Aiming for the right blend: C-beauty’s challenge to K-beauty can’t be brushed off
Lower prices, rapid launches and a strong social media game support growth of Chinese cosmetic and skincare brands in S-E Asia
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[SINGAPORE] Once a loyalist of South Korean beauty products, 30-year-old civil servant Aurelia Teo has diversified to cheaper China-branded options – and she is far from alone.
“I used to be quite loyal to Korean beauty, but as I learnt more about skincare ingredients, I realised that different countries do different things well; so I started being more open to trying other brands,” says Teo, who first tried Chinese products in 2023.
Digital-first marketing has helped the Chinese beauty industry – C-beauty for short – gain traction in recent years, particularly in South-east Asia.
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