Is there still innovation in facial masks?
As the Chinese facial mask category has already reached maturity, the space for innovation is gradually shrinking, and the market lacks truly disruptive reforms. However, at the same time, it also means that whoever can explore more market possibilities and launch products that truly have revolutionary significance will be able to seize market initiative and win the future market.
C Ka Beauty, which once created a market phenomenon with its “jar mask,” has once again brought innovative solutions to the market with its effective facial mask. On May 22nd, at the Shanghai Beauty Expo (CBE), C Ka Beauty made a significant launch of the “C Ka Beauty 1+1 dual-layer facial mask.” This mask innovatively transforms the usage method of traditional sheet masks and pioneers the concept of “layering application” with a dual-layer mask, leading the era of precise efficacy in patch masks.
1+1>2: A New Species of Facial Masks Emerges
According to data from CHAILEEDO, the facial mask market accounted for 8.14% of the total cosmetics market size in 2023. From 2018 to 2023, the compound annual growth rate of the facial mask market in China was 6.7%, with a market penetration rate reaching 59%. If this growth rate is maintained, the facial mask market size is expected to surpass 75 billion yuan by 2025. It can be said that the facial mask market remains an important cornerstone of the skincare market, and the future penetration rate of facial masks in China will continue to increase.
However, beneath this growth, hidden concerns in the facial mask market have started to emerge. Some brands focus more on reducing prices than on research and development, resulting in low-priced masks that offer effects similar to wet wipes. For a long time, facial masks have become synonymous with low entry barriers and low technological content.
Research published in the international journal JCD indicates that skin problems are often localized, but most conventional sheet masks on the market cover the entire face, and a few eye mask products only focus on the delicate eye area, making it difficult to address the specific efficacy needs of different localized areas.
In response to the pressing consumer demand for facial masks with high technological content, strong efficacy, and precise effects, C Ka Beauty has taken the lead in launching the “1+1 dual-layer facial mask.” This innovative mask introduces a dual-layer stacking application, where the first layer of the mask focuses on localized efficacy, targeting specific skin problems with powerful effects. The second layer of the mask is responsible for repair and nourishment, combining the concept of localized “strong medicine” with overall “tonic” for the face. This marks the first achievement of “precise efficacy skincare” in the facial mask category.
In essence, precise skincare means providing targeted solutions for specific skin concerns. C Ka Beauty’s “1+1 dual-layer facial mask” addresses five major facial skin problems, including oiliness, wrinkles, redness, acne, and dark spots. They have launched five products: Refining, Antioxidant, Hydrating, Soothing, and Brightening, each corresponding to a different area of the face. This allows for precise targeting and offers more targeted solutions.
Now, how can the two layers of the mask ensure a balanced combination?
At the product launch event, CHAILEEDO learned that the localized efficacy layer of the mask utilizes a unidirectional transmission technology with a honeycomb silver diamond film, while the overall repairing layer adopts a breathable ice film. Moreover, the core active ingredients in both layers are formulated with extremely small molecular groups of less than 500 Daltons, ensuring the penetration of active ingredients and maximizing their efficacy in more precise areas.
According to Dr. Xiang Qi, Director of the Medical Biotechnology Research and Development Center at Jinan University, diffusion pool permeation experiments conducted on C Ka Beauty’s dual-layer mask demonstrated a 119.04% increase in the transdermal penetration of active ingredients compared to a single-layer fabric when using equal amounts and concentrations of the same material.
Currently, during the trial sales phase, the first batch of “1+1 dual-layer facial masks” has received positive feedback from a large number of consumers and quickly sold out according to feedback from various national distributors.
All innovations stem from consumers
At the press conference, Xiao Rongshen stated that the primary focus of C Ka Beauty in product development is to “identify user needs” and secondly, to “innovate technologically.” In simple terms, the origin of C Ka Beauty’s innovation lies in “solving common problems faced by consumers,” which is also an important reason why C Ka Beauty continues to create popular products.
In 2021, C Ka Beauty first noticed that 63% of consumers were unable to finish using their cream masks, resulting in a lot of wastage. As a result, C Ka Beauty introduced the concept of “mini jars” into the facial mask industry and launched their flagship product, the “Emergency Skin Mask,” which instantly became a market sensation.
In 2022, C Ka Beauty discovered that consumers with oily skin desired facial cleansers that were both highly effective in cleansing and gentle at the same time, without being too alkaline or acidic. In response, C Ka Beauty introduced the dual-tube facial cleanser, which combines a clay mask with an amino acid cleanser, achieving a gentle cleansing effect while enhancing cleansing power. Currently, the dual-tube facial cleanser has been certified by the globally renowned market research firm Frost Sullivan as the “best-selling domestic facial cleanser nationwide.”
This time, C Ka Beauty is once again embarking on a journey to revolutionize not only the form of facial masks but also to explore new ingredients.
CHAILEEDO found that in order to find ingredients that perfectly match consumer demands, C Ka Beauty selected over 160 peptide ingredients from various domestic and international ingredient companies. They integrated peptide ingredients from the world’s three major ingredient giants, BASF, LIPOTRUE, and Lubrizol, breaking through the barrier of single-peptide effects. They introduced C Ka Beauty’s exclusive custom ingredient, “C Ka Beauty Research and Repair Peptide,” which allows the ingredients to more accurately bind with cellular receptors, achieving precise repairing effects and comprehensively addressing skin aging issues, including anti-aging, anti-glycation, and antioxidant effects.
Furthermore, both the newly launched “1+1 dual-layer facial mask” and the “Emergency Skin Mask 3.0” by C Ka Beauty incorporate the national patented biotechnology nanopermeation technology called Nanospc™. Based on the principles of biotechnology nanotechnology, this technology utilizes nanoscale particle size control and efficient carrier design to allow active ingredients to penetrate the epidermis layer more rapidly, smoothly, and deeply, reaching the dermis layer directly. Studies have shown that Nanospc™ can enhance skin absorption by two times compared to traditional penetration technologies.
It can be seen that whether it is technological innovation or form innovation, all of C Ka Beauty’s innovations originate from a deep understanding of consumer needs. The “Emergency Skin Mask” was created because consumers were unable to finish using cream masks; the “dual-tube facial cleanser” was developed to cater to different skincare needs in various scenarios; “Nanospc™” was developed to meet consumers’ desire for stronger efficacy; and the “1+1 dual-layer facial mask” was created to address specific skin problems accurately. As Xiao Rongshen said, “Products are not here to serve technology but rather, products and technology are here to serve life.”
Redefining the category, C Ka Beauty has been on the road of innovation
Innovation is the core of C Ka Beauty; scientific research is its core productivity. All the innovations mentioned earlier, such as ingredients, packaging, and formulations, originate from C Ka Beauty’s persistent spirit of scientific research.
At the press conference, Xiao Rongshen stated, “We are not just a cosmetics company but also aspire to be an innovative technology company.” In fact, C Ka Beauty is proving this through its actual actions.
In the early days of its establishment, C Ka Beauty collaborated with the Beijing National Center for Molecular Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to conduct in-depth research and development on permeation technology. Building on the accumulation of basic research results, C Ka Beauty introduced scientific achievements from the field of pharmaceutical research into skincare research. Additionally, they incorporated AI artificial intelligence ingredient screening models as another technological foundation for research and development. This not only allows for more precise efficacy design of formulations but also breaks through the limitations of manual calculations.
According to CHAILEEDO’s understanding, through the “pharmaceutical research-grade” AI algorithm, C Ka Beauty can select dozens of highly matched and efficient active ingredients from 14,326 problem targets corresponding to a single skin issue. This enables fine analysis and formulation, breaking the limitations of formulation calculations and enhancing the expression of active ingredient effects.
In this way, C Ka Beauty has gradually built an exclusive transdermal permeation technology platform, with Nanospc™ being a typical achievement of this platform. In the future, this platform will give birth to more research and development achievements.
C Ka Beauty’s brand creativity and insights have already gained considerable market recognition. Since its establishment, C Ka Beauty has received three rounds of financing, with a total funding amount of hundreds of millions of yuan. It is precisely because of this that C Ka Beauty can continue to create more disruptive and innovative popular products, unaffected by the market environment, and complete a virtuous cycle of “research and development – innovation – market launch – growth.”
As of now, C Ka Beauty has over 40,000 offline points of sale, more than 100 distributors, and has reached over 10 million consumers.
The footsteps continue, the exploration never stops. The case of C Ka Beauty also enlightens us that even in seemingly saturated and fiercely competitive markets, there is still an opportunity to create new market spaces and achieve success through deep insights into consumer needs, continuous product innovation, and effective marketing strategies.
