LF's results-first vegan beauty label Athe(athe) said on the 30th that it's speeding up brand growth as it expands into derma-cosmetics and beauty-tech, led by its hero products.
Athe is leveraging the loyal following it built in lip balm and suncare to branch into high-performance skincare and beauty-tech offerings, reinforcing its position as a results-driven vegan beauty brand.
2019 saw Athe enter the vegan beauty market early; starting with suncare and lip balms, the brand secured 100% vegan certification across all products, from basic skincare to color cosmetics. The suncare line—known for its 'non-stinging' formula—has sold about 840,000 units and now represents roughly 35% of the brand's total sales.
Notably, Athe introduced a 'sun essence' category that treats sunscreen like skincare and has sold about 480,000 units to date. The flagship 'Vegan Relief Sun Essence' contains 71% skincare ingredients, making it suitable for sensitive skin, and it’s earned a reputation as an 'actress-glow (helps makeup apply smoothly)' sun essence for the subtle sheen it provides.
Its mineral suncream has sold roughly 200,000 units, and the 'tone-up sun cushion' launched in 2024—a multi-tasking product that evens skin tone while blocking UV—has driven that category's sales to grow 67% year over year so far this year.
The lip balm category has also become a signature line, with cumulative sales of 920,000 units. The 'Authentic Lip Balm' moved about 400,000 units, while the 'Authentic Lip Gloy Balm'—which pairs lip-gloss shine with balm-level hydration—sold 300,000 units within 1 year and 6 months of launch and has become the brand's top repurchase item.
Backing these results with its 'results-first' technology, Athe plans to accelerate expansion into derma-cosmetics and beauty-tech this year. Rather than focusing only on ingredient lists, the brand is now zeroing in on mechanisms that produce visible skin improvements.
Those efforts are already showing results. The high-performance skincare line that pairs freeze-dried beads with ampoules—the '7-day Programming Ampoule' series—has seen steady growth in repeat customers since launch. Riding that momentum, Athe released the 'Post Laser Repair Cream' in the first half of last year to improve skin damage and strengthen the skin barrier, and in October it introduced the peeling product 'Rice Glow Peel,' which blends natural powder with a high-concentration acid ampoule to expand its high-performance skincare range.
The brand's beauty-tech push is also gaining traction. Athe's first beauty device, the 'Programming Booster Shot,' launched last October; with four booster modes and a gua sha–inspired design, it's attracting attention in the at-home device market. Athe plans to broaden its global sales channels this year.
An Athe spokesperson said, “Building on the technology we proved with our suncare and lip-care hits, we're expanding into skincare and beauty-tech,” adding, “This year we'll introduce localized products and collaborate with global influencers to bring 'results-first K‑vegan beauty' to a worldwide audience.”
Reporter Hong Sun-hye redsun@viva100.com
