In 2023, it was an extraordinary year for the cosmetics industry in China. According to the data released in the “2023 China Cosmetics Yearbook” by CHAILEEDO, the Chinese beauty market in China surpassed foreign brands for the first time in scale. As a result, the rise of Chinese brands is no longer just a slogan but a testament to their strength.
What is the force behind the rise of Chinese brands? Undoubtedly, the answer lies in scientific research. In 2023, for Chinese skincare brands, it was also a competition focusing on scientific research capabilities and mastering advanced technologies. Among them, the Chinese anti-aging skincare brand HBN broke through the boundaries of growth in this non-combative arena, using its own development process to explain the core essence of the “rise of Chinese brands.”
Entering the top brand tier in 4 Years, HBN sets the standard for Chinese “efficacy skincare”
According to data from various platforms, HBN once again ranked among the top-selling Chinese skincare brands during the 2023 Chinese Double 11 shopping festival. Simultaneously, HBN achieved annual sales exceeding one billion yuan on both Tmall and Douyin (Chinese version of TikTok), making it the youngest leading Chinese brand in the industry.
Such rapid growth is truly rare in the industry. In recent years, Chinese beauty and cosmetics have made steady progress, but in an environment of intensified regulations and plateauing traffic, many brands have seemingly disappeared overnight. However, only a few brands have managed to stabilize themselves and expand their competitive advantages, with HBN being one of the outstanding examples.
HBN, with its brand philosophy of “Visible Results,” is dedicated to researching and creating highly effective skincare products. It is worth mentioning that HBN is a skincare brand with a strong research background. Its founder, Yao Zhenan, is a renowned university professor, and its core research and development team consists of top research experts with doctoral and master’s degrees from prestigious scientific institutions both in China and abroad. Led by doctoral advisors, the team holds multiple independent research patents.
Over the course of more than four years, HBN has steadily built its own research system. Currently, HBN has established joint laboratories with institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences and possesses independent research laboratories, including those dedicated to cellular research, physical chemistry, plant materials, formula mechanisms, and clinical efficacy. The self-built laboratory has also obtained CNAS national certification, providing a solid scientific research foundation for the company’s commitment to independent innovation. In 2021, HBN’s parent company, HuJia Technology Co., Ltd. (Shenzhen Hujia) in Shenzhen, was recognized as a “National High-Tech Enterprise,” and in 2023, it obtained the designation of “Specialized, Refined, New, and Small Enterprise” in Shenzhen for the year 2022.
(Certification of National High-Tech Enterprise and Specialized, Refined, New, and Small Enterprise)
(CNAS national certification)
Notably, HBN has focused on the high-efficiency sector of retinol anti-aging since its entry into the cosmetics field, becoming a pioneer and leader in this field among Chinese skincare brands. Thanks to breakthroughs in retinol, HBN has launched multiple highly effective series dedicated to “Retinol Anti-Aging” and has secured a place for Chinese skincare brands in the retinol anti-aging market. From 2019 to 2022, HBN’s retinol anti-aging skincare series has consistently taken the top spot in Chinese retinol anti-aging skincare sales.
It is evident that with the successful establishment of an independent research system, HBN has become one of the few high-quality brands to achieve rapid growth from zero to ten in just over four years. Simultaneously, the brand has become a leading player in the Chinese beauty and cosmetics industry, thanks to its focus on research and innovation.
Quietly practicing “long-termism in scientific research” and fulfilling the promise of “true efficacy”
Looking at the development of the industry, since the release of new regulations for cosmetics, a series of strict standards have been established for companies’ production qualifications, raw material safety, production quality, and market sales. As a result, many companies have chosen to voluntarily cancel their cosmetics production licenses and exit the beauty industry. This is a painful phase that the industry must go through in order to move towards standardized development.
On the other hand, the fast-growing and leading beauty brands in the industry are all continuously investing in scientific research and improving their own research systems. It has been proven that in the current era where internet traffic dividends are no longer sustainable, relying solely on marketing is insufficient to ensure a company’s long-term development. A wiser approach is to focus on one’s own field, continuously expand core technological competitiveness, and create unique market barriers to competition.
Based on in-depth research on Chinese botanicals, in 2022, HBN launched the exclusive research material, Yunnan coffee fermentation filtrate DiCAFF90, and officially applied this ingredient to the second-generation caffeine eye cream of HBN in 2023. It is worth mentioning that in the same year, HBN also led the development and release of the Retinol testing standard, leading the improvement of standards in this field.
In 2023, HBN’s research actions and achievements became even more frequent. In August, HBN, in collaboration with the Cosmetics Innovation Center of Jiangnan University and the Guangdong Cosmetics Society, released the scientific whitening guidebook “Native White Skincare White Paper,” proposing the concept of “native white” for the first time in the industry, revolutionizing the scientific trend of healthy whitening and brightening. In October, the brand established joint laboratories with universities such as Jiangnan University, Jinan University, and Xiamen University. In the same month, it also co-established the “Skin Health and Coffee Active Substance Research Center” with the Coffee Engineering Research Center of Yunnan Agricultural Engineering Research and Design Institute.
Not limited to these achievements, in 2023, HBN also led or participated in the formulation of dozens of standards and applied for more than 100 patents. Additionally, the brand collaborated with over 30 authoritative research institutions both Chineseally and internationally, conducting more than 40 cutting-edge research projects. At the same time, based on long-term systematic research in the field of efficacious skincare, HBN has transformed from a pioneer to a leader and standard-setter in Retinol anti-aging in China. It has made significant progress in multiple dimensions, including whitening, antioxidant, and anti-aging. Corresponding research results have been published in several international authoritative core journals. For example, at the 18th Annual Meeting of the Chinese Medical Association Dermatology Physicians and the National Dermatology and Cosmetology Science Conference (CDA Conference) held in December 2023, HBN, as the youngest Chinese skincare brand, teamed up with authoritative experts to provide in-depth interpretations of three recent international SCI papers.
(Cosmetology Science Conference)
Undoubtedly, HBN’s research over the years has achieved remarkable progress. These achievements are based on the brand’s daily accumulations and are the result of a natural process. They firmly establish HBN’s position as a “scientific research model.”
HBN has always advocated for “delivering true efficacy” and has been clinically validated by authoritative third parties. As the first Chinese skincare brand to propose “delivering true efficacy,” HBN has repeatedly collaborated with globally renowned third-party testing organization SGS to openly recruit hundreds of volunteers for public efficacy testing challenges.
It is worth noting that HBN is the first skincare brand to conduct human efficacy testing under the supervision of the public, reaching a scale of billions. As of now, 100% of HBN’s facial care products have undergone authoritative third-party human efficacy testing, with nearly 2,000 participants in cumulative human efficacy testing. It is one of the brands in China with the most authoritative human efficacy testing and one of the earliest and most frequent brands to publicly conduct authoritative human efficacy testing challenges.
Undoubtedly, only true efficacy can impress consumers, and the pursuit and practice of such a brand set an example for the industry’s high-quality development and healthy competition.
Persisting in long-termism and setting the benchmark for the development of Chinese products
In 2023, the industry’s high-quality development continued to advance, with a focus on research strength, compliance and safety, and brand power. At the same time, “long-termism” was mentioned more frequently by industry professionals, redefining the key to sustainable brand development.
As HBN’s founder and CEO, Yao Zhenan, said, “The industry needs leaders to lead by example and guide more companies and practitioners to invest in long-termism, not just focusing on short-term benefits.” The growth path of HBN exemplifies a long-term thinker, dedicated to the pursuit of scientific research, technological innovation, and products with outstanding efficacy.
As a representative of the new generation of high-quality efficacious skincare brands, HBN’s commitment to research and innovation has not only made its growth firm and powerful but has also gained recognition from the industry and consumers for its products and brand influence.
According to reports from China National Radio, CCTV, Xinhua News Agency, and other major media outlets, HBN has been recognized as one of the “excellent brands for high-quality development.” In particular, at the 2023 Boao Forum for Entrepreneurs, hosted by Xinhua News Agency and others, HBN was selected as an excellent case of scientific research and innovation in Xinhua’s “Discovering Treasures of Chinese Products 2023” program, thanks to its excellent product strength and unique research and innovation system.
(HBN in “Discovering Treasures of Chinese Products 2023” program)
In addition to gaining recognition from consumers and various sectors of the industry for its products and ingredients, the influence and visibility of the HBN brand have been increasing. Last year, the brand was listed in Forbes China’s Top 100 Emerging Brands of 2022 and the First Financial Annual Leap Brands of 2023. In December of last year, HBN also received the “Brand Benchmark Award” from Southern Daily and was recognized as the “Pioneer Brand of the Year 2023” by Time Weekly.
It is worth mentioning that in the recently released No.1 Document by the State Council of China titled “Opinions on Developing the Silver Hair Economy to Improve the Well-being of the Elderly,” specific suggestions were made to support the development of the anti-aging industry. This is the first time that the national level has supported the development of the anti-aging-related industry. Undoubtedly, skincare for anti-aging is an important part of the anti-aging industry. The release of this document has received widespread attention from the industry, and many industry professionals believe that it will have significant implications for the future development of the anti-aging cosmetics field.
From the beginning, HBN has firmly and unwaveringly positioned itself in the anti-aging lane, demonstrating strong foresight and leadership. In the future, HBN is expected to further align with the guidance policies of national development based on the research system it has built.
