The Chinese beauty and personal care market reached $73.7 bln in 2025, while official cosmetics retail totaled 465.3 bln ¥ — a year-on-year growth of 5.1%. For brands planning to enter this market, influencer marketing and blogger advertising remain key promotional tools, but they operate under entirely different rules than Western platforms.
Blogger advertising yields ground to branded live streams
The Chinese beauty market underwent radical shifts in live-commerce leadership over the past year. During the "618" shopping festival in 2025, nearly half of all beauty and personal care sales came from branded self-live — companies' own livestreams. High costs of influencer partnerships are pushing brands to build their own audience communication channels.
This doesn't mean influencer marketing has lost relevance. Creators on Douyin and Little Red Book still build initial interest and trust in products, but monetization increasingly happens through brand-owned livestreams. A media plan for the Chinese market now combines reach-focused influencer integrations with regular branded content.
Online shopping and content as a unified decision-making environment
In May 2025, mobile shopping penetration in China reached 86.7%, while the share of online cosmetics sales grew from 39% in 2020 to 52% in 2024. Cosmetics purchases in China rarely happen in a single touch — users compare reviews on Little Red Book, watch product demos in short videos on Douyin, read marketplace comments, and only then make a decision.
For younger audiences, reliance on social media and online reviews when purchasing cosmetics is higher than for older generations. Generation Z views the digital environment as the baseline for decision-making, with comments and content influencing brand preference more than traditional advertising. This requires brands to maintain constant presence in the content ecosystem, not just run one-off campaigns.
Transparency of ingredients and proven efficacy
In 2025, China's State Administration for Market Regulation introduced separate cosmetics safety monitoring rules. Information on more than 2.28 mln registered products is publicly available: name, full ingredient list, packaging, and claimed benefits. Claims about effects must be backed by testing or scientific literature — vague promises about natural ingredients no longer work.
New cosmetic ingredient applications reached 169 in 2025 — a year-on-year increase of 87.78%, confirming the market's commitment to scientific development and local innovation.
Chinese brands are actively building their own raw material base and promoting local actives as part of modern cosmetic development. The ten largest beauty companies spend 3 to 8% of revenue on research and development. For Western brands, this means competing not just on quality but on scientific rigor and formula transparency.
Personalization through AI and data
Personalization in China relies on artificial intelligence, diagnostics, and data analytics. The Yuze brand from Shanghai Jahwa used AI-based network pharmacology to analyze mugwort extract: the system identified 64 proteins linked to soothing effects from 153 components and 1,080 active targets. This is no longer a marketing narrative — it's a product development tool designed for specific skin needs.
Demand for functionality is displacing abstract beauty promises. In the first quarter of 2025, skincare sales accounted for 63.3% of total beauty category sales across four major platforms. Four subcategories have already crossed the 10 bln ¥ online sales threshold, with the base and foundation segment growing fastest at 24.6% year-on-year.
Visual code and cultural product packaging
Packaging, product card design, gift mechanics, and brand story must align with audience expectations on each platform. 57% of consumers buy decorative cosmetics impulsively, with decisions often made at the visual impression level. Brands embed not just color and texture in their products but also cultural codes — through packaging, gift elements, and sensory experience.
Reports show growing demand for natural makeup aesthetics, Chinese design sensibilities, and IP collaborations. Visual language becomes part of the product itself, not just decoration. For Western brands, this means localizing not only the formula but the entire visual communication strategy.
How brands can adapt their promotion strategy for the Chinese market
Entering the Chinese beauty market requires a comprehensive approach to media buying and influencer partnerships. Launching integrations with a few influencers isn't enough — you need a combination of reach-focused content, branded livestreams, scientific arguments in product cards, and localized visuals. Influencer selection must consider not just reach but platform, content format, and fit with specific product subcategory audiences. KPI forecasting depends on segmentation by city size and age: younger audiences in megacities and consumers in growing cities respond to different communication formats. Experience from agencies specializing in Asian markets shows that successful campaigns are built on understanding local purchase logic — from platform choice to usage scenarios. For Russian brands ready to expand, partnering with specialists who understand China's influencer marketing landscape becomes essential. ETC's team specializes in influencer selection and media buying tailored to specific target markets, enabling brands to build effective campaigns with predictable results.
Summary
- The Chinese beauty market in 2025 is valued at $73.7 bln, with online sales representing 52% versus 39% in 2020.
- Nearly half of live-commerce sales in the beauty category come from branded livestreams rather than influencer integrations.
- Mobile shopping penetration reached 86.7%, with purchases built around multiple brand touchpoints across social media and marketplaces.
- Ingredient transparency has become mandatory: information on 2.28 mln products is publicly accessible, and efficacy claims require scientific substantiation.
- New cosmetic ingredient applications grew 87.78% year-on-year, with leading companies spending 3–8% of revenue on R&D.
- Skincare category sales in the first quarter of 2025 reached 91.97 bln ¥ — a 16% increase, with the base and foundation segment growing fastest.
- 68% of Chinese consumers are willing to increase decorative cosmetics spending, but choices are based on functionality and clear benefits rather than promises.
Want to see where the market is heading before your competitors do? The ETC team builds a media strategy and media plan for your niche — with reach forecasts and KPIs fixed in the contract.