From beauty ideals to black market: The changing face of plastic surgery in China
In the bustling streets of modern China, a new trend is quietly reshaping the nation’s perception of beauty and self-improvement. Plastic surgery, once a taboo topic, has surged in popularity from both reconstructive and aesthetic aspects. Cosmetic surgery, a subset of plastic surgery, is now reshaping beauty standards, particularly among younger generations. Propelled by social […]
Cosmetics market in China: How consumer preferences are evolving and what trends are emerging
In 2023, the cosmetics market in China surpassed RMB 517 billion. This is a healthy growth of 6.4% compared to that in 2022. With continued interest in looking attractive and keeping their skin, the cosmetics market is projected to reach RMB 579 billion by 2025. China’s cosmetics market, which comprises of skincare, makeup, and other […]
Chinese makeup brands revolutionize the market
In the multifaceted Chinese cosmetics market, the makeup segment occupies a significant share of the transactions. The landscape is not dominated by any particular brand, in fact, it is a multipolar system with ongoing competition between foreign and Chinese makeup brands. As of 2023, while international brands generally still hold the lead, there is a […]
Rising demand for high-protection drives the sunscreen market in China
As Chinese consumers become more aware of the importance of skin health, the use of sunscreen is no longer limited to sunny summer days. Nowadays, people in China regularly apply sunscreen even during colder seasons when the sun’s rays are not as intense. This shift in behavior is only one of the many reasons behind […]
Shifting tides in China’s clean beauty market: navigating opportunities, changing regulations, and growing consumer interest
The clean beauty market in China presents both opportunities and challenges for international beauty brands. Despite the potential challenges, certain brands such as Kiehl’s from the United States and La Roche-Posay from France have successfully established a strong presence in the Chinese clean beauty and personal care market. This indicates that there are avenues for […]
The influence of local brands, Gen-Z consumers, and at-home trends on the booming beauty device market in China
Chinese consumers’ appetite for technology and customized recommendations, along with the rapid development of the lazy economy and the rise of the Gen-Z, is inducing more and more beauty brands to invest in at-home beauty devices. This has led to a rapid boom in the market for at-home beauty devices in China. During the pandemic, […]
How Gen-Z and COVID-19 reshaped China’s US$80 billion beauty industry
The beauty industry covers a wide variety of categories such as personal products (cosmetics, skincare, hair care, fragrances), beauty appliances (hair dryers, brushes, combs), and services (salons, day spas, medical aesthetics). On a global stage, China’s beauty industry is a force to be reckoned with. The country ranked second in terms of cosmetics market revenue […]
“Beauty value” economy in China (颜值经济): How social media made ‘face score’ a valuable asset
The “beauty value” economy in China, known in Chinese as 颜值经济 (yán zhi jing ji) is a recent internet slang, in which “yan” means face and appearance, and zhi represents the value of a person’s appearance. Several psychological aspects of the “beauty value” economy in China make it so prosperous. Firstly, working on one’s own […]
Olympic marketing 2021: Chando challenges China’s beauty standards featuring female Olympic athletes
On July 12th, when its 20th anniversary coincided with the Olympics Games, Chando, a Chinese beauty brand, released a short video promoting their new high-end Moisturizing Series cream and a surprise gift box made in collaboration with Tmall. (Read more about TMall Heybox). With the slogan “自然而燃 ” (Burn naturally), Chando plays on the idiom: […]
INSBAHA x Sanxingdui Museum campaign: Marketing “antique” products to Gen-Z
On July 12th the Chinese make up brand INSBAHA (原色波塔) released their new collaboration with the Sanxingdui Museum (三星堆博物馆) on all their Chinese social media accounts. INSBAHA is a make-up brand founded by a Chinese cosmetics company, Proya Cosmetics (珀莱雅), which targets ‘health nuts and trend lovers.’ The Sanxingdui Museum is located near Chengdu and […]
How foreign cosmetics and skincare brands in China can succeed: China Paradigm transcript #123 with Jean-Philippe Benoist
GED localizes and establishes foreign cosmetics and skincare brands in China. Currently, GED is partnering with about 20 cosmetics brands. Having initially started with offline channels and distribution with SEPHORA, they are now focusing on digital online sales and marketing channels such as RED, WeChat, Weibo, Bilibili, TikTok, Tmall, JD, VIPshop, and others. Their target […]
Required cosmetics animal testing in China is loosening: “Ordinary” products no longer required to do animal testing
At some point, all major cosmetics brands were faced with the difficult decision: enter the Chinese market or stick to their principles. This is due to China’s requirement of cosmetics to undergo animal testing. However, on May 1st 2021, China has loosened its requirement for animal testing. In short, pre-market animal testing is no longer […]