The medical care providers channel in the Chinese professional skin care market grew by nearly 12% in 2020, according to Kline’s recently published Professional Skin Care Global Series report. This figure is higher than the growth observed in other key markets such as the U.S. and Europe, which grew by almost 2% and slightly over 7%, respectively. China continues to be the second-largest market for professional skin care products in the medical care providers channel, accounting for more than 30% of global channel sales in 2020.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the channel remained resilient and witnessed strong growth due to the popularity and acceptance of surgical/non-surgical procedures during the second half of 2020, fully offsetting the negative impacts that COVID had in the early months of 2020. In many key markets, sales through the back-bar segment witnessed declines; however, this was not the case in China, as the back-bar segment witnessed strong sales with consumers seeking professional treatments from the second half of 2020.
Although anti-aging products continued to capture the largest share, acne and rosacea/hypersensitivity skin care concerns became more prevalent in 2020 due to consumers wearing masks for prolonged periods of time and consumers’ overuse/improper use of skin care products during lockdowns. Peptides and proteins such as antimicrobial peptides and carnosine were popular for skin repair, especially for acne.
Local brands continue to dominate, accounting for approximately three-fourths of the channel share, but international brands have been gradually increasing their market share over the last few years. Leading brands in the channel including Winona, SkinCeuticals, and Collgene & Comfy continued to witness double-digit growth, driven by the expansion of distribution, new product launches, and continued marketing initiatives. Account support became a top priority for all brands in the channel as they offered various virtual training and educational activities to maintain strong relationships with their accounts.
To learn more about the professional skin care market in China, refer to our Professional Skin Care Global Series report covering all consumable topical skin care products sold through and used in public/private hospitals, clinics, and medical spas in China. The series further covers additional dynamic markets like Canada, Europe, and France. The written reports are further augmented by an online database featuring total channel size and growth, brand sales, and forecast sales.
