According to data from Euromonitor, the total retail sales of skincare products in China exceeded RMB 500 billion in 2024, with make-up products adding another RMB 80+ billion. Year-on-year growth remains strong, driven by premiumization and the rise of domestic brands. The cosmetics sector on the Chinese mainland keeps growing alongside a rising middle class and a consumer base increasingly focused on quality. The advantage of this market: resilient spending even in uncertain times. The challenge: intense competition, where marketing execution makes or breaks a brand.
Overview of China’s cosmetic market
Chinese women care a lot about their appearance. They are numerous to spend a lot of time on skincare and make-up. Skincare products represent the fastest growing sector in the cosmetics market. Consumers favor major international brand skincare products, and spending habits have shifted firmly from price-focused to quality and brand driven.
Chinese women have, over the years, gradually formed the habit of putting on make-up. The main consumer groups for make-up products are the post-90s and post-00s generations, who value appearance and trendiness, and are highly sensitive to product updates. The market is far from saturated, particularly for enhancement items such as color correcting (CC) and blemish ball (BB) cream. Sales of eye make-up products have recorded significant growth in recent years, and skincare-makeup hybrids (SPF tints, serum foundations) are now a fast-growing sub-category.
We also notice that Chinese consumers are increasingly focused on skin health and “skinification”, the crossover between skincare ingredients and make-up. They became more independent in making decisions, with higher willingness to invest in products that deliver visible results. For premium international brands like Clarins and Sisley, this shift creates a strong entry point: efficacy storytelling resonates deeply with Chinese consumers today.
For a broader view of where the market is heading, see our guide on the 10 Key Trends of the Chinese Cosmetics Market.
How to market your cosmetic product in China
China is a digitalized society and marketing to China can be quite different than marketing in European countries. Instead of being influenced by advertising or promotional campaigns, Chinese consumers gather information through digital channels and consider various factors before picking products.
Manage your presence on social media
You need to be present on social media and provide accessible information to your consumers. No one will purchase an unknown product or brand. Working with a Social Media Agency in China is often the fastest way to build that presence correctly from day one.
Chinese people are very connected and products recommended by others can soon become a best-seller as information travels fast across the network. Chinese women’s most important considerations for purchasing cosmetics include: product benefits and efficacy, brand reputation, and word-of-mouth, all three remain as critical in 2026 as they were five years ago.
When Chinese consumers need information, they go online, on forums and social media platforms such as Xiaohongshu to check other consumers’ reviews and feedback on products. E-reputation can benefit a brand when word-of-mouth is positive, or damage it fast when negative reviews accumulate without a response strategy in place.
Xiaohongshu (XHS) and UGC
Xiaohongshu (also called RED or Little Red Book) has become the single most important discovery platform for cosmetics brands entering China. With over 300 million registered users and a monthly active base heavily skewed toward young urban women, it is where purchase decisions begin. Our Little Red Book Agency for Beauty Brands in China team works daily on this platform.
What makes XHS different from other platforms is the weight of user-generated content (UGC). Real users post skincare routines, ingredient deep-dives, honest reviews, and before/after results. That content is trusted far more than brand advertising. A single authentic post from a micro-creator with 5,000 followers can drive more trial than a paid banner campaign.
For cosmetics brands, the XHS strategy has three layers. First, seed UGC by sending products to real users and encouraging honest reviews. Second, activate KOCs (Key Opinion Consumers), everyday users with high engagement rates who post detailed, credible content. Third, support with KOL collaborations for broader reach. This combination builds the social proof that Chinese consumers look for before buying. Brands like Novexpert have used this XHS-first approach to build awareness in China without the heavy media spend that traditional market entry required.
Collaborate with influencers
