Having roped in Lynn Tan, its business partner for 14 years, Ales Groupe has confidently gone ahead and established a subsidiary in Singapore. “This is a strategic move because Asia is the next frontier for us,” Raphael Cintas, Managing Director of Ales Groupe Asia Limited, told insidercent.com. “To make a mark and have a strong presence we need to be in Asia. We have established our Hong Kong subsidiary and set up our Asia Pacific office foothold six years ago. Thus, having a Singapore subsidiary is a natural progression.”
Lynn is a veteran of the cosmetics business in Singapore. In September 2003, she co-founded Fusion Cosmetics, realising her dream of building a business that delivers extraordinary products to customers. Since then she has been the exclusive distributor of Ales Groupe’s popular hair growth brand Phyto in Singapore. “Having Lynn to spearhead the Ales Groupe Singapore will guarantee us long-term success,” said Raphael.
The French group, which operates in 14 countries in Asia Pacific – Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, China, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Cambodia, South Korea and Singapore – has many exciting growth plans for Singapore over the next three years. “We have realigned and repositioned our brands with the right key partners like Robinsons, Metro and Guardian and are also extending our presence in professional hair salons,” said Raphael. “We will also be launching a new natural skin care brand in 2018. Further plans include setting up a chain of Ales Beaute Boutiques in Singapore – which will be the first in the world.”
Among the Ales Groupe’s wide range, the Lierac and Phyto products garner the most business in Singapore. Lierac’s anti-ageing collection, especially Premium Absolute Anti-Ageing and Body Slimming, is a hit.
Phyto, undoubtedly one of the top hair care brands in Singapore, is revolutionary for its hair loss treatments and uses the highest concentration of botanical ingredients. It has the Phytologist 15 for chronic hair loss, Phytocyane for reactive alopecia (hair loss among women) and Phytolium4 for male pattern baldness.
The Ales Groupe, which has annual sales of more than US$15 million in Asia, already has a strong database of more than 30,000 customers and more than 23,000 fans on Facebook. It plans to double this database with a series of campaigns highlighting its new products.
“The idea is to open up our brand (which provides hair and skin-care needs for both men and women from 20 years old and above) to a new segment of clients,” said Raphael. “We have expanded our marketing team and there will be the support of a PR agency and a digital agency for the entire year. We will also have ambassadors representing our brands for 2018.”
Innovation is obviously the motto at the Ales Groupe. In recent years it became the first company in the world to create a dietary supplement for hair and nail growth (Phytophanere), a solution for women’s hair loss (Phytocyane), a sun protection spray for hair (Phytoplage) and a product for stretch marks (Phytolastil).
“In 2018, Phyto will launch a revolutionary anti-grey hair product,” said Raphael. “Again it will be the first in the world. It is a treatment which truly reverses grey hair with high efficacy rate. And the product has no pigments.
“Until now, it seemed that colouring was the only option to restore the hair’s youthfulness. But this solution is not suitable for everyone. With our new product, it is possible to get back your “young” hair. Phyto has again achieved the impossible by targeting the mechanisms causing grey hair.”
Ales Groupe is also working on “French and Korean phyto-cosmetic synergy”. Said Raphael: “Vegetal extracts’ vital strength inspired by European and Asian pharmacopoeia to restore skin balance will give birth to a new skincare brand that we will introduce to the market in the summer (May-June).”
Ales Groupe brings together science and nature at the highest level and the expression “botanical power” truly reflects the fundamental nature of its research. Inspired by the latest scientific advances, the group has always been on the cutting edge of innovation with multiples patents and have conducted thousands of clinical studies with proven efficacy.
With its integrated laboratory manned by chemical engineers, doctors, pharmacists and specialists in cosmetics and botany, the group in 2015 invested around US$5 million in research. Its laboratory also often works with external scientists, like from the National Centre of Industrial Research and the School of Industrial Biology in France.
Lierac is a 100 per cent made in France brand with a worldwide presence. It is a premium cosmetic brand that combines the best of science and nature to offer the very best in anti-ageing efficacy.
Phyto is also a 100 per cent made in France brand with a worldwide presence. It was founded by Patrick Ales, who has always been passionate about plants and was one of Paris’ legendary hair stylists.
Phyto is a premium expert hair care brand that uses the scientific power of plants to achieve durable beautiful hair. It has an expert hair care philosophy with a five-step ritual for all hair types and needs, starting from a unique scalp treatment, going through beauty care along with dedicated treatments and ending with styling products to create hair looks that top hair stylists acknowledge.
