Rewiring the beauty economy: How ParagonCorp is turning data into trust and scale

In an industry often driven by virality and velocity, ParagonCorp is positioning itself as something else entirely: a beauty tech company determined to replace trend-chasing with clarity. At Beauty Science Tech (BST) 2026 in Jakarta, the Indonesian firm made that ambition explicit. Under the theme “Beauty rewired: Where science, technology, and soul transform life”, the five-day platform was less an exhibition than a declaration of direction. For ParagonCorp, technology is not a marketing add-on. It is the infrastructure through which trust, literacy and long-term growth are built.

“We are committed to continuing to increase consumer literacy, and we believe that the industry itself is actually shifting,” Amalia Sarah Santi (pictured), EVP and global chief business officer at ParagonCorp told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE.

BST was first launched in 2023 as a response to what Santi describes as a market “bombarded with so many things”. As one of Indonesia’s largest beauty players, ParagonCorp observed rising noise, compressed product cycles and increasingly algorithm-driven consumption patterns shaping how consumers discover and evaluate products. Rather than compete within that acceleration loop, the company chose to counter it with scientific grounding. For ParagonCorp, effective solutions must not only work – they must also be explainable. “Trust is actually built when claims are grounded in evidence,” Santi said.

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Moving beauty beyond the algorithm

This desire to shift consumers from reactive scrolling to informed decision-making sits at the heart of “Beauty rewired” – ParagonCorp’s strategic framework built on three pillars: human data points, science-led expertise and purposeful AI.

“Sometimes, we don’t realise that the content we frequently interact with, and which continuously appears on our phones, is actually affecting the way we think.” Santi said. “By contrast, we would like to help consumers navigate what they truly need.”

The scale of this ambition is significant. ParagonCorp is working with more than 20 million human data points gathered through AI-driven acquisition tools, including Wardah Beauty AI. “This allows us to generate deeper consumer insight. The better we understand them, the clearer we become about their real needs – not just what they want or what they see,” Santi explained.

This distinction is not semantic – it is strategic. By analysing deeper behavioural and dermatological inputs, ParagonCorp aims to reduce trial-and-error purchasing and increase solution accuracy – a critical lever in a category where scepticism around claims remains high.

Trust, Santi argued, is built when claims are grounded in evidence and when solutions are explainable. Using hyperpigmentation as an example, she noted that two women may see similar dark spots, but underlying causes can differ – requiring different formulations and regimens. Data, science and AI enable that differentiation.

300 scientists – and sociologists

If data is the input, science is the filter. ParagonCorp works with more than 300 global scientists – including microbiologists, dermatologists and chemists – in addition to sociologists who decode behavioural patterns.

This interdisciplinary structure reflects a broader view of beauty as embedded within what Santi calls a “living ecosystem”. Environmental shifts, air-conditioned classrooms, urban pollution and lifestyle changes all alter skin biology over time. ParagonCorp’s investment in microbiome research is one response to that reality.

Rather than chasing short-lived trends, Santi emphasised that ParagonCorp’s innovation compass has always been rooted in unmet need. She referenced the company’s early commitment to halal formulations decades ago – long before regulatory enforcement made it mainstream.

The implication is clear: longevity in beauty is less about trend responsiveness and more about anticipatory insight.

“From the very beginning, when Ibu Nurhayati Subakat founded this company, it was never about following trends. She set the compass for us by identifying what was truly needed – and what was still lacking. That principle continues to shape who we are today.”

We work with human behaviour to decode what the next meaningful innovation should be – because it has to truly matter to consumers.

Purposeful AI at scale

At the core of the framework sits purposeful AI, driving speed and scale.

“You cannot manage big data without AI,” Santi said. Within a science-led model, she added, AI functions as core infrastructure rather than an add-on. Purposeful AI converts layered consumer insight into precise, scalable solutions delivered with operational speed.

Wardah Beauty AI demonstrates how this translates commercially. In Malaysia, where ethnic diversity creates wider variation in skin tone and conditions, AI-driven analysis enables more granular personalisation.

The result is both acquisition – including stronger recruitment of Gen Z consumers – and retention through continuous skin reassessment and regimen adjustment. Retention, in this model, is no longer birthday reminders or generic CRM nudges. It is iterative problem-solving across life stages and contexts, Santi explained.

Omnichannel as ecosystem, not event

ParagonCorp’s technology strategy also reshapes how it thinks about commerce. At BST 2026, a Shopee Hyper Brand Day activation integrated physical trial with digital checkout and same-day collection – a live case study in online-to-offline (O2O) retail.

Santi resists framing BST or Wardah AI as one-off spectacles. “We don’t want the thinking to end with it being viewed as an event,” she said, noting that while physical activations may reach thousands, AI-powered tools extend to millions online. “It’s about achieving broader impact – delivering solutions at scale that create meaningful outcomes across wider regions.”

The same ecosystem logic drives Kahf DECODE, the brand’s AI-powered male grooming platform. Built on male-specific data points – from hair texture to body proportions – DECODE combines dermatological insight, lifestyle input and live-streamed commerce to create what Santi calls a “safe space for male grooming”.

Offline consultations feed online conversations. AI analysers inform product recommendations. Real-time content responds to social listening. Discovery, education and purchase reinforce each other.

Expanding the horizon

Internally, ParagonCorp is doubling down on infrastructure. Santi confirmed plans to build an “AI data machine”, strengthen first-party data capabilities and develop a more holistic consumer data platform, alongside continued investment in omnichannel systems.

The ambition extends beyond Indonesia. Expansion into ASEAN and the Middle East will be guided not merely by distribution opportunity but by regulatory readiness, cultural alignment and long-term trust-building. That, Santi acknowledged, remains one of the biggest challenges in entering new territories.

“We are currently in a deeper study phase, but we have to ensure we provide solutions grounded not only in beauty needs, cultural values and ethical considerations, but also in how they are truly embedded in daily life,” Santi said.

In ParagonCorp’s framing, halal is not a niche label but an inclusive operating standard rooted in universal principles. Sustainability and conservation initiatives – including biodiversity efforts in Kalimantan and Sumatra – are treated not as peripheral CSR, but as core pillars of the “Beauty rewired” ecosystem.

Growing the creator economy

Technology also extends to community. Since its launch in late 2023, Paragon Creator Hub has grown to more than 25,000 creators and affiliates. Education, tool access and shared learning underpin the programme, which connects creators directly with scientific knowledge showcased at BST.

The strategic logic is ecosystem expansion: creators grounded in science-led literacy are better positioned to build credibility, sustain businesses and reinforce brand trust.

ParagonCorp’s bet is that the next phase of beauty in Southeast Asia will not be won by whoever shouts loudest in-feed, but by whoever decodes human reality most precisely. By combining 20 million data points, 300-plus scientists, purposeful AI and an expanding omnichannel infrastructure, the company is attempting to institutionalise clarity in a category defined by noise.

“Beauty is universal in purpose, but deeply personal in how it is lived,” Santi said.

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