermal contraction technology for scars. He is also a master’s student advisor at Yanbian University Affiliated Hospital and has extensive clinical experience.
Similarly, Zhang Xuhua, the Technical Director of Quanzhou MeiLai Skin Beauty Center, has more than 40 years of clinical experience in skin care and laser treatments, including anti-aging, comprehensive scar removal, acne treatment, and has published specialized academic articles in professional journals such as “Chinese Journal of Dermatology” and “Clinical Dermatology”.
“Medical research collaboration” means that the brand collaborates with dermatologists to continuously collide and create better products. In this regard, on December 20th, ISEEKLIKE held its 3rd-anniversary brand ceremony in Xiamen with the theme “Embarking on a New Brilliance.” Many hospital directors and industry experts gathered together to discuss the research and development ideas for professional skincare brands and the endless possibilities for brand growth.
During the brand ceremony, five research consultants from ISEEKLIKE participated in a forum for hospital directors with the theme “Research and Development Ideas for Professional Skincare Products.”
“Skincare and cosmetic surgery are indispensable and even have healing effects.” Zhang Xuhua stated that skincare products can provide sun protection and delay aging, while cosmetic surgery can supplement the missing substances in the skin more accurately through high-energy and deeper-level treatments. For example, using medical skincare products after cosmetic surgery procedures can delay adverse reactions and enhance the treatment effects of cosmetic surgery.
“Aftercare for cosmetic surgery is about ‘30% treatment and 70% skincare’.” Professor Jin Chenglong said that after undergoing cosmetic surgery, the skin is in a damaged state, with rapid loss of moisture. It is crucial to use medical skincare products for repair to ensure the effectiveness of cosmetic surgery treatments.
Liu Bangyu, the director of Ningbo MeiLai, pointed out that when selecting products, one should not blindly follow trends but consider one’s own skin condition. Wang Minghai, the director of Fuzhou MeiLai, believes that the research and development ideas for professional skincare products should focus on two aspects: minimizing skin irritation and maximizing efficacy.
Nowadays, medical research collaboration has become the internal gene of ISEEKLIKE. With the support of numerous professional dermatologists, their research and development strength is formidable. It is known that ISEEKLIKE has established ISEEK laboratories in New York, Seoul, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Xiamen, and holds more than 20 patent certificates in China, the United States, South Korea, and other countries.
In terms of product development, each ISEEKLIKE product undergoes more than 100 processes from concept proposal to final launch. As of the end of 2023, ISEEKLIKE has conducted clinical verification for 109 batches of products, involving over 3,000 volunteers and patients. The brand focuses on developing targeted solutions for various skin concerns, including anti-aging, acne, hyperpigmentation, and sensitive skin.
Growing armor in the headwind, ISEEKLIKE’s brand new upgrade
In the past three years, facing multiple uncertainties, ISEEKLIKE has grown resiliently and evolved from an unknown new brand to a powerful player in the industry.
It is reported that ISEEKLIKE has established deep collaborations with dozens of high-end beauty clinics, accurately reaching millions of middle to high-end consumers. It has also opened offline stores in Xiamen, Quanzhou, Fuzhou, and other cities, and launched joint projects with beauty clinics. In addition, its high-end offline experience stores in Ningbo and Changzhou will grandly open in January 2024, symbolizing a significant step forward in the brand’s offline deployment.
“After experiencing various growth stages, the biggest achievement for ISEEKLIKE in 2023 is having a stable and precise core,” said Zhang Mimi, the brand director of ISEEKLIKE. Over the past three years, through continuous exploration, reflection, and accumulation, ISEEKLIKE has positioned itself clearly as a clinical medical research collaboration brand that provides full-chain services for the post-cosmetic surgery crowd pursuing simplified and precise skincare. The first “H” represents hospital, referring to the beauty clinic scene, while the second “H” represents home, referring to the home scene.
It is understood that based on the beauty clinic scene, ISEEKLIKE has researched and developed precise skincare products with excellent efficacy for different cosmetic surgery procedures. For example, there are joint application products for post-operative cold compress, skin rejuvenation, spot removal, water-light injection, and hair removal projects. As for the home scene, ISEEKLIKE noticed that the post-cosmetic surgery crowd often struggles with how to perform home care after procedures. Therefore, they have developed four series of products with the functions of basic skincare, whitening and brightening, soothing and repairing, and firming and anti-aging, fully satisfying the needs for home care efficacy.
From beauty clinics to home care, ISEEKLIKE, with its continuous pursuit of technological innovation and deep understanding of home beauty needs, has introduced cosmetics for home use, marking another innovation for the brand. This innovation not only extends the user’s lifecycle but also has the potential to cultivate user habits and eventually generate brand effects through word-of-mouth.
At the same time, ISEEKLIKE continues to improve its channel layout and deepen its product line, injecting strong endogenous sources of innovation into the company. For example, in terms of channel construction, ISEEKLIKE opened its Xiamen and Quanzhou beauty centers in February and August this year, respectively. In terms of product refinement, they have successively launched new products such as “Bang Bang Disposable Masks,” “Repairing Facial Mist,” “Big Blue Jar Cream,” and “Collagen Patch.” Meanwhile, they adhere to bottle recycling and other practices, deeply practicing the concept of green beauty.
It is worth mentioning that on-site, ISEEKLIKE’s English logo has also been officially upgraded to “ISEEKLIKE.” It is understood that the new logo embodies the following meanings: I seek beautiful skin, I like the radiance of my appearance; I seek a better life, I like the shining days; I seek the meaning of life, I like the inner universe full of energy.
This brand upgrade signifies that ISEEKLIKE will further amplify its brand culture and aspirations for professional skincare in beauty clinics, moving towards a higher brand vision: from occupying a brand role to becoming a leader in this field, and becoming a new direction for the development of ISEEKLIKE.
Ultimate creation of product strength, multiple new products to be launched
To achieve success, a brand must have strong product strength, which serves as the solid foundation and prerequisite for long-term sustainability.
According to the “2023 McKinsey China Consumer Report: The Resilience Era,” 49% of Chinese consumers believe that Chinese brands have “better quality” compared to foreign brands. In the future, Chinese consumers are more likely to choose Chinese brands due to their recognition of product quality and innovation, rather than just low prices and national pride.
It is well known that compared to regular cosmetics in the daily skincare line, professional skincare products used in beauty clinics are more specialized, precise, and efficient, which inherently requires a higher technological threshold. In the beauty clinic skincare market, ISEEKLIKE has evolved from being relatively unknown to being widely accepted and recognized. As of now, it has gained millions of genuine users and has built its own brand reputation on social media platforms.
It is understood that when developing products, ISEEKLIKE adheres to three basic principles: safety, efficacy, and ingredients. The brand is committed to ensuring product quality through excellent craftsmanship and technology. ISEEKLIKE does not pursue a wide range of products but focuses on creating high-quality boutique items. In three years, they have launched only 15 products, including four series of products with the following functions: basic skincare, whitening and brightening, soothing and repairing, and firming and anti-aging. Importantly, all ISEEKLIKE products have undergone allergy testing, clinical trials, and third-party efficacy tests for repair, moisturization, and soothing to ensure the effectiveness of the products.
Market feedback shows that many products have received excellent reviews upon their launch. Among them, ISEEKLIKE’s Water Radiance Firming Hydrating Mask (“Bang Bang Mask”), Botanical Radiance Brightening Essence (“Green Light Bottle”), and Intensive Hydrating Moisturizing Essence (“Bang Bang Booster”) have gained a good reputation for their outstanding product performance.
It is worth mentioning that during the brand event, it was announced that ISEEKLIKE will launch a variety of new products in 2024, including Two-in-One Essence Spray, Anti-Sensitivity Booster, Youthful Anti-Aging Essence, Cleansing Mud Mask, and a complete series of Firming and Anti-Aging products (Gilded Firming Essence Water, Gilded Firming Essence Lotion, Gilded Firming Cream, Gilded Firming Eye Cream).
During the event, Dr. Zhi Jiahui, the consulting dermatologist of ISEEKLIKE, provided professional analysis of the brand’s previous popular products from the perspective of a dermatologist. According to her introduction, ISEEKLIKE’s first medical-grade dressing has excellent adhesion and moisturizing effects, making it suitable for superficial first and second-degree burns as well as non-chronic wounds after cosmetic acid peels.
In Dr. Zhi’s view, skincare is a crucial aspect of skin health. Efficacious skincare products are not medications and cannot replace them, but they can help improve the suboptimal condition of the skin and prevent adverse reactions after cosmetic procedures, thus enhancing overall treatment effectiveness.
Overall, ISEEKLIKE’s achievements and growth over the past three years reflect its dedication to exploring and collaborating in medical research. Three years may be just a fleeting moment in the grand timeline of history, but for ISEEKLIKE, it represents perseverance and a transformative journey.
If initially ISEEKLIKE was merely a follower of the medical research collaboration model, it has now become a professional player in this field, emerging as a rising star among skincare brands in the beauty clinic industry.
