According to a new report from The NPD Group, China prestige beauty e-commerce sales reached $710 million in August 2020, a 61% increase over the same time period last year.
 
Skin care e-commerce sales increased 71% in China, and 59% of prestige beauty consumers purchased skin care products online in August, making it the best-performing product category for the month.
 
Skin care sets and kits is the most popular sub-segment for the skin care category in China’s e-commerce prestige beauty market, accounting for more than 34% of sales. They do not tend to perform as well in other countries, but they are a strong driver for skin care sales in China with top beauty brands continually launching exclusive sets and kits in the country.
 
“While the makeup category is as big as the skin care category in the U.S., and fragrance is performing better than other categories in France, skin care is by far the biggest category in China, making up more than half of sales from prestige beauty consumers in the country,” said Stanley Kee, managing director, APAC, The NPD Group. “Consumers have obviously changed their skin care routine this year, focusing on self-care as they spent more time at home; and many of those using more products will likely stick with their new routine as life continues to normalize in China, helping the skin care category to maintain its sales momentum.”
 
Face creams, the second biggest segment in skincare, gained a 70% year-over-year growth in August. According to NPD, 16% of face creams sold via e-commerce in China contain clinical ingredients, which saw the most growth, gaining 163% versus August 2019.