Sensitive Skin Choice: A New Trend in China's Sunscreen Market
- Chaileedo Press
- May 31, 2022
- 4 min read
There are currently more than 200 million sensitive skin people in China, and economic growth is proportional to the increase in the incidence of sensitive skin. Therefore, the skin care market in China has attracted much attention, and sunscreen for sensitive skin has become a new trend. On Tmall, China's mainstream e-commerce platform, using "sensitive skin sunscreen" to search, there are 4 international brands in the top 10 monthly sales.
With the popularization of sunscreen knowledge, Chinese consumers are increasingly aware that sunscreen is not only about preventing darkening but also the key to preventing skin light aging and a series of other skin problems. According to oIBP, the compound annual growth rate of China's sunscreen market in the past 15 years has been as high as 12%. Even though affected by the epidemic in 2020, the growth rate of China's beauty market has slowed down, and the growth rate of China's sunscreen market has slowed to 6.7% year-on-year, the overall market share in 2020 reached $2.16 billion, and this amount is expected to increase in 2024 to $3.66 billion. The overall Chinese sunscreen market is on the rise.
According to a survey by Qeyes①, 24% of consumers started using sunscreen products before the age of 18. Not only on the face, but 82% of them also use sunscreen on the body, and 45% of them use an average of 2-3 sunscreens a year. The increasing awareness of sun protection among Chinese consumers has become an important driving force for the growth of China's sun protection market.
More and more people realize that skin care needs sunscreen all year round, and sunscreen categories are flooding into the public's view in new ways. According to sunscreen efficacy, it can be divided into whitening sunscreen, isolation sunscreen, moisturizing sunscreen, skin nourishing sunscreen and sensitive muscle sunscreen. Due to the skin type of Chinese consumers, China's sensitive skin care market has attracted much attention, and sensitive skin sunscreen has become a new trend.
At present, there are more than 200 million sensitive skin people in China, and economic growth is proportional to the increase in the incidence of sensitive skin, and there is a trend of younger development. In 2022, the market size of China's dermatological skin care products will reach $4.35 billion, with a compound growth rate of 27.0% in the past three years.
On Tmall, China's mainstream e-commerce platform, using the keyword "sensitive skin sunscreen", there are 4 international brands in the top 10 monthly sales. 4 sunscreen products are from Winona, ranking 1st, 5th, 6th, and 9th respectively; There are also 4 sunscreen products from international brands such as Papa recipe, AHC, Mistine, Eltamd, etc., ranking 3rd, 7th, 8th and 10th respectively.
Winona is a brand in China that focuses on sensitive skin care. As the top brand of sunscreen products for sensitive skin in China, on the pre-sale day of the 618 sales last year, "Winona Sunblock Milk SPF 48 PA+++" was sold out with 10W sets. The annual sales volume has exceeded 150,000.
Papa recipe is a Korean cosmetic brand, and its sunscreen single product, "Bombee Moist UV Sun Essence", is the top-selling list in its Tmall flagship store, with monthly sales of 10,000+ and a price of about $16, which focuses on moisturizing and nourishing the skin. AHC is a functional skin care brand owned by Unilever. Its sunscreen single product "Pure Mild Sun Cream" focuses on mild skin care, with monthly sales of 7,000+ and a price of $23. Eltamd is an American skincare brand. It claims to be the "No. 1 sunscreen brand in the United States" in its overseas flagship store on Tmall. Its safe and efficient product "Oil-Free Lightweight UVA/UVB Protection" claims to have 0 alcohol and 0 fragrance, moisturizing and nourishing the skin. The price in the flagship store is 31 US dollars, and the monthly sales volume is 5000+, which is the sunscreen with the highest unit price among the TOP10 products.
The sunscreen products of Thailand's Mistine have achieved a high growth rate of more than 80% in China for two consecutive years. In 2022, Mistine, relying on its cutting-edge sunscreen formulations and technologies, launched a "Base Mild Sunscreen Milk" for sensitive skin. This sunscreen is a refreshing cream texture, mild and non-irritating, which can help soothing and repair as well; it also claims that it does not add paraben preservatives and sunscreens that harm coral bleaching, which can protect the marine environment and biodiversity. It sells for $15 in its Tmall flagship store and sells 7,000+ per month.
So, what should consumers with sensitive skin issues do when choosing a sunscreen? Professor Liu Wei, Consultant of the Dermatologist Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, suggests that for sensitive skin, the sunscreen performance should be mild; the texture should be light and clear; the protection effect should be balanced. Also, the effect of soothing and repairing should be provided, and multi-scene fine protection is also required.
It is worth noting that with the diversification of sunscreen needs of Chinese consumers, sunscreen products are also increasing. In order to meet the needs of consumers in different scenarios such as outdoor activities, swimming, and makeup, different sunscreen products such as sunscreen sprays and sunscreen sticks have emerged one after another. In response to the pain point that it is difficult to reapply sunscreen after makeup, sunscreen makeup products have also been derived, such as sunscreen primer, sunscreen lip balm, sunscreen powder, and sunscreen highlighter, etc., not only to meet the needs of sunscreen, but also to enhance the user's experience for consumers.
Notes:
① 200 consumers from 25 provinces and cities in China are selected to participate in the survey, covering different age groups and skin types.
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