The Boom in Kids’ Cosmetics Market for Chinese Children Born in the 2010s
In China, there is an increasing number of children’s cosmetics products targeting children born in the 2010s. Here’s an overview of the up-and-coming brands.
Chinese brands shine in skincare for kids
According to a report by the Chinese research firm Forward-Looking Industrial Research Institute, the market size of skincare products for children in China in 2020 was RMB29.11 billion (US$4.39 billion), up 12.6% from the previous year, and is expected to reach RMB40 billion (US$6 billion) by 2023.
The research firm attributes the market growth to the fact that the “80 hou” (born in the 1980s) and “90 hou” (born in the 1990s), who have driven cosmetics consumption for two decades, have an open attitude toward the use of cosmetics and understand that their children can use skincare and enjoy makeup.
Many videos of children of “10 hou” (born in the 2010s), whose parents are 80 hou or 90 hou, have been posted on platforms such as RED, and it seems that 10 hou are “makeup natives” and “skincare natives,” as it is natural for them to be familiar with cosmetics from an early age.
According to the report, in terms of market share of personal care products for children in 2020, Johnson & Johnson is in first place with 14% of the market, followed by Qing Wa Wang Zi（Blue Frog Prince）with 14%, and You Mei Jing with 12%, with Chinese brands in third place.
Founded in 1994, Blue Frog Prince is the flagship store on Alibaba Group’s Tmall e-commerce platform and has sold over 1 million units of its moisturizing cream in total. The distinctive feature of the product is its frog-shaped container, but user comments indicate that the product is also highly rated for its contents, with comments such as “My child’s face is no longer dry after using this,” and “I want to use the product regularly.
You Mei Jing is a long-established brand founded in 1979 that specializes in milk-based skincare products and has sold more than 600,000 moisturizing creams at its Tmall flagship store, which have been well received by a wide range of customers, including those who say that the products can be used by both adults and children.
Baby elephant is also a kids’ cosmetics brand launched in 2015 by CHICMAX (Shanghai Shangmei Cosmetics), a major manufacturer. On its official website, the company claims that Japanese experts were involved in the development of the products and that it incorporates cutting-edge Japanese technology. The product lineup ranges from toiletries to skincare and lipsticks.
A local media reports, that the brand raised 500 million yuan (US$75.4 million) in an angel round in 2020. Leveraging its financial strength, the brand has expanded its name recognition by sponsoring a popular family-oriented variety show. It has also collaborated with Disney since 2021, and its “Winnie the Pooh” body soap has sold over 1 million units in total at its Tmall flagship store.
Liu Ming, vice president of CHICMAX, told local media that “Baby elephant is targeting the new generation of mothers born in the ’90s and ’95s empresses. He also said that not only KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) but also KOCs (Key Opinion Consumers) and dermatology specialists are appearing for marketing.
During the “Double Eleven” sale event, the limited gift product made in collaboration with a doctor ranked first in sales value in the face cream for the maternity, baby, and kids category on Tmall for five days in a row.
Meanwhile, Zhejiang Yuanda Enterprises, a supplier of raw materials for skincare products that is also involved in the clothing business, launched Pula, a skincare brand for children in December 2021, targeting 4- to 12-year-olds, with face cream, body lotion, and sunscreen.
Pula uses only plant-derived ingredients such as oat protein and avocado, does not contain additives such as alcohol or preservatives, and claims that its products are safe, natural, and “clean” for children. Founder Ping Ping Sun emphasizes that the products have been tested to comply with children’s skincare product regulations and do not contain ingredients harmful to children and pregnant women, while also claiming that all ingredients used in Pula’s skincare products are traceable and transparent.
The products are sold on Tmall and Douyin, and the company plans to launch pop-up stores and expand its product line in the future to include face washes, moisturizers, shampoos, and body washes.
Color cosmetics also in the pink of health
In addition to skincare, the market for children’s makeup products is also growing rapidly. The cross-border e-commerce platform Kaola reported that sales of kids’ makeup reached four times that of the previous year in 2020. In particular, more and more foreign brands are entering the market, with the British brand “Miss Nella” entering China in 2020. The flagship store on Alibaba’s cross-border e-commerce platform Tmall Global has sold more than 2,000 lipsticks and 20,000 nail polishes in total.
The nail polishes are available in a variety of vivid colors with children’s tastes in mind. What is unique about the comments section is that many users post videos and images of their children actually applying the products. This seems to reflect the desire of parents to show how cute their children look doing their own makeup.
Korean brands are also doing well in the kids’ makeup category. Diel also sells skincare products, but its best-selling items are makeup products, with a total of more than 600 lipsticks sold at the Tmall Global flagship store. The brand promotes the safety of its products by using rose oil and other naturally-derived ingredients, and users have high confidence in its products, saying, “I bought this for my 4-year-old child, but I feel safe because of its high quality”.
Puttisu, a Korean brand famous for its baby sunscreen sticks, will also enter China in 2021, and its flagship store on Tmall Global has sold over 6,000 units of nail polish and 1,000 units of face masks in total. This company uses natural ingredients such as nut oil and promotes safety.
There are also emerging brands from China: “Leosotoo,” launched in 2019, was launched in response to the growing demand for stage makeup as more parents want their children to learn to dance or model; its Tmall flagship store has sold more than 10,000 sets of lipstick and eyeshadow.
Jiang Chen, the founder of the company, told the local media, “Parents of the 00 hou and 10 hou generations tend to emphasize that their children should develop confidence from a young age so that they will not be afraid to go out in public, and they often have their children take lessons in singing and dancing,” which has led to an increase in demand for kids’ makeup.
Leosotoo sells its products online, but is also actively collaborating offline with events in different industries, and has partnered with Shanghai Fashion Week, for example. Jiang said that although demand for children’s cosmetics is still in its infancy in China, she believes that there is considerable demand in China, just like the Korean market, and she expects the trend to continue to grow.
By May 2023, it will be mandatory to acquire the “ small gold shield “ mark, a safety standard.
In the kids’ cosmetics market, which is expected to continue growing, there are an estimated 3,800 companies involved in cosmetics for children, and authorities are increasing their involvement in the market from a safety aspect.
The State Drug Administration has announced that any cosmetics for children that are applied for and registered after May 2022 must bear the “small gold shield" mark to indicate that they have met the agency’s standards and to make it clear that they are not intended for adults. Products approved before that date are also required to display the mark by May 2023.
This may somewhat slow the growth spurt of the market.
Until now, kids’ cosmetics were also classified as toys or miscellaneous goods, but even products labeled as toys will be required to obtain this license and approval, which is expected to lead to a shakeout of brands. While the market is expanding, the hurdles for new entrants will be raised, so it is likely that skillful big brands are easier to enter the market.
Text: Ching Li Tor
Original text (Japanese): Team Roboteer
