Travel and T-pop fuel Thai beauty boom in China

Thailand’s once-niche beauty exports are experiencing an unprecedented surge in China, transforming from casual tourist souvenirs into coveted staples. Powered by digital discovery on Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote) and Douyin, Thai beauty brands are leveraging China’s insatiable appetite for new beauty narratives, challenging the long-established dominance of K-beauty and J-beauty players. According to Ctrip, Thailand was the most popular overseas destination for Chinese travelers in 2024. As Chinese tourists document their Thai shopping hauls and recreate makeup looks inspired by Thai celebrities, these posts are catalyzing digital discovery at scale. A new kind of souvenir is finding its way back into China — not silk or snacks, but sunscreen sprays, lip balms, and mini skincare kits. Mistine, Thailand’s biggest beauty brand by market share, has emerged as the star player. Known for its cost-effective waterproof sunscreens, the label has become a bestseller in China, topping the sunscreen category on platforms like Tmall and JD.com for four consecutive years. The brand’s “Little Yellow Hat” sunscreen, priced under 100 RMB ($13.70), has earned cult status for its sweat-resistant, long-wear finish — particularly valued in China’s humid southern provinces. “Chinese consumers are incredibly loyal fans to the few standout Thai brands they love,” says Christine Chua, APAC beauty strategist at data and forecasting agency WGSN. “Mistine is known for its huge Chinese fan base, to the point it releases Chinese-exclusive products for the country. The potential of Thai beauty brands in China is not one to be overlooked.” T-beauty’s mass market appeal and premium potential While K-beauty and J-beauty entered China with a mix of clinical authority and high-end allure, Thai brands are gaining ground through affordability and sensory appeal. Cathy Doll, a brand under beauty conglomerate Karmart, and Oriental Princess from SSUP Holdings, are increasingly recognizable thanks to playful packaging and formulas tailored to sensitive skin or tropical conditions. Chua categorizes most Thai makeup and skincare labels as mass market. However, she notes that Thai fragrances like Panpuri are perceived quite differently. “For fragrances, Chinese consumers would class them as niche as Thai brands boast unique profiles that they won’t be able to find in local Chinese markets,” she says. Allie Rooke, CEO of Cruelty-Free Beauty Asia, which advises indie brands on entering the region, agrees. “Outside of spa categories, Thai brands are viewed as mass market, often praised for value, but sometimes criticized for unsophisticated pigmentation,” she says. “Still, their affordable pricing makes them attractive to younger, budget-conscious consumers.” That premium perception could soon extend to skincare as Thailand’s reputation for cosmetic “tweakments” and ingredient manufacturing grows. “As Thailand is widely seen in Asia as the second plastic surgery and tweakment hub after South Korea, I can see perceptions changing in skincare,” Chua says. “It’s incredibly accessible for Thai brands to adopt tweakment-grade ingredients like PDRN (Polydeoxyribonucleotide, is a DNA-derived compound that's gaining popularity in the field of aesthetic medicine) into their product line-ups cheaply and quickly — earning them a place in the premium space.” Rooke adds, “Some emerging Thai brands are starting to focus on hybrid concepts – blending natural Thai ingredients with modern skincare technology. This could help them bridge the gap between spa heritage and science-backed beauty, appealing to a wider Chinese audience.” T-pop fuels T-beauty’s rise Thai beauty’s growing appeal is also being fed by a wave of soft power exports. Stars from Thailand’s globally adored BL (boys’ love) dramas — such as Bright Vachirawit, Mile Phakphum, and Apo Nattawin — have become fixtures in global campaigns for Dior, Prada, and Calvin Klein with their soft glam, gender fluid aesthetics influencing beauty trends across Asia. This has helped fuel the popularity of the “swai meiku” trend — a portmanteau of the Thai and Japanese words for “beautiful makeup.” Characterized by dewy bases, flushed cheeks, and warm-toned lips, the look has taken off on Xiaohongshu, where fans post tutorials using Thai beauty products to replicate their favorite stars’ red carpet appearances. “Korean brands emphasized a ‘translucent, natural’ look that was hugely popular a few years ago, but today’s youth are starting to crave more individualistic styles — some niche Thai brands cater to this with vibrant colors and bolder aesthetics. However, this appeal remains niche compared to the mainstream dominance of K-beauty,” says Rooke. The rise of Thai-style glamour also reflects a broader shift in how Chinese consumers are introduced to foreign brands — not through traditional advertising, but through entertainment and social media ecosystems T-beauty’s digital-first strategy for China Increasingly, brands that once relied on foot traffic from tourists are now building digital first strategies for China, Cathy Doll has begun tailoring single-use, travel friendly formats for the Chinese market — perfect for the “try-before-you-buy” mindset that dominates beauty consumption in China. ”Making your brand accessible to the Chinese market means building a presence on Chinese social media sites, creating purchasing avenues on key Chinese e-commerce websites like WeChat, Taobao, and JD.com and others, as well as collaborating with local retailers and drugstores to sell your product to build awareness,” says Chua. Mistine has taken this localization further. Its Lip Glaze product, for instance, was first launched in China. Inspired by the country’s coffee culture, the product maintains the brand’s core elements — glossy, lightweight finishes that perform well in hot weather. “Mistine is the standout success story, particularly in suncare, where it dominates with a strong balance of efficacy and affordability. It’s widely accessible and has successfully localized its approach to Chinese consumers,” says Rooke. Thai tourism boom as a marketing engine For now, much of T-beauty’s visibility in China is still tied to travel. The country’s post-Covid-19 appetite for regional trips has turned destinations like Bangkok and Chiang Mai into unofficial beauty shopping hubs. Haul hashtags such as #ThaiDrugstoreMustBuys or #bangkokBeautyShopping are helping convert offline tourism into online demand, turning impulsive buys into replenishable favorites. “Chinese travellers are key ambassadors. Xiaohongshu is filled with posts showcasing beauty hauls from Thai 7-Elevens and drugstores, often celebrating hidden gems discovered abroad,” says Rooke. Chinese consumers are no longer just seeking “souvenir beauty.” The emotional halo of travel, plus favorable price points and tropical-specific functionality, is creating a strong foundation for Thai brands to grow from seasonal to staple. T-beauty’s challenges on the horizon Still, scaling in China will require more than fandom and favorable weather. Thai brands face competition not just from Korean and Japanese brands, but increasingly data-savvy, fast-moving Chinese domestic players. ”The biggest risk to Thai beauty brands would be having to compete with other local Chinese brands, as both have similar price points,” says Chua. “The key point here is that Thai beauty brands must offer distinct enough points of differentiation to truly stand out in such a saturated market.” Geopolitics may also come into play. “New tariffs … will lend to an unstable economy that Thai brands must grapple with, when newly expanding into China,” Chua says. “Entering the Chinese market at the right timing will be integral, and choosing where to expand — in higher tiers or lower tiers — will also be perennial to the marketing strategy, as well as keeping abreast of political and trade relations between Thailand and China.” Thailand’s beauty and personal care market was worth $6.6 billion in 2022, per Euromonitor data, placing it second only to Indonesia in Southeast Asia. It punches above its weight in per capita spending and R&D investment — attributes that could translate well into global export ambitions. But to turn travel-driven curiosity into sustained brand loyalty, they’ll need more than vibrant packaging and a good SPF rating. Thai beauty must evolve — strategically, scientifically, and aesthetically — if it is to compete not just as a tropical souvenir, but as a true contender in Asia’s most coveted beauty arena.

Can Thai beauty compete in China’s crowded market?

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Can Thai beauty compete in China’s crowded market?