Guardian Vietnam Adds Four Hanoi Stores in Early 2026 Push
The openings extend Guardian Vietnam’s presence in Hanoi as the health and beauty retailer continues to build out its store network in key urban locations.
-
-
Shan Tea in Vietnamese Skincare: The Ancient Highland Variety You Haven’t Heard Of
Shan tea Vietnamese skincare brands use is not the same green tea extract you’ll find in most global products. The ingredient is real and well-documented. It is also largely interchangeable between brands. Hoa Trà Shan is different. Shan Tuyet – “Snow Mountain” in Vietnamese – is an ancient heirloom variety of Camellia sinensis var. pubilimba…
-
Skincare in Vietnam: A Local’s Guide to What’s Actually Worth Buying
Most guides to buying skincare in Vietnam are written by people who have never been here. They list Watsons and Guardian as if they’re interchangeable, recommend products that aren’t available in every city, and miss the fundamental thing that shapes this market: Vietnamese consumers have largely chosen Korean skincare over their own local brands, and…
-
Recession Glam Is Reshaping Asian Beauty. V-Beauty Is Positioned to Win It
Recession glam beauty is reshaping Asia Pacific – a market worth $183 billion that grew just 1.4% in 2024, while Vietnam fragrance sales jumped 31% and value-tier brands captured double-digit share from established players. The divergence is not a contradiction. It is the clearest expression of what Euromonitor International has named the defining consumer trend…
-
Vietnam Orders Recall of 107 Cosmetics Batches Over Banned Steroid
The enforcement action targets a whitening and anti-acne cream found to contain dexamethasone, a corticosteroid that is not permitted in cosmetics in Vietnam.
-
Why No One Covers Vietnamese Skincare in English
Cocoon Vietnam is the best-selling beauty brand at Guardian Vietnam, certified by PETA, Leaping Bunny, and The Vegan Society, distributed in the United States, Canada, Australia, and – since April 2026 – France. It has never appeared in Allure, Byrdie, or Vogue Beauty. Neither has Herbario. Neither has Thorakao, a Vietnamese heritage brand that has…
-
Vietnam’s Clean Beauty Paradox: Traditional Ingredients, Unregulated Claims
Vietnam’s beauty brands market themselves on naturalness. The words “thiên nhiên” (natural), “thuần chay” (vegan), and “organic” appear across product lines from Cocoon to Herbario to dozens of smaller independent brands – and in the Vietnamese market, none of these terms carries a legal definition, a certification requirement, or an enforcement mechanism. That regulatory gap…
-
What Happens to a Vietnamese Beauty Brand After a Conglomerate Buys It
In February 2026, Marico announced the acquisition of a 75% stake in Skinetiq – the Vietnamese D2C company behind skincare brand Candid – at a valuation of approximately $40 million, its second Vietnamese beauty deal in three years. The acquisition is worth examining not for what it tells us about Marico’s ambitions, which are now…
-
The Brightening Market Is Splitting in Two – and Vietnam Sits at the Fault Line
Brightening skincare is the most commercially significant category in Southeast Asia – and it is fracturing. What was once a single segment defined by the aspiration for lighter, more even skin tone is dividing into two distinct product logics with different consumers, different price points, and different evidence requirements. Vietnamese beauty brands are naturally positioned…
-
Cocoon Enters France Through Orien Trade Partnership
The move gives the Vietnamese vegan cosmetics brand a formal distribution foothold in France, with a Paris activation scheduled for April as part of the market entry.
