TikTok creators sway health buys across Southeast Asia

More than half of consumers find health products on social media.

Southeast Asian consumers are turning to TikTok influencers for health advice, including which wellness products to buy, according to British consumer healthcare group Haleon Plc.

More than half or 53% of consumers in the region now find health-related products through influencers on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, Ritesh Pandey, general manager at Haleon South East Asia and Taiwan, told Retail Asia.

“Influencers are the new experts,” Pandey said via Zoom. “People used to go to doctors or pharmacists to ask: ‘I have this problem. What do I do?’ Today, consumers are going online, where they hear and see some of the videos on what is right for them.”

Whilst doctors and pharmacists remain important, social media is emerging as a key part of their early-stage decision-making process, he added.

Pandey said the shift coincides with a broader regional trend where everyday health and wellness have become priorities.

But taking health advice from influencers can be risky. The flood of conflicting health advice has left social media users—especially young people, who frequently encounter anti-science views—vulnerable to deceptive information, according to the American Psychological Association.

“And despite a genuine desire for the truth, people often find more inaccuracies when they try to verify what they read online,” it said in a blog post last year.

About 15% of consumer health purchases in the region are now made online, with vitamins, minerals, and supplements and oral care amongst the most in demand, Pandey said, citing internal sources.

He added that the rise of social commerce and influencer-led product discovery is playing a critical role in the transition.

The trend is most visible in emerging Southeast Asian markets like Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia, where more than 60% of the population is under 35. 

“These consumers are interacting with brands, key opinion leaders and influencers online to understand more about how they can have a personalised health solution,” he said.

Pandey noted that 85% of Southeast Asians are trying to improve their everyday health—10 percentage points higher than the global average.

Meanwhile, older consumers in markets like Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand are seeking products that will help them move freely, strengthen their bones and improve memory.

In many markets in the region, there are only 0.6 to 2.8 doctors for every 1,000 people, Pandey said. As a result, people rely on over-the-counter remedies so they don’t have to visit the clinic.

Pandey said most consumer health products remain largely untapped. For instance, whilst 98% of consumers experience pain, only 50% treat it. And whilst 85% report sensitive teeth, only 8% seek treatment, and fewer than 10% of households take supplements.

Haleon, which makes Panadol, Sensodyne, Caltrate, and Centrum, reported earnings of $1.98b (£1.48b) for 2024, up from $1.49b (£1.11b) a year earlier.

Haleon seeks to expand access to its products and reach a billion more consumers globally by 2030.