By enhancing benefits, creating diverse scenarios and optimising sensory experiences, brands can reshape the role of facial masks in skincare routines
Daisy Tong, Senior Analyst, China Insights
Market Definitions
Included in this Report:
- Sheet masks, which typically refer to cloth or paper saturated with a high dosage of skincare ingredients for one-time use. Common sheet masks include non-woven cloth masks, silk masks, bio-cellulose masks, natural wood pulp masks and cotton masks.
- Sleeping masks, which typically refer to a gel/cream-based product that is applied before sleep and left on overnight.
- Rinse-off masks, which usually mean mud, cream, mousse or gel-based products that can be applied on the face and need to be washed off after 10-30 minutes.
- Peel-off masks, which usually mean mud, cream or gel-based products that can be applied on the face and then shaped into a layer of mask after a few minutes.
- Multi-steps masks usually have two or three steps of facial skincare, including cleanser/scrub/essence/facial oil and sheet masks.
- Freshly made masks usually involve users mixing the sheet and serum and soaking for a certain period before usage.
Excluded:
- Market size in this Report does not cover sales in the customer-to-customer (C2C) market or involving direct-selling brands (eg WeChat business or Taobao).
- The market size in this Report does not include medical dressings.
- Market size is based on sales through all retail channels including direct to consumers but excludes C2C channels (eg WeChat business and Taobao).
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Executive summary
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Definitions
- What you need to know
- Market factors
- Competitive landscape and product innovation
- Consumer demand insights and future opportunities
- What we think
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The market
- Market size and forecast
- Overview of the development of the Chinese facial mask market
- The market is still in a downward trend; explore structural opportunities and unleash the category value
- Market factors
- Cosmetics total retail sales fluctuate and decline, and intentional spending may continue to influence purchasing decisions
- Graph 1: year-on-year growth rate (%) of total retail sales of cosmetics, 2022-25
- Facial masks are the first ones to go in the streamlined skincare trend
- Graph 2: reduction in usage, 2024
- eCommerce platforms are under pressure as online demand shows signs of fatigue
- Graph 3: Douyin facial mask value sales and year-on-year growth rate, 2022-24
- Graph 4: Tmall facial mask value sales and YOY growth rate, 2022-24
- Efficacy-driven enhancement becomes the driving force for value upgrade in facial masks
- Graph 5: selected purchase factors, 2021 vs 2024
- Post-surgical recovery scenarios unlock growth potential for facial masks
- Graph 6: changes in the cosmetic procedure usage – frequency**, 2025
- Graph 7: usage of beauty treatments and cosmetic procedures*, 2023-24
- Emotional skincare is expected to become a new growth driver in the facial mask market
- Graph 8: statements related to beauty and personal care products – I use beauty/grooming products to relax/relieve stress, 2024
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Companies and brands
- Competitive landscape
- The market remains highly fragmented, with leading brands’ market positions consolidating
- L’Oréal co-launched a post-energy-based aesthetic treatment recovery guide with a cosmetic clinic
- OSM: binds pearls, ingredients and facial mask products, investing in whitening for sensitive skin
- CREATOR stands out with the mix-to-activate moisture mask, with Douyin being its main channel
- Sheet masks: a market increasingly stratified by price, with efficacy and brand driving the divide
- Rinse-off masks: high-end segment drives growth, entry of domestic newcomers accelerates
- New product trends
- Basic moisturising remains a core function claim in global key markets, with differences in focus between markets
- Graph 9: facial mask new products top 10 claim proportions, 2024-25
- Claims related to advanced benefits in the Chinese market are growing rapidly
- Graph 10: the top 10 new facial mask claim proportions in the past three consecutive rolling years, March 2025
- Lipophilic/sebum-like components help the skin retain moisture and lock in hydration
- Advanced efficacy: enhance product effectiveness using different encapsulation technologies
- Sheet masks are the mainstream, and facial mask products show a trend of diversification
- Graph 11: the top 10 new facial mask formats and textures proportions in the past three consecutive rolling years, March 2025
- Fabric micro-innovations enhance the fit and effectiveness of sheet masks
- Innovate with format and texture to address subsequent makeup application scenarios
- The proportion of advanced efficacy-related ingredients has grown rapidly in the past three years
- Graph 12: top 10 fastest-growing ingredients in new facial masks in the past three consecutive rolling years, March 2025
- Enhance the credibility and differentiation of ingredient efficacy through a combination of patents and bioavailability
- Routine incorporation of clinical-grade ingredients, with botulinum-like ingredients paving the way for at-home professional care
- Probiotic-related ingredients extend from basic barrier repair to multiple benefits
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The consumer
- Hydration is a basic requirement, while advanced effects are expected to drive consumption upgrades
- Sheet masks continue to be the mainstream, with benefits as the core factor for selection
- Graph 13: purchasing factors**, 2021 vs 2024
- Graph 14: facial mask usage*, 2024-25
- Facial mask users generally experience various skin issues, which drives the demand for more refined benefits
- Graph 15: skin issues – have used sheet masks, 2025
- Hydration is the core, while advanced benefits show diverse potential
- Graph 16: facial mask benefits used, 2025
- Consumers have more refined demands for facial mask benefits
- Graph 17: usage habits, selected options, 2025
- Consumers meet multi-benefit demands by pairing facial masks
- Graph 18: benefits used for users of different facial mask combinations, 2025
- Facial masks are incorporated into daily/periodical care routines, with varying frequencies across mask textures/types
- Graph 19: usage frequency, selected options, 2025
- Facial masks are incorporated into daily/periodical care routines, with varying frequencies across mask textures/types
- Multiple scenarios drive the refining of demand for facial masks
- The usage scenarios for facial masks are becoming increasingly diverse, displaying a lifestyle-led trend of refined development
- Graph 20: facial mask usage occasions*, 2025
- People aged 25-39 are the main force for multi-scenario usage
- Graph 21: facial mask usage occasions – sheet mask, by age, 2025
- Diverse scenarios drive the refinement of category selection; the diverse potential of benefit + occasion is worth exploring
- Graph 22: usage occasions, 2025
- Facial masks extend from daily skincare to a part of post-surgery repair or professional care routines
- Graph 23: usage habits, selected options, 2025
- The pain points of using facial masks are concentrated on sensory aspects, and sensory optimisation is expected to increase emotional value
- The pain points of facial masks are concentrated on the sensory aspects, with optimising user experience and materials becoming the key directions
- Graph 24: pain points in usage among sheet mask users, 2025
- The pain points of facial mask usage differ by age, with younger consumers particularly concerned about the usage experience
- Graph 25: pain points in usage, by usage of sheet mask TGI, by age, 2025
- Frequent users have higher demands for texture and comfort of use, while moderate and infrequent users are more concerned with effectiveness and convenience
- Graph 26: pain points in usage, by usage frequency* of sheet masks, 2025
- Sensory experiences and emotional connections leapt from added values to core drivers
- Graph 27: usage habits, selected options, 2025
- Create a ‘sensory + emotional’ value to enhance the perceived value
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Issues and insights
- Multidimensional synergy to create precise and high-efficiency product power
- Integrate emerging technology and ingredients to create experiences with high perceived efficacy
- Multi-category synergy integration enhances the presentation of product efficacy
- Localised facial masks and refined usage scenarios accurately convey the products’ benefits and value
- Explore native ingredients to precisely convey the efficacy and safety advantages
- Target the cosmetic surgery scene and build a fully linked skincare package
- Introduce facial masks using post-surgery care and establish a professional brand image
- Roll out full-cycle skincare and establish facial mask as a core anchor point in the cosmetic treatment skincare
- Clinical-grade effect gains prevalence in the category of facial masks; quasi-aesthetic medicine concepts elevate the perceived value per single use
- Customisable skincare solutions accelerate the penetration of aesthetic medicine in at-home skincare
- Create an immersive multi-sensory experience to inject emotional value into facial mask products
- Harnessing the aroma of essential oils to release the soothing and healing power of facial masks
- Integrate local culture, culinary memories and folk sentiments into facial mask design to enhance brand recognition
- Incorporate facial masks as a part of self-care rituals
- Create a consumption loop from self-care to social healing
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Appendix – market size and forecast, research methodology and abbreviations
- Market size and forecast
- Methodology
- Abbreviations
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