Building trust in skincare for China’s Gen Alpha

Subscribe to our Jing Beauty to get the latest news on China's world of beauty and wellness. Born into a world saturated with social platforms like Weibo, WeChat, and Xiaohongshu, China’s Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) has been inundated with online information from a young age. But this exposure comes with risks. One beauty trend gaining traction among Gen Alpha is the “morning C, night A” routine, which advocates using vitamin C skincare products in the morning and retinoic acids at night for better skin. Many young people, even those still in middle and high school, have adopted this regimen. However, numerous posts have surfaced on Xiaohongshu detailing severe breakouts resulting from this routine. “A lot of young people don’t realize that deep cleansing and excessive use of acids can damage the skin barrier and lead to sensitivity. Retinols are unnecessary at a young age. Most should focus on proper sunscreen, hydration, and mild cleansing,” says Davy Huang, Director of Business Development at Chinese e-commerce strategy agency Azoya. Misleading content While Gen Alpha consumers can easily access vast amounts of information, the content they encounter online is often not age-appropriate or accurate. Unscrupulous merchants exploit their naivety, exaggerating product efficacy and selling unnecessary items to address acne issues or achieve perfect skin. “There’s a mix of misinformation and truth in China’s e-commerce and social media channels. Domestic white label beauty brands often overstate efficacy, promoting ingredients that don’t deliver promised results and claiming to use certain ingredients in minimal concentrations,” Huang says. This often happens to white labels, companies that operate their own laboratory and supply chain, but buy products from other companies, rebranding them as their own. Sory Park, Project Manager at Daxue Consulting, highlights the need for trustworthy brands to build more consumer trust. “Many products marketed to Gen Alpha aren’t safe for children,” she says. “Words like natural, pure, and zero preservatives are used to create a false sense of safety among Gen Alpha and their parents. Deceptive brands use misleading terms, but trustworthy brands need to earn consumer trust to counter this.” Social platforms are beginning to take action. Xiaohongshu’s censorship team, for instance, uses AI to detect and remove misleading content before it spreads. “Most consumers can’t discern correct information and end up buying ineffective or unnecessary products,” Huang says. “Increasingly, people are turning to reputable sources like doctors or dermatologists for advice.” Gen Alpha vs Gen Z Compared to Gen Z, Gen Alpha consumers are still in school, with limited income and reliant on parental resources. They are highly price-sensitive and seek the best deals on platforms like Taobao, Douyin, Pinduoduo, Xiaohongshu, Xianyu, and Poizon. Consequently, they favor affordable C-beauty brands to start their skincare and makeup routines. “In recent years, domestic brands have dominated the market. Western brands have been absent from Chinese social media due to Covid-19,” Huang says. “[Gen Alpha] doesn’t share Gen Z’s collective memory of poor-quality domestic products. Born and raised in cities, they’re used to high-quality items and perceive modern Chinese brands as comparable to international ones, but much cheaper.” As a digitally native generation, Gen Alpha spends considerable time online, especially on Douyin and Xiaohongshu. Park suggests that brands engage with them through diverse online ecosystems and build communities that can capture their attention. “Gen Alpha [consumers] value their identity and sense of self more than previous generations,” she says. “They participate in niche online subcultures and often create content, considering themselves ‘celebrities.’” Marketing to Gen Alpha Though Gen Alpha initially leans towards local beauty brands, it’s not a lost battle for international brands. Misleading white label brands can tarnish local reputations, making it crucial for international brands to build perceptions of reliability and educate young consumers. Building a reliable image among young cohorts can offer long-term rewards for international brands. By educating Gen Alpha users, brands can cultivate loyalty and eventually guide them towards premium beauty products as they mature. “Brands should first educate Alpha users about their real and primary needs: wash, moisturize, use suncare,” says Nguyen, pointing to the examples of groups like L’Oréal, Kiehl’s and Estée Lauder. “They have made it very clear. Kiehl’s social campaign states, ‘Things kids don't need to think about include the following: Taxes, mortgage rates, and the 10-step skin care method,’ while The Ordinary encourages them to stay away from active ingredients that may irritate their skin.” Huang says that some international brands like L’Oréal and Nivea have collaborated with a wide range of Douyin influencers with medical and biological backgrounds, such as Sudashiyanyuan Luobu (@苏大实验员萝卜), a young researcher who commands Gen Alpha’s attention and makes medical terms easy to understand. “Gen Alpha pays a lot of attention to celebrities and influencers,” shares Huang. With 2.8 million new Alphas born every week, they are poised to be the largest generation in history. Older Gen Alphas are already showing their consumption preferences, making it crucial for companies to start cultivating and educating the consumers of tomorrow.

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Building trust in skincare for China’s Gen Alpha