China's skin health management market is at a turning point, in transition from a focus on problem-solving and repair to supporting the long-term management of skin health.
Daisy Tong, Senior Analyst, China Insights
Market Definitions
This Report focuses on consumers’ skin discomfort symptoms (facial skin) and the measures and products used to address facial skin discomfort.
Symptoms of skin discomfort include acne, slower healing/repair, peeling/flaking, excessive sebum and other skin sensitivity symptoms (such as redness and itchiness).
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Definitions
- What you need to know
- Market overview
- Consumer insights and innovation focus
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THE MARKET
- Market overview
- Healthy China strategy continues to support growing understanding of the concept of health management
- Consumers are seeing skin issues as indicators of suboptimal health
- Graph 1: sub-health issues – skin problems, 2023-25
- Facial skincare is seen as an important way to keep skin healthy
- Skin health management evolving from problem-solving to skin longevity
- Brands’ level of focus on skin health varies across global markets
- Graph 2: top 10 markets for facial skincare products with ‘skin health’ claims, 2021-25
- Sensitive skincare remains the core of the skin health management market
- Graph 3: benefits that consumers with sensitive skin care about, 2026*
- Products for sensitive skin with advanced benefits are becoming standard
- Graph 4: popular advanced benefits in new facial/neck care products for sensitive skin, 2021-25
- Consumer discussions show that skin health requires a comprehensive approach to functional benefits, products and lifestyles
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THE CONSUMER
- Skin discomfort is a common condition, but symptoms and frequency vary from person to person
- Oily acne-prone skin, dryness and skin sensitivity the main causes of skin discomfort
- Graph 5: symptoms of skin discomfort, 2026
- 18-24s battle oiliness and acne; more 25-39s experience dryness and sensitivity issues
- Graph 6: symptoms of skin discomfort, by age, 2026
- Higher proportion of consumers with sensitive skin experience skin discomfort symptoms, often with multiple concurrent issues
- Graph 7: symptoms of skin discomfort, by skin sensitivity, 2026
- Graph 8: number of types of skin discomfort, by skin sensitivity, 2026
- Most consumers experience episodic skin discomfort, while those with sensitive skin experience it more frequently
- Graph 9: frequency of skin discomfort, 2026
- Graph 10: frequency of skin discomfort, by skin sensitivity, 2026
- Skin discomfort most frequent among 30-39s, with lower frequency reported among over-40s
- Graph 11: frequency of skin discomfort, by age, 2026
- Consumer profiles based on frequency of skin discomfort
- Products that address different skin discomfort symptoms
- Diverse causes of skin discomfort lead consumers to proactively adapt their skincare practices
- Diverse and everyday causes of skin discomfort; most common causes are environment/climate and lifestyle habits
- Graph 12: causes of skin discomfort, 2026
- Differences in skin discomfort symptoms based on their different causes
- Graph 13: causes of skin discomfort, by symptoms of skin discomfort, 2026
- Products targeting skin discomfort caused by different triggers
- Consumers keep using products as usual, but will also stop, switch and increase product usage to address skin discomfort
- Graph 14: skincare behaviours when encountering skin discomfort, 2026
- When experiencing skin discomfort, consumers tend to adopt basic maintenance + gentler products + simplification
- Facial masks and lotions are the core categories for addressing skin instability, with facial masks seen as a quick solution
- Graph 15: top five scenario-based categories when skin is sensitive or unstable, 2026
- Facial masks: evolving from basic repair to instant soothing + deep restoration
- Toner: focusing on the skin microbiome and skin barrier, redefining the value of first-step skincare
- Consumer skincare behaviours based on different causes of skin discomfort
- Consumers have concurrent need for immediate relief and long-term stability, but targeted symptoms should differ
- Graph 16: attitudes towards products – immediate vs long-term improvement, 2026
- Graph 17: skin discomfort symptoms, by attitudes towards products – immediate vs long-term, 2026
- Immediate soothing and periodic repair changing skin health management from emergency care to continuous improvement
- Sensitive skin care expanding from red ocean market of tackling skin issues into management of skin condition
- Widespread awareness of sensitive skin informs consumer demand for solutions to skin discomfort
- Graph 18: skin sensitivity, 2026
- Graph 19: skin sensitivity, by gender/age/skin type, 2026
- Growing awareness of sensitive skin care; usage scenarios cover both problem-solving and daily stabilisation
- Consumers with sensitive skin have specific daily usage habits
- Graph 20: usage of sensitive skin products, by skin sensitivity, 2026
- Soothing, hydrating and repairing are the must-have benefits for sensitive skin care, with sensitive+ reaching a broader audience
- Graph 21: benefits that consumers with sensitive skin care about, 2026*
- Anti-ageing, firming and antioxidation benefits have become standard in new sensitive skin products in the past five years
- Graph 22: popular advanced benefits in new facial/neck care products for sensitive skin, 2021-25
- Consumers who still use highly functional products during skin sensitivity are more willing to repurchase, extending product lifecycles
- Graph 23: attitudes towards sensitive skincare products – repurchase vs trying new products, 2026
- Graph 24: attitudes towards sensitive skincare products – repurchase vs trying new products, by preference for highly functional sensitive skin products, 2026
- Extending to advanced functional benefits helps brands transition from short-term repair to long-term skin health management
- From targeting skin issues to epigenetics, skin longevity is a new growth area
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NEW PRODUCT TRENDS
- ‘Skin health’ an important claim in global markets, with a more proactive approach in European and US markets
- Graph 25: top 10 markets for new facial skincare products with ‘skin health’ claims, 2021-25
- Graph 26: categories of new facial skincare products with ‘skin health’ claims, 2025
- Cleansers with skin health claims in overseas markets
- Eyecare products with skin health claims in overseas markets
- Suncare products with skin health claims in overseas markets
- Skin health-focused skincare provides growth opportunities through focus on long-term management of skin condition and advanced benefit extensions
- Graph 27: top 10 markets for new face/neck care products with ‘skin health’ claims, 2021-25
- Graph 28: popular claims in new face/neck care products with ‘skin health’ claims, 2025
- Examples of product innovation: maintaining skin vitality at the cellular level, delaying ageing and supporting long-term skin health and resilience
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APPENDIX – METHODOLOGY AND ABBREVIATIONS
- Methodology: consumer survey
- Methodology: TURF analysis
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