Chinese skincare market is of crucial importance to the global beauty industry

1. What Makes the Chinese Beauty Consumer
Different?
China imports a lot of beauty products.
What does the Chinese consumer want?
How to sell to China?
Diagonal Reports ©The Chinese Skincare Buyer

2. Skincare reigns supreme in China. Chinese women are prepared to pay for effective facial
care products and treatments because they want perfect skin and have very exacting
standards. They spend proportionately more per capita on skincare than their Caucasian
counterparts. The skincare category accounts for most of the personal care market in China
which is also one of the largest world markets for luxury skincare products.
A huge industry has developed to meet high consumer demand for skincare. Spa chains,
which combined have many tens of thousands of units nationally, provide routine skincare
treatments and, in addition, their VIP spas offer a range of minor and not so minor aesthetic
procedures.
But it does not stop there. Chinese women, in their quest for perfect skin and enhanced
beauty, have enthusiastically embraced aesthetic medicine. Technology and science –
whether lasers/IPL, fillers or cosmetic surgery - are recognised as very effective ways of
delivering the desired outcomes. These can be a blemish-free skin and altered facial features
(eg Asian eye procedure) or body parts (eg, breast enhancements).
Artificial beauty is now widely accepted by Chinese society, especially urban dwellers. It is
fair to say that cosmetic surgery is now viewed as a quite normal procedure much like teeth
straightening is regarded in the west. The beauty market in China is a predominantly young
market. The pursuit of a flawless skin rather than anti-ageing (eg, prevention or removal of
lines) is the main driver in contrast to more mature US and European markets.
Demand for medicalised beauty now outstrips supply. Sales of invasive and non-invasive
treatments are forecast to increase by almost 40% over the next three years according to new
research published by Diagonal Reports. The aesthetics industry in China is gearing up to
meet this higher demand. Some of the Chinese laser clinic chains interviewed by Diagonal
Reports plan to double the number of units they operate. This expansion will take place
outside the tier-one cities.
The premium segment accounts for almost a quarter of the value of the medicalised beauty
market. These clinics can command up to a 100% price premium for their cosmetic surgery
procedures. The importance of this segment is due to a number of factors. The main issues
are that consumers feel they lack protection as regulations have yet to catch up with an
industry still in its infancy and they also fear the consequences of botched procedures.
Diagonal Reports ©The Chinese Skincare Buyer

3. Foreign companies and brands, which can guarantee the highest of quality standards and the
best technology, are knocking on an open door.
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Diagonal Reports ©The Chinese Skincare Buyer