The category is undergoing a redefinition of value propositions: future growth will be driven by diversifying of benefits, creating a more refined experience and enhancing emotional value.
Zoey Song, Senior Analyst, China Insights
Market Definitions
This Report covers products in the following categories, including those for men, women and children:
- solid and liquid soaps – including bar soaps primarily used for cleansing the hands or body, hand wash products and no-rinse instant hand sanitisers
- shower products – including liquid, gel/cream, mousse, scrub and oil formats
- bath products – including foam, bath liquids (including oils, milk, bath pearls) and solid products (including bath salts, melts, tablets, powder)
The Report does not cover:
- facial cleansers
- bath and shower tools
Market size is based on sales through all retail channels, including direct to consumers, but excludes the professional sector (such as beauty salons) and consumer-to-consumer channels (eg WeChat business and Taobao).
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Executive summary
- Definitions
- What you need to know
- Market size forecast for China’s soap, bath and shower products market
- Market factors
- Companies and brands
- Consumer demand and focus of innovation
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The market
- Market size and forecast
- Soap, bath and shower products market to grow by 3.7% in 2025 and maintain slow growth
- Graph 1: forecast of retail sales in the soap, bath and shower products market (best- and worst-case scenarios), 2020-30
- Market segments
- Shower category growing; soap and handwash/hand gel maintaining slight growth
- Graph 2: value sales of soap, bath and shower products, by sub-category, 2021-25
- Graph 3: growth of the soap, bath and shower products market, by sub-category, 2021-25
- Market factors
- Consumer spending on personal care products is stabilising
- Graph 4: trends in spending on personal care products, 2025
- Bath/shower products enjoy solid user base; shower gel strengthens its lead while soap still has a loyal base
- Graph 5: usage of bath/shower products, 2024-25
- Handwashing frequency remains stable with hygiene habits continuing; handwash is now a standard item in households
- Graph 6: frequency of use of handwash, 2024
- Graph 7: usage of handwash products, 2024-25
- Showering is a moment for relaxation; brands can look to combine functional and emotional value
- Over half of consumers seek multiple functions; the market will focus on functional upgrades and differentiating on value
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Competitive landscape
- Tmall’s top performers unchanged; mid-tier brands breaking through with value-for-money and differentiated positioning
- Chinese brands dominate on Douyin, with rankings seeing a greater degree of movement
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The consumer
- With penetration in the category peaking, traditional sub-categories dominate, while sensory experience and benefits drive differentiation and growth
- Graph 8: usage of soap, bath and shower products, 2024-25
- Bath and shower products move beyond moisturisation into a new facial skincare-inspired era
- Diversifying demand for benefits; facial care trends driving upgrade of the body cleansing category
- Graph 9: interest in benefit claims, 2025
- Functional demands are age-dependent: younger groups focus on problem-solving, while 35-39s prefer advanced skincare benefits
- Graph 10: interest in benefit claims, by age (TGI), 2025
- Premium consumers want comprehensive advanced benefits, while price-sensitive users focus on practicality
- Graph 11: interest in benefit claims, by willingness to pay a premium (TGI), 2025
- A multifunctional shower product with facial care ingredients and a unique formula
- Bacne: bath/shower products moving into targeted bodycare
- Combine multiple functions to meet multifaceted needs
- Elevate the showering experience by differentiating with innovations on foam and skin feel
- When showering, consumers are more interested in efficient cleansing and the immediate sensory experience
- Graph 12: important qualities in bath/shower products, 2025
- Easy rinsing, creamy foam texture and copious foam can satisfy the majority of consumers’ needs
- Men prefer efficiency, whereas women want a more sophisticated experience
- Graph 13: important qualities in bath/shower products, by gender, 2025
- Experiential value to drive premiumisation, with texture, foaming quality and fragrance helping to capture the premium market
- Graph 14: important qualities in bath/shower products, by willingness to pay a premium (TGI), 2025
- Focus on the foaming experience to strengthen the impact of product messaging
- Innovate with foam formats to create a differentiated experience
- Dual-phase format transforms into rich foam and expands use scenarios
- Focus on the specific needs of consumer segments to create differentiation
- Elevating emotional value, from functional cleansing product to lifestyle choice
- Sensory benefits hold significant appeal, with fragrance, texture and emotional benefits set to define a new generation of bath and shower products
- Graph 15: interest in product features, 2025
- Sensory and emotional attributes drive spending upgrades
- Graph 16: interest in product features, by willingness to pay a premium (TGI), 2025
- Sophisticated usage habits are emerging, differentiated needs are worth exploring
- Graph 17: product usage habits, by gender and age, 2025
- Tap into emotional value and create lifestyle-oriented products
- Engaging scent and sound, SLATE Body transforms cleansing into a mood-enhancing sensory experience
- Brands should actively seek opportunities for cross-category collaboration and explore the gifting market
- Match sensory experiences to seasons to promote more sophisticated usage habits
- Online and offline equally important; experiential channels act as vital sensory touchpoints
- Graph 18: purchase channels, 2025
- Actively roll out physical touchpoints to strengthen brand awareness
- Differentiated offerings in experiential channels; enhance sensory experiences and promote social media discussion
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New product trends
- Proportion of new shower products in the China market continues to rise
- Graph 19: new soap, bath and shower products, by sub-category, November 2024-October 2025
- Graph 20: new soap, bath and shower products, by sub-category, November 2020-October 2025
- China market focused on natural and functional claims; UK and US emphasise environmental and free from claims
- Graph 21: claim types in new soap, bath and shower products, November 2024-October 2025
- Convenience, long-lasting and aromatherapy claims rising rapidly in the China market
- Graph 22: popular claims in new soap, bath and shower products, November 2020-October 2025
- Gels and oils lead in the China market, while Japan sees more innovations in foam textures
- Graph 23: textures in new soap, bath and shower products, November 2024-October 2025
- Share of new gel and oil formats in the China market continues to rise; innovation focused on popular textures
- Graph 24: textures in new soap, bath and shower products, November 2020-October 2025
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Appendix – market size and forecast, research methodology
- Market size and forecast
- 500-749ml is the most popular size
- Graph 25: common product sizes, 2025
- Methodology
- Methodology: TURF analysis
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