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 marketplaces covered 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, with Laifen building its electric toothbrush strategy around the technology.

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 such as Jun Xiaobai in hydroxyapatite toothpaste and Baixi in anti-sugar mouthwash demonstrate the first-mover advantage available in these nascent and highly concentrated segments.

Key Finding 4

The oral care market combines established brands such as Usmile and Yunnan Baiyao (云南白药) with challengers such as Laifen and NYSCPS, which have expanded 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 challenger brands build around specific channel and category combinations. Laifen's focus on electric toothbrushes through a leading marketplace and NYSCPS's toothpaste sets built for content-led commerce show how precise channel-product alignment can open room for growth in categories where incumbents are established.