2025 Whitepaper: China's Beauty & Skincare Market Analysis

Key Finding 1

China's online beauty and skincare market reached CN¥ 454.2 billion in 2025 (+9.7% YoY), with 5.13 billion units sold (+5.5% YoY), confirming that premiumization and volume growth are advancing in tandem.

Growth was driven by structural price upgrades alongside healthy volume expansion. In skincare, the CN¥ 0-100 segment posted the fastest gains at +20.6% YoY, while premium tiers above CN¥ 500 also accelerated. In makeup, the mass-market CN¥ 0-300 range still commands 74.1% of sales, yet the CN¥ 500-plus segment is expanding at double-digit rates across categories.

Key Finding 2

Anti-aging emerged as the dominant growth engine, surging +26.3% YoY to CN¥ 129.8 billion, with body anti-aging products exploding +146.7% as consumers extend age-management routines beyond the face.

Facial care sets lead the anti-aging segment at CN¥ 34.9 billion and 26.9% share. The expansion from facial-only products to full-body treatments signals a structural shift: consumers now view anti-aging as a holistic regimen rather than a single product category.

Key Finding 3

International luxury brands reclaimed momentum in 2025 -- La Mer (+26.6%), Helena Rubinstein (+33.5%), and YSL (+29.2%) posted the strongest growth -- while domestic leader PROYA consolidated its position with +18.2% sales growth and +7.2 pp market share gains.

The top 10 brands collectively grew sales by +12.5% YoY and expanded their combined market share by +2.9 pp, deepening stratification between leaders and the mid-tier. Premium anti-aging with proprietary actives proved the winning formula across both international and domestic brands.