China's Online Oral Care Sales Hit CN¥ 34.35 Billion in 2024
By Jessie Wang
4 min read
Executive Summary#
China's online oral care market reached CN¥ 34.35 billion in 2024, growing 17.2% year on year (YoY) from CN¥ 29.31 billion, and all three of the leading marketplaces in the data recorded positive growth. Toothpaste was the largest segment and the fastest-growing of the major ones at CN¥ 15.33 billion (+28.6% YoY), while sweep-vibration electric toothbrushes and hydroxyapatite toothpaste were the innovations that changed the category most. Domestic brands with strong digital commerce capabilities grew by pairing a differentiated product with a channel suited to it, as Laifen has done with sweep-vibration technology and NYSCPS with bundled toothpaste sets.
A CN¥ 34 Billion Market With Broad-Based Growth#
The data covers three leading Chinese marketplaces, and the growth was spread across all three, which suggests that demand for the category itself is rising and that the increase does not depend on any one channel.
We believe the channels suit different products. Higher-priced categories such as electric toothbrushes and premium oral care devices sell well where shoppers value fast logistics and guaranteed authentic goods. Livestream commerce and short-video product demonstrations drive impulse purchases instead, particularly of toothpaste sets and products from emerging brands.
For brands selling across several channels, we believe a channel strategy that differs by product works best. Premium devices belong where logistics and authenticity matter most to buyers, discovery-driven sets sell through content-led commerce, and core products can be maintained on the established marketplaces.
Toothpaste Is the Largest Category and the Fastest-Growing Major One#
Toothpaste was the main source of the market's expansion and grew faster than any other major category. Manual toothbrushes (+19.9%) and children's oral care (+15.0%) were the other high-growth categories. Electric toothbrushes grew a moderate 6.4% on a large CN¥ 6.28 billion base, while mouthwash grew 4.7% to CN¥ 1.61 billion.
Several categories declined across the market as a whole. Water flossers contracted 9.2% and dental floss and toothpicks fell 16.1%, which suggests that consumer preferences for interdental cleaning may be changing. Among smaller categories, denture cleaning grew 78.9% and dental scalers 66.1%, which points to emerging demand for specialised oral care tools.
Toothpaste leads segment growth at +28.6% while emerging categories show potential#
| Category | 2023 Sales (CN¥B) | 2024 Sales (CN¥B) | YoY Growth (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toothpaste | 11.92 | 15.33 | +28.6 |
| Electric Toothbrush | 5.91 | 6.28 | +6.4 |
| Manual Toothbrush | 3.07 | 3.68 | +19.9 |
| Children's Oral Care | 2.29 | 2.64 | +15.0 |
| Mouthwash | 1.53 | 1.61 | +4.7 |
| Electric Toothbrush Heads | 1.32 | 1.29 | -2.5 |
| Water Flosser/Oral Irrigator | 1.09 | 0.99 | -9.2 |
| Dental Floss/Toothpick | 1.06 | 0.89 | -16.1 |
| Breath Freshener | 0.44 | 0.41 | -5.8 |
| Tooth Powder | 0.25 | 0.25 | +0.6 |
| Denture Cleaning | 0.04 | 0.08 | +78.9 |
| Tooth Whitening Strips | 0.03 | 0.04 | +16.2 |
| Interdental Brush | 0.14 | 0.16 | +12.8 |
| Enamel Protector | 0.004 | 0.004 | -5.8 |
| Dental Scaler | 0.001 | 0.001 | +66.1 |
| Toothbrush Sterilizer | 0.001 | 0.001 | -46.9 |
The difference in growth rates reflects a market in transition, in which core categories such as toothpaste benefit from ingredient innovation and promotional bundling while mature accessory categories are close to saturation. Strong growth in manual toothbrushes alongside moderate growth in electric toothbrushes suggests that price-sensitive consumers are still a substantial segment that has not yet moved to powered alternatives.
Domestic Brands Grow Through Channel and Product Strategy#
In 2024 the brand landscape was shifting towards domestic brands with strong digital commerce capabilities. Laifen has built its electric toothbrush range on sweep-vibration technology, and NYSCPS has grown with bundled toothpaste sets sold through livestream and short-video commerce. Saky has combined functional product claims with a go-to-market approach designed for each channel. We believe that combination drives sustainable growth in the category, because premium pricing on its own does little without a compelling innovation story or marketing built for the channel.
Established brands keep their scale through broad product portfolios and a presence on several marketplaces, while newer brands have grown fastest by concentrating on one category in one channel.
Category Opportunities Ahead#
The oral care market has several sources of new growth. In toothpaste, ingredient innovation led by hydroxyapatite (+155.6% YoY) and a move in fragrance from traditional mint to perfume-inspired scents are changing what consumers expect. The electric toothbrush segment is shifting from volume growth to value growth, as sweep-vibration technology and AI-enabled features (approximately 3x growth) command price premiums that offset declining unit volumes.
In manual toothbrushes, three-sided brush heads achieved 31x YoY growth to reach CN¥ 390 million. In mouthwash, the anti-sugar concept grew to CN¥ 92.4 million on near-doubling growth, which shows how an ingredient idea carried over from skincare can open a new oral care segment.
Related Insights#
- Sweep-Vibration and Hydroxyapatite Lead Oral Care Innovation
- Three-Sided Toothbrush and Anti-Sugar Mouthwash Break Out
About the Data#
This analysis is based on Moojing Market Intelligence data covering three leading Chinese e-commerce marketplaces. Data spans January 2023 through December 2024, analysed at SKU level across an extensive brand set. Social media data is sourced from major Chinese social platforms for consumer sentiment analysis. For the full methodology, category deep-dives, and brand-level data, download the complete whitepaper.
This content adheres to Moojing's editorial standards .
Frequently Asked Questions
CN¥ 34.35 billion in 2024, up 17.2% from CN¥ 29.31 billion, and the growth was broad, with all three of the leading marketplaces in the data contributing gains. That matters because it confirms genuine demand for the category, independent of any one channel. The channels still suit different products, since higher-priced devices sell well where shoppers value fast logistics and guaranteed authentic goods, while livestream and short-video demonstration suit toothpaste sets and emerging brands. A differentiated channel strategy follows, with premium devices in one place, discovery-driven sets in another and core SKU maintenance in a third.
Toothpaste was the largest category and the fastest-growing of the major ones at CN¥ 15.33 billion (+28.6%), driven by ingredient innovation and promotional bundling. Manual toothbrushes grew 19.9% to CN¥ 3.68 billion and children's oral care 15.0% to CN¥ 2.64 billion. Electric toothbrushes grew only 6.4% on a large CN¥ 6.28 billion base, and mouthwash 4.7% to CN¥ 1.61 billion. Water flossers contracted 9.2% to CN¥ 0.99 billion and dental floss and toothpicks fell 16.1% to CN¥ 0.89 billion, suggesting a change in how consumers approach interdental cleaning. Among small categories, denture cleaning grew 78.9% and dental scalers 66.1%. Strong manual toothbrush growth alongside modest electric growth suggests that a substantial price-sensitive segment still has not converted to powered alternatives.
Toward domestic brands with strong digital commerce capability. Brands such as Laifen, with sweep-vibration electric toothbrushes, and NYSCPS, with toothpaste sets sold through content-led commerce, grew by pairing a differentiated product with the channel that suits it, which suggests premium pricing alone is insufficient without either a compelling innovation narrative or marketing built for the channel. Established brands hold their scale through broad portfolios and a presence on several marketplaces, while newer brands have grown fastest by concentrating on one category in one channel.
In differentiated ingredients and formats rather than in the core. Hydroxyapatite toothpaste grew 155.6%, and fragrance premiumisation is moving the category from traditional mint toward perfume-inspired scents. The electric toothbrush segment is shifting from volume growth to value growth, with sweep-vibration technology exceeding 10x growth and AI-enabled features around 3x, both commanding premiums that offset softer unit volumes. Manual toothbrushes produced the sharpest breakout of all in three-sided brush heads, at 31x growth to CN¥ 390 million. And in mouthwash the anti-sugar concept reached CN¥ 92.4 million on near-doubling growth, which shows how an ingredient idea carried over from skincare can open a new oral care segment.
