China focus: Latest developments in China’s booming beauty market

From east to west: US consumers showing more interest in C-beauty rituals – Florasis​​

C-beauty brand Florasis is aiming to capitalise on American beauty consumers’ rising curiosity about Chinese beauty rituals and ingredients.

Florasis started expanding overseas in 2021, with the US as one of its main focus markets.

The company aims to reach US consumers through innovative products that embody the C-beauty heritage, which includes its use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) ingredients.

Additionally, the company looks to leverage its e-commerce success to tap into the massive online market, while staying open to exploring opportunities in the physical retail space as well.

‘Accelerating innovation in a big way’: Estée Lauder will debut first products developed by China R&D facility in Q4​​

Estée Lauder will introduce new products developed by a local team especially for Chinese consumers in the fourth quarter (Q4) this year, as part of the firm’s strategy to “accelerating innovation in a big way” ​in this market.

In 2023, the company expanded its R&D presence in the country with the China Innovation labs in Shanghai.

According to the firm, it is the first ELC facility outside of the US to have end-to-end innovation under one roof. This includes research, ideation, insights, clinical, sensory and performance testing, formulation, packaging, and engineering.

For a better tomorrow: China’s beauty brands embrace ESG focus as consumer priorities shift – Cargill​​

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations have emerged as a central focus for China’s beauty brands, says Cargill.

Oliver Luo, sales director for Cargill Beauty APAC, believes that the heightened awareness is attributed to the Chinese government and its move to tackle environmental issues.

Furthermore, related values, such as traceability, resonates strongly with Chinese consumers, who are very discerning when it comes to product quality and safety.

Luo told CosmeticsDesign-Asia​ that the focus on ESG is possibly one of the biggest opportunities in the Chinese beauty market today. Brands are striving towards these goals not just to appeal to the domestic market but the overseas markets as well.

Mass acceleration: China’s mass beauty market now ‘more dynamic’ than luxury – L’Oréal CEO​​

China’s beauty market is experiencing significant industry shift with the mass beauty market accelerating ahead of the luxury segment in the first quarter (Q1), says L’Oréal’s chief executive.

According to the firm’s Q1 results, growth was sluggish in mainland China. Alongside a weak travel retail market, L’Oréal reported a 1.1% like-for-like contraction in North Asia, which also includes Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.

North Asia was fuelled by the consumer products division in the thriving mass market. It was propelled by the impressive expansion of L’Oréal Paris, particularly with the Age Perfect range.

Building bonds: Croda zeroes in on hair repair solutions as damage hair concerns surge in markets like China​​ 

There is significant scope for innovation in the hair repair sector, according to British ingredients firm Croda.

In APAC, the biggest opportunity is in China, where it has surpassed all markets to become the biggest market for hair dye.

The popularity of hair colouring has been strong among younger consumers who seek to express their individuality in a society where naturally dark black hair is the overwhelming majority.

The frequent use of products to maintain or change hair colour has left them more concerned about hair health.