Have China’s beauty brands found their holy grail ingredient?

In China’s hyper-competitive skincare market, a new ingredient is quietly gaining traction among ingredient-savvy beauty consumers: Tranexamic acid. Once primarily used in clinical settings to stop bleeding, the compound — also known as aminomathylbenzoic acid, tranexamic acid is now being reformulated into brightening serums and sheet masks, emerging as a contender to dethrone niacinamide as the category’s go-to active. According to Euromonitor, tranexamic acid works by not only inhibiting melanin production at the source, but also blocking its transfer to skin cells, an approach that tackles hyperpigmentation from multiple angles. On Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote), over 8 millions posts mention the ingredient, while dermatologists on Douyin laud its efficacy in fading dark spots and calming redness. “Tranexamic acid has always had the clinical data to support its effects, but it was long overlooked,” says Xiaoping Shen, a beauty analyst with over 20 years of experience at brands like P6G and Jurlique. “It’s mostly livestreamers who revived it. Compared with niaminacide, it’s gentler on sensitive skin and is effective for pigmentation. But we are still not at the ‘viral product’ stage. The current buzz is driven by aggressive marketing — not necessarily a strong market base.” The surge comes amid a broader trend: skin whitening for sensitive skin and increasingly educated Chinese “skintellectuals.” Consumers aren’t just chasing whitening, but going for formulas that deliver transparent, even-toned skin in a gentle way. From lab to Xiaohongshu Beauty platform Meilibox’s Q1 2025 data shows tranexamic acid breaking into the top 10 most-used skincare ingredients for the first time, surpassing salicylic acid and pushing out longer-standing ingredients like fullerene. Between January and April 2025 alone, nearly 400 new product SKUs containing tranexamic acid were launched. Product filings that included “tranexamic acid” in the name exceeded 3,000, up 103% YoY. “This is not a ‘new ingredient.’ Livestreamers are just digging up old things and trying to spin new narratives," says Xiaoping. “It’s cheap, yes, but it’s also a very flexible ingredient that pairs well with other actives like vitamin C or retinoids. That gives brands room to innovate.” On Xiaohongshu, users echo a more nuanced perspective. Beauty blogger Li Xiao’en (@李小恩) notes in a recent post, “The tranexamic acid hype has gotten too big lately. From ‘morning C, night A’ to Bosein and now this — it’s another wave pushed by capital. “Tranexamic acid doesn’t ‘whiten’ per se — it evens out skin tone by targeting melanin signaling and transport. But it’s a tricky ingredient to formulate well. The ingredients are cheap, but the technology isn’t. I rarely recommend tranexamic acid products because they are so process-sensitive.” One stand out, she said, is Shiseido’s Haku line, which combines tranexamic acid with its proprietary 4MSK molecule. “That pairing enhanced penetration through electrostatic interaction, allowing the blend to reach deeper layers of the skin. It’s still leagues ahead of most domestic brands in terms of formulation,” she writes. Chinese skincare label Uface has emerged as a domestic leader, known for its 5% tranexamic acid solution paired with fourfold penetration tech. “Simple and powerful,” writes Li Xiao’en. “I use it like a toner in the morning, layering with Vitamin C, and combine it with peptides and Bosein at night for a powerhouse brightening + anti-aging combo.” Another Xiaohongshu user, Tang Tang Talks Skincare (@糖糖聊护肤), highlight additional benefits beyond brightening: “It reduces inflammation, counters signs of aging, and even calms immune-triggered redness. It’s more than a one-trick pony.” Mass adoption, but not yet a breakout Top Chinese brands are betting big. Proya spent five years developing its new “Whitening Special Edition” serum featuring tranexamic acid as a hero ingredient alongside niacinamide. Olay, long associated with niacinamide, has shifted gears in its upgraded White Radiance Essence 3.0, now formulated with tranexamic acid for “core fading and proactive melanin control.” Start-ups are also jumping onbaord. PMPM rolled out a line of Baobab + tranexamic acid masks and serums, while indie brand Spring Letter launched a full suite of products centered on the compound, from essence gels to calming sheet masks. According to Meilibox, over 14,000 brands now include tranexamic acid in their formulations. Consumers used to look at efficacy claims; now they look at the ingredient list. This has prompted brands to push the ingredient into the product name itself — like they once did with niacinamide and Bosein. Indeed, “tranexamic acid” is increasingly appearing not just in ingredient decks, but front and center in product titles. This shift signals growing consumer recognition and trust. A niacinamide replacement? Still, whether tranexamic acid truly replaces niacinamide as China’s whitening ingredient of choice remains to be seen. Li Xiao’en says that the barrier is formulation. “Japanese craftsmanship is still a benchmark, and even they struggle with this ingredient,” she says. “That’s why we haven’t seen a true viral hit yet — it’s hard to make, and easy to get wrong.” In other words, while the hype is real, breakout success may take more than trend cycles, or influencer buzz. It will depend on sustained R&D investment, formulation sophistication, and, perhaps most importantly, visible results. Tranexamic acid’s appeal is clear: Its mechanisms align with consumer expectations, and its clinical roots lend credibility. But its widespread success will hinge on execution. For now, the ingredient stands at a crossroads — either as the next niacinamide, or another overhyped trend in a saturated market. As Xiaoping says:”It’s a cheap ingredient. But it solves a real problem. That’s why it has a shot.”

Have China’s beauty brands found their holy grail ingredient?

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Published June 05, 2025

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Have China’s beauty brands found their holy grail ingredient?