H1 2025 Whitepaper: China's Oral Care Market Analysis

Key Finding 1

China's online oral care market reached CN¥ 34.35 billion in 2024, surging +17.2% YoY, with toothpaste commanding the largest share at CN¥ 15.33 billion and the fastest growth at +28.6% YoY.

The sustained expansion reflects deepening consumer awareness of comprehensive oral health, extending well beyond basic cleaning into aesthetics, functional improvement, and restorative care. All three major e-commerce platforms --- Tmall/Taobao, JD.com, and Douyin --- recorded positive growth, confirming broad-based demand rather than platform-specific dynamics. Toothpaste's dominance as both the largest and fastest-growing segment underscores its role as the primary entry point for oral care innovation, from emerging ingredients like hydroxyapatite to perfume-inspired fragrances.

Key Finding 2

Sweep-vibration electric toothbrushes achieved over 10x sales growth in 2024, propelling Laifen to +993.6% YoY revenue growth and third place in the electric toothbrush market.

Technology-driven premiumization is reshaping the electric toothbrush segment. While overall unit volumes declined -11.7%, average selling prices rose +18.6% as consumers traded up to advanced cleaning technologies. Sweep-vibration, AI-enabled brushing, and bone conduction features represent a new tier of product differentiation that commands significant price premiums. This structural shift from volume growth to value growth signals a maturing market where innovation, rather than price competition, determines brand success.

Key Finding 3

Ingredient innovation is accelerating across oral care categories, with hydroxyapatite toothpaste sales reaching CN¥ 460 million (+155.6% YoY) and anti-sugar mouthwash nearly doubling to CN¥ 92.4 million.

Consumer demand for functional oral care products has moved beyond traditional fluoride-based formulations. Emerging ingredients including hydroxyapatite, amino acids, and lysozyme are gaining rapid traction, particularly among consumers seeking enamel repair and advanced cavity prevention. The anti-sugar concept, which crossed over from skincare and food & beverage categories into oral care, represents a new growth frontier. Pioneer brands like Jun Xiaobai in hydroxyapatite (67% market share) and Baixi in anti-sugar mouthwash (92.8% share) demonstrate the first-mover advantage available in these nascent segments.

Key Finding 4

Usmile and Yunnan Baiyao (云南白药) lead the overall oral care market with CN¥ 2.17 billion and CN¥ 1.64 billion in sales respectively, while fast-growing challengers Laifen and NYSCPS achieved +993.6% and +287.2% YoY growth through differentiated channel and product strategies.

The competitive landscape reveals a dual dynamic: established brands maintain scale through broad product portfolios and multi-platform presence, while insurgent brands capture outsized growth by dominating specific platform-category combinations. Laifen's JD.com-centric electric toothbrush strategy and NYSCPS's Douyin-native toothpaste sets demonstrate that precise channel-product alignment can generate explosive growth even in categories dominated by incumbents.