Southeast Asia's Skincare market is expected to reach US $9.69 billion in revenue by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 4% and online channels growing steadily as both a purchase and discovery destination. Consumers across the region favor efficacy-driven skincare, with products that deliver whitening, hydration, sun protection, or acne control. That preference spans across income tiers, especially among Gen Z.

Drawing on SKU-level sales data from TMO Group’s Market Insider platform for marketplace intelligence, this article breaks down the top-performing categories, market-by-market sales differences, and the product-level strategies behind skincare eCommerce growth across six SEA countries in Shopee and Lazada.

This article is based on the Skincare (Southeast Asia Outlook August 2025)This PDF report looks at the online skincare market in Southeast Asia: market segments, price ranges, popular brands, and much more.Southeast Asia Skincare Outlook, which you can download for free to see the full data from our research.

1. Skincare Product Categories in SEA

TMO’s classification groups SKUs into three key product segments, A split that is essential when shaping a category penetration strategy. "Essences & Functional" dominates, but its success is highly dependent on precise ingredient claims and high-trust branding. "Cleansing & Masks" is more price-sensitive and volume-driven, while "Moisturizing & Nourishing" sits between performance and replenishment.

Notably, there are important differences in preference across countries highlight the need for nuanced category selection for brands trying to penetrate these markets, as a uniform regional strategy risks underperformance.

• Sunscreen’s dominance in Vietnam (17.6% of skincare sales) reflects both climate and deepening consumer understanding of UV protection. This is not mirrored in Malaysia or Singapore, where cleansers and hydration-focused products have more sustained share.
• Serum and essence SKUs are consistently high-ranking, but their functional emphasis differs: Vietnam leans whitening; Indonesia, acne-control; the Philippines, barrier repair.
• Cleansing subcategories perform disproportionately well in Indonesia and Malaysia, suggesting a price-accessible entry point or preference for “first-step” routines.

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For brands, this means category entry is only step one. To succeed in Southeast Asia, SKUs must be localized in format, highlighted functional claims, and pricing strategy. Using country-specific sales data ensures you're not just entering the right category, but doing it the right way.

2. Best-selling Skincare Brands in SEA

Across core categories, international brands dominate top rankings, particularly in Vietnam’s sunscreen segment. In the Philippines’ moisturizing and nourishing category, locally incubated and Southeast Asia–focused brands (e.g., Skintific) also perform strongly, alongside Korean and Western brands.

Key Takeaways

• Localization is outperforming global reach in high-frequency categories. In Indonesia and the Philippines, brands like Somethinc and Luxe Organix lead with localized ingredient stories, pricing logic, and social channel fluency.
• Not all growth categories are equally accessible. Functional skincare is the largest, but also the most competitive. Entry barriers are lower in cleansing and moisturizing formats, which may serve as trial or bundling opportunities.
• Cross-border listings matter less than local SKU optimization. Despite regional overlap in category structure, dominant SKUs vary by market, indicating local search habits and preferences strongly influence sales.

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3. High‑Performing SKU Attributes

Top-performing SKUs across Shopee and Lazada platforms reveal consistent structural and functional patterns. These products succeed not by brand awareness alone but by aligning closely with local consumer needs, ingredient familiarity, and low-friction purchase behavior.

Analysis of bestselling products across categories reveals shared characteristics:

• Packaging and format: Tube and jar formats dominate. Multi-unit packs (combos) are highly effective at raising average order value
• Functional clarity: Products emphasize explicit benefits like sun protection, hydration, barrier repair, or acne control, from ingredients such as ceramides, hyaluronic acid, Vitamin C, or retinol.
• Lightweight textures: Water-based, gel, or fluid formulas outperform thicker creams, especially in tropical settings.
• Pricing tiers:
  • Basic skincare: $2–$10 USD
  • Advanced/functional skincare: $15–$25 USD

Rather than all-purpose products, we can observe that the market rewards single-function items with clear ingredient-function alignment, and listings that convert when they make the product’s use case immediately legible via image, keyword, or functional label. Brands that avoid abstract or metaphorical branding strategies seem to be overperforming in the region when it comes to skincare.

4. Growing your Brand in SEA through Data-backed Localization

The Southeast Asian skincare eCommerce market is not monolithic. While the category structure is shared, the dynamics within each segment differ significantly by country, platform behavior, and consumer expectation. Whether you’re planning to test a product line, track a competitor’s performance or benchmark your own performance across markets, this data can offer the clarity needed to make profitable moves.

Learn how TMO's data services for market intelligence can provide your brand with real sales data across Shopee and Lazada, with insights by subcategory and SKU-level performance.

As part of our comprehensive Southeast Asia eCommerce solutions, TMO Group helps clients dive deeper into Southeast Asia’s eCommerce market with our thorough research and analysis, as well as customized reports for various industries, providing a deep understanding of your niche, including market structure, size, and emerging trends.