What is “beauty”? In China, people says it is skin as delicate as cream, a face akin to peach blossoms; it is described in Tang poems as “white as mountain snow, radiant as the moon in the clouds”; and it is depicted in Song lyrics as “skin as smooth as ice and snow, with beautiful makeup resembling plum blossoms”…
Since ancient times, “whitening” has often been equated with “beauty” in the traditional Chinese aesthetic. However, in modern times, Chinese people are not only pursuing fairness but also scientific fairness.
Currently, there is a lack of professional discussions and research on “skin whitening for Chinese people.” What is the suitable whitening method for Chinese skin? How can effective whitening be achieved without harming the skin?
On January 19th, Grain Rain officially released a research report dedicated to whitening for Chinese people, titled “2024 Research Report on Whitening for Chinese Women,” filling a long-standing industry gap. The leader of this professional research report is Grain Rain, a brand specializing in researching Chinese skin and developing effective plant-based whitening skincare products. With its expertise and accumulated knowledge in whitening, Grain Rain provides a guide for scientific whitening for Chinese people.
Strong collaboration to create a “textbook” on skin whitening for Chinese people
Even amidst the increasing voices of individual beauty, healthy beauty, and diverse beauty, the demand for whitening cosmetics among Chinese consumers has not diminished.
According to the JGAG’s forecast, the whitening market in China is expected to reach 674 billion yuan ($93.99 billion) by 2026. Data from CHAILEEDO also shows that in the first half of 2023, the market size of whitening skincare products reached 22.583 billion yuan ($3.15 billion), a year-on-year increase of 14.6%. Among them, the GMV (Gross Merchandise Volume) of whitening skincare products on the Douyin platform increased by 61.5% compared to the previous year, and the sales volume through the CS (Consumer-to-Consumer) channel increased by 17.9%.
However, for a long time, research in the beauty industry regarding whitening has mostly focused on melanin itself and has primarily been conducted on Western populations, rather than starting from the skin tone, skin characteristics, and aesthetic preferences of Chinese people regarding fair skin.
If the aggressive whitening methods used in other countries are directly applied to skin whitening for Chinese people, it is clear that they are not friendly to Chinese skin. As a result, the market is flooded with mixed-quality whitening products, and the high cost of trial and error has become a whitening dilemma faced by Chinese consumers.
Based on this, Grain Rain, a Chinese skincare brand, has joined forces with China Pharmaceutical University and Xinhua Net to jointly release the “2024 Research Report on Whitening Strategy for Chinese Female” (hereinafter referred to as the “Report”). This report fully utilizes the professional backgrounds and unique perspectives of different institutions and comprehensively presents the history of skin whitening among Chinese people, research on Chinese women’s skin tone and skin characteristics, analysis of Chinese skin whitening mechanisms, cutting-edge scientific achievements in whitening, and whitening care recommendations for Chinese women. It is worth mentioning that this report is also one of the few professional reports in the industry that focuses on skin whitening for Chinese people.
In fact, the thoroughness and completeness of the content in the “Report” are inseparable from the authors’ deep insights into the history of skin whitening among Chinese people, market demand for whitening, and in-depth research on Chinese skin.
First, as the leader of the “Report,” Grain Rain has been conducting research on the skin characteristics of Chinese people for over ten years. Based on three scientific systems (color science, optics, and dermatology), the brand has successfully established scientific research methods such as the Chinese skin research model. Since its establishment, the brand has been committed to helping consumers scientifically select whitening products suitable for their skin types, considering mechanisms, ingredients, formulas, and more.
Secondly, in terms of the collaborating partners, China Pharmaceutical University is one of the top pharmaceutical institutions in China, with its pharmaceutical and traditional Chinese medicine resources and development programs being rated as national first-class programs. With its profound medical research foundation and clinical data, China Pharmaceutical University has provided solid academic support and data verification for the writing of the “Report.”
Xinhua Net, as an authoritative media sponsored by the national news agency Xinhua News Agency, possesses powerful information dissemination capabilities and channel networks, thus playing a significant role in enhancing the popularization of scientific research and public education through the “Report.” Through this channel, the “Report” not only directs consumers’ attention to the scientific aspects of products but also deepens the public’s correct understanding and expectations of scientific whitening.
This “Report,” which covers comprehensive medical research, market analysis, and product recommendations, not only exhibits a high level of research rigor but also demonstrates scientific authority endorsed by professional institutions. It can be regarded as a “textbook-level” guide to skin whitening for Chinese people.
Advancing research and development
As pointed out in the “Report,” the stratum corneum of Chinese people’s skin is relatively thin, more photosensitive, easily susceptible to external stimuli, and prone to darkening. Therefore, as Chinese women age, their skin tone gradually becomes yellow, and aging issues such as skin elasticity worsen.
After going through the earlier stages of aggressive whitening methods such as covering and peering, the skincare awareness of Chinese consumers has been continuously increasing. There is a growing demand for popularizing professional whitening knowledge, understanding the correct whitening mechanisms, and developing whitening ingredients suitable for Chinese people. Creating whitening products that balance effectiveness, texture, and safety has become a pressing matter in the current whitening market.
In fact, as an efficacy-focused skincare brand that specializes in researching Chinese skin, Grain Rain has been committed to creating whitening products that are more tailored to Chinese skin using the gentle yet powerful force behind oriental plant extracts since its establishment.
Further information reveals that before the release of the “Report,” Grain Rain had accumulated years of experience in the field of whitening research for Chinese people. For example, to explore the truth about whitening for Chinese women, Grain Rain collaborated with Beijing Technology and Business University in China. They conducted in-depth analysis of facial features among Chinese women in five major regions in China, namely East China, South China, West China, North China, and Central China. They collected nearly 100,000 samples of Chinese women’s skin indicators to gain insights into the regional differences and common characteristics of skin tone and skin texture among Chinese women. They also published a research paper titled “Research on Skin Tone and Skin Texture of Chinese Women Based on ‘Optics-Color Science-Dermatology'” in a national-level journal.
In October of last year, Grain Rain also collaborated with the China Fragrance Flavor and Cosmetic Industries Association and the Market Supervision Administration of Huangpu District, Guangzhou, to host the “2023 First Chinese Whitening Summit.” The summit explored whitening methods that are more suitable for Chinese skin from both cultural and scientific perspectives.
It is understood that glabridin is the most potent natural active substance in terms of inhibiting melanocyte activity, possessing strong DPPH free radical scavenging ability, and significantly inhibiting melanin production, thereby enhancing skin brightness. As early as 2007, the founder of the Grain Rain brand drew inspiration from the essence of traditional Chinese medicine culture and selected glabridin, known as the “elders of Chinese medicine,” from tens of thousands of botanical and traditional Chinese medicine resources.
Grain Rain’s exclusive self-developed whitening ingredient combination, called Aurora Glabridin, targets melanin cells, efficiently inhibiting melanin production at its source through multiple pathways. Its greatest highlight is the self-developed 30-nanometer ultra-small particle size encapsulation, which is three times smaller than the common encapsulation used in the market. This allows for rapid transdermal absorption, significantly improving whitening efficiency.
From the brand’s self-development advancement to the release of the “Report,” Grain Rain has gradually established a reliable image focused on product effectiveness and safety among consumers and the industry.
Becoming the leader in “Chinese skin whitening”
As Grain Rain brand co-founder Lin Yuting publicly stated, “Grain Rain is a skincare brand rooted in China, with a Chinese name and Chinese aesthetics, utilizing Chinese botanicals. Over the years, we have been dedicated to developing plant-based whitening products that are more suitable for Chinese skin.”
Upon investigation, Grain Rain, as a Chinese brand with its own cultural genes, adheres to the concept of combining Eastern elegance and modern aesthetics in aspects such as ingredient selection, product development, packaging art, and brand color scheme.
Among them, “Chinese ingredients” are undoubtedly the treasures of Grain Rain’s deep cultivation of Chinese botanical whitening. For example, before Grain Rain’s exploration and application of glabridin, the “golden whitening ingredient,” the general public had little knowledge of it. However, as a Chinese Chinese brand, Grain Rain took up the banner of promoting this Chinese botanical ingredient to the public.
In fact, Grain Rain has been exploring, developing, and promoting Chinese botanical resources for over a decade. By integrating research results and market insights into their business strategies, they have effectively transformed their scientific advantages into market competitiveness.
From traditional culture to scientific innovation, as of 2023, Grain Rain has established over 7,200 offline stores. Their competitive products have received positive market feedback. In 2021, Grain Rain’s sales exceeded 1 billion yuan ($139.4 million) for the first time, doubling in 2022 to reach 2.2 billion yuan ($306.8 million). In 2023, Grain Rain’s sales reached 3.5 billion yuan ($488.1 million).
It can be said that the release of the “Report” is a clear market declaration for Grain Rain, representing the brand’s depth and expertise in the research of “Chinese skin whitening.” The successful launch of their patented whitening ingredients and whitening product series showcases their professional leadership and insight into cutting-edge trends in the whitening field. Therefore, they rightfully become the leading brand in the focus of “Chinese skin whitening.”
