The beauty industry's new obsession: Feeling cooler

As temperatures climb across China, beauty brands are competing over a new summer metric: how quickly a product can make skin feel cooler. Cooling shampoos, mint sprays and prickly-heat powders have long appeared on seasonal shelves. But in 2026, “cooling” has moved beyond a generic sensory claim. Brands are placing it at the center of sunscreen, facial care, baby products, makeup and post-treatment skincare, often supported by temperature-reduction figures, specialised ingredients and product formats engineered for specific moments of heat discomfort. From January to May, cosmetics carrying terms such as “temperature reduction,” “cooling sensation” and “ice sensation” generated 256 million RMB ($35.4 million) in online sales, according to FBeauty. May sales rose 81.3% YoY, while the average price of cooling skincare increased from roughly 42 RMB to 55 RMB ($6.2-$8.1), a rise of more than 30%. Skincare products using the same keywords recorded a 46% YoY increase. Cooling has become a way for brands to make product performance instantly legible. Anti-aging, brightening and barrier repair may take weeks to assess. A cold spray, gel cream or chilled cushion can be felt within seconds. Heat turns sensation into product performance On Douyin, searches for “cooling sensation” rose 54.4% in H1 2026, reaching their highest point in early June. Over the past three months, beauty and personal care products associated with cooling and ice sensations generated more than 100 million RMB ($14.75 million) in sales, up 15.2% YoY, according to Feigua. Daily sales reached between 5 million and 10 million RMB ($700,000-$1.4 million) during the peak period from May to early June. Demand is not evenly spread across beauty, though. Baby care and facial cleansing and care accounted for more than 80% of the market tracked by Feigua, with sales rising 48.4% and 34.5%, respectively. For parents, cooling products are closely linked to heat rash, itching, mosquito exposure and outdoor activity. Sales of baby powder products more than doubled YoY. For adult consumers, the strongest use case is sunscreen spray, which accounted for 23.2% of the facial-care segment and grew 49.5%. Parents are purchasing reassurance and relief, while sunscreen shoppers still prioritize core protection. Waterproofing, sweat resistance and portability rank above cooling in sunscreen marketing. The cold sensation works best when it improves an existing function rather than replacing it. Quantified cooling makes marketing easier Mistine’s ice-cooling sunscreen spray sits at the top of the product rankings, accounting for 38.3% of sales in its segment. Its marketing claims that one application can rapidly lower the temperature by 12.5℃, supported by images of ice surfaces and frozen textures. Babi has built its “Little Ice Spray 2.0” around a similar promise, using multiple stock-keeping units and product upgrades to capture the summer peak. A temperature figure gives creators, livestreamers and consumers something easy to test on camera. It also shortens the education process: the claim can be understood without explaining a complicated ingredient pathway. Yet, the numbers are not always directly comparable. Testing methods, application quantities, environmental conditions and the distinction between perceived cold and actual surface-temperature reduction can vary between brands. As cooling moves from a subjective texture claim to a performance measure, pressure will build for more consistent evaluation standards. From menthol shock to gentler cooling Traditional cooling formulas often depend on menthol, which activates the skin’s TRPM8 cold receptor. The effect can be strong, but it does not necessarily mean the skin’s surface temperature has materially fallen. At high concentrations, menthol may also cause burning, tingling or irritation, particularly on sensitive or children’s skin. Newer products are trying to separate cooling from discomfort. Brands including Bodorme (贝德美) and Dexter )戴可思) use polyol systems containing ingredients such as erythritol and butylene glycol. As water evaporates, heat is taken away from the skin surface, creating a more physical form of cooling. Suppliers are also developing lower-irritation derivatives and blended systems. Menthol lactate, menthone glycerin acetal, hydrogels and cooling fabric sheets are being used to create a softer or longer-lasting sensation. ODM manufacturer Nox Bellcow has filed a patent for a “mild cooling composition” combining seawater with several cooling agents, designed to work at a lower concentration. The most promising formulas are unlikely to rely on one cooling ingredient. They combine physical temperature reduction, gentler sensory agents, controlled-release systems and conventional skincare benefits. Cooling moves beyond sunscreen Retailers are helping turn the trend into a broader summer lifestyle category. Miniso has grouped cooling rollerballs, sprays, patches and wipes into dedicated “ice-cooling” sections. Watsons and KKV have added cooling masks and sprays, while Muji’s range now extends from gel cream and shampoo to body wash, wipes and household products. At the premium end, YSL has brought cooling into color cosmetics. Its “ice cushion,” priced at 600 RMB ($88.5), combines a water-to-powder texture with an ice-blue leather compact. The product ranked first in Tmall’s cushion foundation category during the opening phase of the 618 shopping festival. Other brands are using cooling to create more specialized treatment rituals. FanBeauty’s centella “ice gauze” mask, priced at 178 RMB ($26.2) for five sheets, targets post-laser and sensitive-skin recovery. While Florasis has combined cooling beads with after-sun soothing in a gel mask. The strongest products are not simply “cold versions” of existing formulas. They are attached to distinct scenarios: outdoor reapplication, post-sun redness, baby heat rash, medical-aesthetic recovery, oily-skin makeup or exercise. That scenario-based approach could determine whether cooling remains a summer novelty or becomes a repeatable product capability. A consumer returning from a music festival has different needs from someone applying foundation before a humid commute. A baby-care formula cannot use the same sensory intensity as a body spray designed for adults. Summer may have created the demand, but consumers’ preference for immediate, visible and measurable performance is likely to last well beyond the season.

The beauty industry’s new obsession: Feeling cooler

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The beauty industry’s new obsession: Feeling cooler

How Bottega Veneta weaved China’s forever it bag