Proya, L’Oréal, and C-beauty battle for China’s men

China’s men’s beauty market is finally having its moment — and this time, everyone wants in. According to consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, China’s men’s skincare market reached 17 billion RMB ($2.3 billion) in 2023, growing at 11–20% CAGR, and is on track to exceed 20 billion RMB ($2.8 billion) by 2026, far outpacing the overall beauty sector. Euromonitor International data shows that, as of 2024, China’s men’s skincare market was already more than triple the size of the U.S. market and more than twice that of South Korea, making it the world’s largest. Now Proya, one of China’s biggest beauty groups, appears poised to return to the men’s category after a four-year retreat, signaling that the country’s male beauty boom has entered a new, more lucrative stage. Jing Daily reached out to Proya for comment regarding its re-entry into the men’s skincare category; the company declined to respond. Why Proya can no longer ignore men’s beauty Earlier this month, Proya quietly filed records for three new “Proya Men” products — a cleanser, serum, and essence — along with new “Proya Men” trademarks and deep-blue packaging clearly marked for men. All three items follow a “multi-effect” approach, combining oil control, hydration, wrinkle care, soothing, and exfoliation within minimalist routines. These filings may indicate a strategic pivot. Proya first launched a men’s line in 2014 but abandoned the category in 2021, when all SKUs were officially deregistered. The reboot comes at a critical moment: while Proya’s core business posted strong growth in 2025, achieving management’s ambition of lifting total revenue from 10 billion RMB ($1.4 billion) to 35 billion RMB ($5 billion) within a decade will require diversification into men’s care — alongside color cosmetics and haircare. The market itself has become substantially more crowded. Domestic players such as Kans, Chando, Winona, Guyu, and Mistine all expanded their men’s lines in 2025. Kans’ men’s essence has already surpassed 400 million RMB ($55 million) in GMV this year and claimed the top spot on Douyin, overtaking L’Oréal Men Expert. Guyu’s new men’s range entered the top five on Douyin for men’s care sets over the past 30 days. “From our experience at Shakeup, men want clear, results-driven efficacy,” says Shane Carnell-Xu, co-founder of male skincare brand Shakeup Cosmetics. He warns that global competitors cannot treat men’s skincare as an afterthought. “To stay ahead in China, they need to move at China speed — not just repackaging global formulas but creating China-specific innovation in texture, scent, skin concerns and climate needs.” Global brands face tough battle to maintain lead L’Oréal Men Expert remains China’s top men’s skincare brand by volume, a position strengthened by decades of dermatological R&D and a robust multi-category ecosystem across shampoo, skincare, and color cosmetics. But the stability of foreign brands’ leadership may be less secure than it appears. “Global players still lead because of deep dermatological R&D, strong efficacy credentials, and long-standing brand equity,” says Lisa Zhang, project leader at China-focused market research firm Daxue Consulting. “But with C-beauty brands scaling rapidly, multinationals must reassert scientific leadership rooted in local skin biology rather than global formulas repackaged for China.” Global brands are also under pressure to modernize the way they communicate. Traditional “black-tech masculinity” tropes — rugged aesthetics and performance-first taglines — no longer resonate with younger Chinese men who prefer wellness-oriented language, emotional relatability, and functional benefits like comfort, anti-sensitivity, and skin health. As Zhang says, “Chinese male consumers increasingly prefer lifestyle-led narratives that emphasize efficiency, comfort, and skin health.” Juliette Duveau, founder of The Chinese Pulse, a consulting agency dedicated to contemporary Asia, puts it more bluntly: “Global brands should cultivate an enviable image and precise lifestyle persona — not rely on stereotypes about male aesthetics.” She adds that the key to maintaining leadership will be demonstrating “long-term commitment to research and development in men’s skincare,” something Chinese consumers still associate more readily with European and Japanese brands. That association explains why foreign labels dominate the 300 to 800 RMB ($42 to $113) premium tier — a segment domestic players have struggled to unlock. “Premium men’s skincare is ultimately a trust game,” Carnell-Xu notes. “It requires clinical proof and a premium brand world. Without those layers, many male consumers will keep defaulting to global brands they perceive as more credible.” C-beauty’s premium struggles: homogeneity, tech, and world-building Despite their speed, domestic brands face structural obstacles in pricing upward. Most Chinese men’s lines — even those from large groups — remain visually and conceptually similar. “The ‘cool, black, tech’ vibe reflects a risk-averse customer but also creates a lack of differentiation,” says Jack Porteous, commercial director at Tong, a cross-cultural agency closing the gap between brands and Chinese consumers. “Packaging becomes bland, messaging converges, and tropes around masculinity feel identical.” Duveau points out that Chinese companies have yet to develop proprietary ingredients or technologies that can underpin premium pricing. “Consumers feel buying any brand is the same,” she says. That sameness is compounded by homogenized product ranges (oil control, hydration, and pore care) and messaging focused on simplification rather than elevation. For domestic brands, the path to premiumization is slow but not impossible. It will require multi-year investments in clinical testing, R&D teams specialized in male skin biology, sensorial formulation upgrades, and new visual codes that break away from the black-and-blue playbook. Porteous argues that Chinese brands should treat the ascent to 800 RMB pricing “as a project of years, not months,” emphasizing the need for laddered product ranges that gently guide users upward through masstige before entering prestige. The education gap: China’s most persistent bottleneck While the industry often reduces China’s male skincare challenges to a lack of education, the issue is not knowledge gaps but structural barriers. Zhang believes the fundamental problem is the absence of “structured entry points.” Most brands bombard male consumers with dozens of SKUs, but few offer two-minute skin assessments or clear two- to three-step regimen builders. “Excessive SKU complexity creates friction,” she explains, adding that men respond well to automated refills, routine reminders, and one-click repurchase flows — infrastructure that remains underdeveloped. On Douyin, this leads to a distorted category mix. Tong’s campaign data shows that almost 50% of men’s skincare sales on the platform come from cleansers, with another third from sets. Porteous says the data reflects “how early the market still is” but also highlights a unique insight: men are much more skeptical of traditional beauty influencers. “Dermatologist content performs extremely well and builds trust, even when clearly marked as paid,” he explains. Duveau stresses that Chinese men lack opportunities to understand their own skin type or problems. “Brands relying solely on e-commerce deny consumers the offline or digital diagnostic tools needed for personalized advice,” she says. Carnell-Xu notes that men prefer simple, confidence-building guidance delivered without jargon. “Straightforward frameworks — cleanse, treat, protect — are far more effective than complicated education,” he adds. This gap is especially problematic as new consumer needs emerge. Sensitive skin content across Xiaohongshu, Douyin and Weibo reached 557,160 posts between November 2024 and October 2025 — a 50% year-on-year increase — driven by stress, pollution, and shaving irritation. Without diagnostic support, brands struggle to convert this rising demand into routine adoption. Douyin drives male grooming market but conversions lag Douyin has become the most influential platform for recruiting male skincare users, shaping everything from product discovery to first purchase. But the platform’s conversion funnel rewards dramatic before-and-after storytelling, short scripts, and low-price experimentation — creating challenges for long-term loyalty. “Men respond best to evidence-led storytelling — real results, real improvements,” Carnell-Xu says. “Lifestyle content alone just doesn’t convert.” Yet many brands still rely on women-oriented scripts and top-tier KOLs, even though male categories increasingly depend on gym influencers, fragrance reviewers, and tech vloggers. According to Zhang, “Male consumers need to hear in the first three seconds, ‘This is how it solves your specific problem.’” Porteous warns that domestic brands risk trapping themselves in a cycle of repeated customer acquisition if they rely too heavily on livestreaming. “Without a roadmap to develop loyalty and higher basket value through JD, Tmall, or WeChat, they risk getting stuck in a low-ROI loop,” he says. Sampling, onboarding, replenishment coaching, and after-sales care are the next frontier — particularly for brands with premium ambitions. As Proya re-enters the field and local players push deeper into subsegments ranging from anti-aging to sensitive skin and scalp care, competition will increasingly hinge on who can marry technology, brand world-building, and real education into a seamless journey. Foreign brands still hold the high ground. Domestic brands bring cultural intuition. And China’s male consumers — more discerning, experimental, and efficacy-driven than ever — are forcing both sides to rethink everything they know about marketing to men.

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Proya, L’Oréal, and C-beauty battle for China’s men