This report looks at the following areas:
- Market overview and changes in the women’s facial skincare market in China
- Competitive landscape and marketing activities
- New product trends and innovation opportunities
- Skincare goals and skincare product usage
- Usage times of different skincare products
- Changes in skincare routines
- Reduced product usage and reasons for doing so
- Expected communication methods
As growth slows but focus on quality intensifies, brands need to provide science-driven segmented solutions targeted at the essential needs of female skincare users.
Yali Jiang, Associate Director, China Insights
Market Definitions
This Report covers products in the following categories:
- Facial cleanser, facial toner/softener, facial moisturiser/emulsion/lotion, facial serum/essence/concentrate, facial spray (eg mineral water), eye cream/essence, facial oil, facial mask (including sheet mask, rinse-off and sleeping mask), suncare products (excluding colour cosmetics with suncare functions such as BB cream), deep exfoliator/scrub products, special treatment products (eg anti-acne, anti-blackhead) etc.
Market size is based on sales through all retail channels, including D2C, but excluding the professional sector (such as beauty salons and clinics) and C2C channels (eg WeChat Commerce and Taobao). Lip care products and facial skincare sets are included in market size although not in consumer questions. Products specifically designed for or targeted at men or babies and medicated products are excluded from market sizing.
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Executive summary
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Definition
- What you need to know
- The market
- The facial skincare market slows down, entering a period of stable growth with a focus on quality
- Market factors: the rise of streamlined skincare, the noticeable trend towards affordability, and the focus on skin health and science-backed skincare are key areas for future growth
- Companies and brands
- Qualitative changes in the competitive landscape: domestic brands gain momentum with great value-for-money offerings, threatening international players
- Marketing campaign trends: health, science and emotional skincare can counter the streamlining crisis
- Anti-ageing and sensitivity-related claims continue to grow; textures that deliver functionality/absorption effects are popular
- Graph 1: new launches in the women's facial skincare market, by mainstream functional claims, 2020-24
- Graph 2: new launches in women's facial skincare market, by mainstream formats and textures, 2020-24
- Examples of products reflecting the above trends: multiple benefits, tangible repairing and lightweight textures for easier absorption
- The consumer
- Beauty enhancement and skin health demands are common
- Graph 3: skincare goals, 2024
- The continuing decline in facial skincare usage reveals consumer willingness to streamline
- Graph 4: facial skincare product usage, 2022-24
- Staple skincare products are frequently used morning and night, but the evening routine is more comprehensive
- Graph 5: usage times for facial skincare products, 2024
- Streamlined skincare begins with simplifying steps
- Graph 6: changes in skincare routines, 2024
- Non-essential skincare products are more likely to be 'streamlined'
- Graph 7: usage of facial skincare products, 2024
- Graph 8: reduction in usage, 2024
- Time, effectiveness and safety considerations are the main reasons for skincare streamlining
- Graph 9: reasons for reduced usage, 2024
- Issues and insights
- What we think
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The market
- Market size and forecast
- Growth slows in China's facial skincare market, as it enters a critical adjustment period
- Graph 10: retail value and growth rate of women's facial skincare market, 2019-24 (est)
- Market factors
- BPC demand weakens, leading to a slowdown in growth
- Prices on Douyin remain low; Tmall sees significant growth in products under RMB100
- Graph 11: share of volume sales of facial skincare products on Douyin, by price range, 2022-2024 (Jan-Aug)
- Graph 12: share of volume sales of facial skincare products on Tmall, by price range, 2022-24 (Jan-Aug)
- Streamlined skincare is on the rise, as the skincare market enters a new phase
- Skin health and science-backed skincare will be the key pillars of the new skincare era
- Regulatory oversight becomes stricter, creating a legal framework for the science-driven skincare era
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Companies and brands
- Market share
- The competitive landscape is undergoing a qualitative change: domestic brands ride high, while international brands lose market share
- Domestic brands challenge international heavyweights, with most emerging victorious
- The changing competitive landscape sees affordable products become the focus
- Marketing activities
- Brand positioning/repositioning around skin health and science may win consumers in the future
- Explore the value of emotional skincare to rise above competition over efficacies
- An in-depth exploration of the causes of ageing could revolutionise narratives in the anti-ageing market
- Expand into pre-cosmetic procedure care to mitigate the threat posed by streamlining
- New product trends
- The proportion of new launches across sub-categories has stabilised, with new product varieties/range extensions asserting dominance
- Graph 13: new launches in the women's facial skincare market, by sub-category, 2020-24
- Graph 14: new launches in women's facial skincare market, by launch type, 2020-24
- Anti-ageing and sensitivity-related skincare claims see significant growth over the past five years
- Mainstream functional claims are being combined and integrated into new skincare launches as standard
- Repair-oriented launches focus on soothing redness/sensitivity and barrier repair
- Essences remain popular in new launches, while creams, oils and water-based products see steady growth
- Graph 15: new launches in women's facial skincare market, by mainstream formats and textures*, 2020-24
- Adjust oil-to-water ratio to attract consumers with dual textures
- Many new launches offer combinations or high concentrations of classic ingredients
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The consumer
- Overview of skin types and issues
- An increasing share of consumers report having sensitive skin, while the share of combination and oily skin types waxes and wanes
- Graph 16: skin sensitivity, 2022-24
- Graph 17: skin types, 2022-24
- Sensitive combination skin is on the rise and may become the next skin type to watch
- Graph 18: skin type and sensitivity, 2022-2024
- There has been a minor increase in consumers reporting a dull complexion/uneven skintone, sensitive skin or fine wrinkles/lines
- Graph 19: skin issues, 2022-24
- Graph 20: skin issues, by age, 2024
- Facial skincare goals
- Brightening and moisturising are the most desired benefits, while healthy skin and boosting mood also deserve attention
- Graph 21: skincare goals, 2024
- Respond to consumer demands by adding hydrating/moisturising and skin health to basic brightening claims
- Skincare goals vary by age, and solutions can be tailored to different age groups
- Graph 22: skincare goals, by age, 2024
- Usage of facial skincare products
- Facial skincare usage continues the slight downward trend from 2023
- Graph 23: facial skincare product usage, 2022-24
- Routines become gradually more simplified each year
- Graph 24: repertoire of facial skincare used in the last six months, 2022-24
- Timing of facial skincare usage
- Regular skincare products are commonly used in the morning and evening, while usage times for other products vary
- Graph 25: usage times for facial skincare products, 2024
- Changes in skincare routines
- Streamlined skincare makes inroads, starting with simplifying steps
- Graph 26: changes in skincare routines, 2024
- 18-24 year-olds, consumers with lower monthly incomes and singles are the main adoptees of streamlined skincare
- Graph 27: consumer profiles, by changes in facial skincare routines, 2024
- Reduced usage of products
- Skincare products with low usage rates are more likely to be under threat
- Graph 28: reduction in usage, 2024
- Graph 29: usage of facial skincare products, 2024
- Reasons for reduced usage
- Time and safety considerations are the main reasons for streamlining
- Graph 30: reasons for reduced usage, 2024
- Graph 31: mentions of 'streamlined skincare', 2023-24
- Consumers streamline in different ways and for different reasons
- Graph 32: select reasons for reduction in skincare usage (by reduction behaviour), 2024
- Expected communication methods
- Realism, comprehensibility and professionalism are the key elements of science communication
- Graph 33: expected communication methods, 2024
- Reach more consumers by communicating USPs and easy-to-understand information on top of realistic claims
- Establishing a science-backed communication system is the foundation for growth in the era of science-backed skincare
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Issues and insights
- Provide solutions to skincare goals in the science-backed skincare era
- Skin health issues deserve attention; skincare needs should be differentiated according to health status
- Scientific segmentation of skincare needs and advanced benefits tailored to skin state will be necessary in the future
- Critically examine the streamlined skincare trend and its opportunities
- Simplicity ≠minimalism: this trend requires critical examination
- Addressing streamlining requires a focus on both steps and core aspects
- Adjust the product supply structure according to the timing of usage and consumer needs
- Morning and evening routines differ significantly: the focus is on efficiency in the morning, and on nourishment and completing a full routine in the evening
- Provide products targeted to skincare priorities at different times
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Appendix – market size and forecast, research methodology and abbreviations
- Market size and forecast
- Methodology
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