Elasticity, and Lifting All at Once!
The Official Launch of Atomy Absolute Hydra Balm: Offering Moisture and Elasticity with One-Handed Application
Marking the first time a cosmetics technology has achieved a quadruple win with patented innovations
Absolute CellActive™ Skincare has won the prestigious King Sejong Award for its patented technologyFollowing the IR52 Jang Young-sil Award and NEP (New Excellent Product) certification, Absolute CellActive™ Skincare has now received the King Sejong Award, the highest honor in the Patented Technology Awards, and has been selected as a Next-generation World Class Product of Korea. This accomplishment makes Absolute CellActive™ the first cosmetics technology to achieve a quadruple win.
Since its launch in 2017, Absolute CellActive™ has become one of Atomy's bestsellers, generating annual sales of 100 billion won and being sold in 24 countries, including Korea. Absolute CellActive Skincare uses CellActive™ Code and CellActive™ Technology, which are cell-targeting methods that accurately identify damaged skin cells and rapidly deliver beneficial ingredients needed for skin issues, such as barrier strengthening, whitening, and regeneration. Inspired by pharmaceutical drug delivery systems, this technology ensures that the key components of the skincare products target and treat specific cells, similar to how a headache medicine works specifically to relieve headaches.
In June 2020, Absolute CellActive™ Skincare received the IR52 Jang Young-sil Award, named after a renowned scientist from the Joseon Dynasty. This award is given weekly to one product each year, for a total of 52 products annually, and is hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT, organized by the Korea Industrial Technology Association and Maeil Business Newspaper. Absolute CellActive™ Skincare was selected in the 25th week of 2020 as a high-efficacy anti-aging cosmetic using peptide design technology.
In December 2020, the product also obtained NEP (New Excellent Product) certification, which recognizes products developed for the first time in Korea or those that innovatively improve existing technology. This certification is organized by the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards and evaluated by the Korea Industrial Technology Association under the Industrial Technology Innovation Promotion Act of the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy. Up to that point, more than 1,380 products had received NEP certification, but Absolute CellActive™ Skincare was only the second cosmetic product to earn this distinction, highlighting its achievement within a challenging certification system.
In November 2021, Absolute CellActive™ Skincare won the King Sejong Award in the Patent and Utility Model category of the Patent Technology Award, organized by the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) and Joongang Ilbo. The Patent Technology Award, established in 1992, is given by KIPO to patents that significantly contribute to industry development through innovative or complex technologies. The evaluation criteria include technicality (creativity and advancement), the appropriateness of the scope of rights, and industrial usability (impact, productivity, usability, and marketability). After a rigorous evaluation and a recommendation from a KIPO examiner, inventors present their technologies hands-on. This year, 146 cases were recommended for the award, with a high competition ratio of 12 to 1. Absolute CellActive™ Skincare won the highest honor, the King Sejong Award, marking the first time a cosmetics technology has received this prestigious recognition, demonstrating its superior level of innovation.
Additionally, in November 2022, Absolute CellActive™ Skincare was selected as a 'Next Generation World-Class Product of Korea' by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy. This title is given to products and companies projected to achieve the 5th largest market share globally within the next seven years. Following its earlier accolades, including the IR52 Jang Young-sil Award and NEP certification, Absolute CellActive™ Skincare's win of the King Sejong Award solidified its status as the first cosmetics technology to achieve quadruple recognition. With annual sales exceeding 100 billion won, the product has been acknowledged for its technological excellence, market differentiation, marketability, economic impact, and scalability.
The Managing Director of Atomy's Product Development Team, who contributed to the development of Absolute CellActive™ Skincare, stated, “Instead of focusing solely on anti-aging, we aimed at de-aging, which stops skin aging and provides highly effective care for already aged skin.” Atomy plans to expand the Absolute CellActive™ line to include total body care products, such as sun care and hair care, utilizing the same patented CellActive™ technology.
Organized by the Korea Industrial Technology Association, this award recognizes outstanding technical performance in Korea.
Granted by the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards, this certification is awarded to products that apply technology developed for the first time in Korea.
To enhance market competitiveness, the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) identifies and awards patents that significantly contribute to industrial development through innovative or complex technologies.
This recognition is given to products and companies expected to achieve a top 5 global market share within the next seven years.
The IR52 Jang Young-sil Award, organized by the Korea Industrial Technology Association, is named after Jang Young-sil, a prominent scientist from the Joseon Dynasty. With the catchphrase “The best technology and product our company has achieved,” this award recognizes Korea's leading technical achievements. It aims to boost the morale of technology developers by honoring organizations with excellent new technology products and innovations. "IR" stands for "Industrial Research," indicating the discovery of research outcomes, and "52" signifies that one product is awarded each week for a year.
Organized by the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards, NEP certification is awarded to products that apply technology developed for the first time in Korea. To obtain this certification, a product must demonstrate superior performance and quality compared to others in its category and have significant technical and economic impact. Over 1,000 products have received NEP certification to date, but beauty products are rarely certified. Therefore, it is highly significant that Absolute CellActive™ Skincare became the second beauty product to achieve this certification.
In order to secure market industrial competitiveness, the KIPO awards the Patent Technology Award to the patents with a high contribution to industry development among innovative new technologies or difficult technologies. When the relevant invention/design registration decision examiner recommends patents registered with the KIPO, it will progress to the review council to be finally selected. The award is divided into King Sejong, Chungmu-gong, Ji Seok Yeong, and Hongdae Yong awards, and among these, King Sejong is the highest “Grand Prize.” At the time of the launch of Absolute, an article in a media outlet reported “Absolute CellActive™ Skincare was significantly affordable when compared to commercially available anti-aging products even though precious ingredients and unrivaled dermatology technology were applied.” And, it additionally stated that “The Atomy Absolute CellActive™ Skincare line is 33,000 won for toner (150 ml), 39,600 won for ampoules (40 ml), 33,000 won for lotion (135 ml) and 33,000 won for nourishing cream (50ml). The volumes and prices vary 2 times at least, and 20 times at most.”
To secure market industrial competitiveness, the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) awards the Patent Technology Award to patents that significantly contribute to industry development through innovative or complex technologies. Patents recommended by KIPO examiners undergo a review process before final selection. The award categories include King Sejong, Chungmu-gong, Ji Seok Yeong, and Hongdae Yong, with the King Sejong Award being the highest honor. At the time of its launch, a media outlet reported that Absolute CellActive™ Skincare was affordably priced compared to other anti-aging products, despite using precious ingredients and unrivaled dermatology technology. It was noted that the volumes and prices of Absolute CellActive™ Skincare products varied significantly, from 2 times to as much as 20 times less expensive than comparable products. The prices are 33,000 won for toner (150 ml), 39,600 won for ampoules (40 ml), 33,000 won for lotion (135 ml), and 33,000 won for nourishing cream (50 ml).
Next-generation world-class products are determined by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy based on marketability and growth potential, including the likelihood of ranking in the top 5 and achieving a 5% market share globally within the next seven years. The selection of Absolute CellActive™ Skincare as a next-generation world-class product indicates that Atomy has a high potential to become one of the top 5 products in the global cosmetics market.