Focusing on Eastern Skincare, UNIFON Releases the Eastern Skin Research White Book

Chinese domestic beauty brands are currently enjoying a surge in popularity. According to data from CHAILEEDO Intelligence, the domestic beauty market has been proliferating over the past decade, with an average annual compound growth rate of 13.18%, outpacing the overall Chinese beauty market by 5.86 percentage points. In 2023, Chinese domestic beauty brands captured 50.4% of the market share, surpassing foreign brands for the first time.

However, it is worth noting that despite the progress domestic beauty brands have made in their home market, there is still a lack of solutions specifically tailored for Eastern skin. Recently, the domestic brand UNIFON made a significant announcement with the release of the Eastern Skin Research White Book (hereafter referred to as the “White Paper“). This document addresses the unique needs of Eastern skin and proposes a comprehensive and instructive skincare methodology.

So, where does UNIFON’s confidence in providing skincare solutions for Eastern women come from?

Eighteen years dedicated to focusing on the study of Eastern skin

Amid the rise of Chinese domestic beauty brands, consumers need a brand that embodies Eastern heritage. Beauty has always been an enduring pursuit for the Chinese people. Behind this, the history of Eastern skincare spans over 4,000 years, tracing back to ancient times. According to historical records, the earliest known skincare product was a powder formulated by Yu the Great for his wife.

By the pre-Qin period, people had already begun to pursue skin whitening. The Book of Rites records: “Every three days, one bathes thoroughly; in between, one washes the face with rice water.” This indicates that people then used rice water to cleanse their faces and achieve whitening effects, referred to as “pan.” Following this, texts such as the Shen-nung Pen-tsao Ching; and the Variorum of Shennong‘s Classic of Materia Medica documented the continuous exploration of effective Eastern ingredients for skincare by the Eastern people.

Not only in ancient times but also in more recent history, Eastern skincare has led the world. For instance, during the Ming and Qing dynasties, people in Tantou, Western Hunan, used local minerals combined with traditional techniques to create fine, mist-like mud. This mud, known as “face powder paper,” was applied to paper to whiten the skin and remove oil. In 1890, the face powder paper was presented to Empress Dowager Cixi and became known as “Imperial Mud Face Powder Paper.” Remarkably, 100 years ago, Imperial Mud Face PowderPaper represented the East on the world stage, being exported to over 20 countries and regions.

Due to various reasons, modern times saw the decline of national brands representing the East, and products that once reached the global market vanished. Over the past decade, domestic brands have persevered through adversity and competition with international brands, once again demonstrating the sharp market potential of Eastern brands to Chinese consumers. From its inception, UNIFON has focused on protecting the intellectual property of national products, registering the “UNIFON” trademark, and reviving the century-old national pride of “Imperial Mud Xiangfen Paper” into a brand. Consequently, UNIFON’s first product was the same unique Eastern mud from 1890, creating the brand’s first cleansing mud mask.

UNIFON has long embedded its sense of responsibility to Eastern consumers into its brand DNA. Only by deeply engaging with users can true needs be discovered, a principle evident from the extensive research behind UNIFON’s release of the White Paper. Over the past 18 years, UNIFON has conducted 135 research sessions and communicated with 44,744 consumers to gain an in-depth understanding of the skincare needs of contemporary Eastern women.

According to the White Paper the skin characteristics of modern Eastern women are predominantly combination skin, with nearly 50% experiencing mild sensitivity. Common skin issues include blackheads, dullness, and oiliness. When choosing skincare products, they prefer those with “Eastern ingredients,” and 60% of consumers hope for products better suited to their skin, while 45% desire domestic products with core patented ingredients. This shows that only by comprehensively and multidimensionally understanding the state of Eastern skin can the true skincare needs of consumers be met.

Unveiling the differences between Eastern and Western skin, providing a tailored skincare solution

It is well known that due to various factors such as geography, environment, and genetics, Eastern skin differs from Western skin in terms of structure and properties. To objectively explore these differences, UNIFON initiated a skin characterization and sensory testing project in 2014. This project involved collecting 21 detailed test indicators and testing 43,400 volunteers of different ages, professions, and geographical locations. The results revealed significant differences between Eastern and Western women in facial structure, skin tone, pigmentation, pores, moisture levels, oil production, and skin microbiome.

As the saying goes, “Sharpening the axe will not delay the job of cutting wood.” Through these efforts, UNIFON has identified six key characteristics of Eastern skin：

1. Eastern skin is more prone to sensitivity.

The skin barrier strength of Eastern women is only 60.66% that of Western women, and when faced with irritants, Eastern women are 3.125 times more likely to experience sensitivity compared to Western women.

2. Eastern skin has finer pores.

The pore area is only 60% that of Western women, and the number of pores is also only 66%.

3. Eastern skin is more prone to developing inflamed acne.

Clinically, the incidence of acne in Eastern women is around 30%, and the probability of developing inflamed acne is twice that of Western women.

4. Eastern skin is more prone to tanning.

Under equal amounts of UV radiation, there is a greater increase in melanin content in Eastern skin. Additionally, in different skin areas, the melanin content in Eastern women is 3-4 times that of Western women.

5. Eastern skin is more prone to dehydration.

The moisture content of young Eastern skin (<51 years old) is lower than that of Caucasians, and moisture loss is more pronounced.

6. Eastern skin is affected by monsoonal climate conditions.

Women living in subtropical monsoonal climates have lower moisture content, higher rates of water loss, and less sebum production.

The White Paper also points out that 40% of skin problems stem from environmental factors, while 60% are influenced by genetic factors. “The differences in skin quality between Eastern and Western populations are not only due to genetics but also significantly influenced by their respective climatic environments,” explained a UNIFON spokesperson. “China is primarily influenced by a monsoonal climate, with hot and rainy summers and cold, dry winters, resulting in a temperature difference of up to 30-50°C annually. This makes Eastern women living in China more prone to experiencing skin dryness or oiliness, consequently increasing the risk of sensitivity and inflammation.”

Based on these insights into Eastern skin, UNIFON believes that there are differences in skin types among different populations, and there cannot be a single product suitable for all skin types globally. Moreover, differences in climatic environments across regions mean that no single product can adapt to all climates worldwide. This highlights the need to focus on genetic targets that significantly differ from those of Western populations when addressing skin issues among Eastern consumers.

The groundbreaking White Paper is opening up to the industry for the first time

Undoubtedly, the competition in the cosmetics industry for efficacy skincare has reached a fever pitch. In the future, addressing the diverse skincare needs of Eastern women, including anti-aging and whitening, will undoubtedly become the mainstream market focus. Therefore, based on an in-depth analysis of the skin characteristics and demands of the Eastern population, UNIFON has acquired a series of core technologies and proprietary intellectual property in areas such as patented ingredients and exclusive formulations.

According to the White Paper, UNIFON has exclusively developed core innovative ingredients, such as Korean ginseng extract, camellia seed, and astragalus polypeptides, targeting different key points in the aging process of Eastern skin, including collagen loss, oxidative stress from free radicals, and transcriptomic changes. Among them, Korean ginseng extract has completed registration as a new cosmetic ingredient in 2023. It is reported that this Korean ginseng extract can promote the generation of six types of collagen, reduce collagen loss, and inhibit the development of inflammatory aging, ultimately achieving integrated anti-aging effects.

Meanwhile, in response to the efficacy demands of Eastern women for pore purification, UNIFON has also exclusively developed patented technologies for deep cleansing mud ingredients and blackhead removal formulations. Unlike Western mud cleansing ingredients, this deep cleansing mud ingredient is made using purely physical methods, retaining the functions of natural mineral nourishment, skin elasticity enhancement, and reinforcement of the skin’s natural defense capabilities, making it more suitable for Eastern women with thinner stratum corneum.

Furthermore, addressing the characteristic of Eastern skin being more prone to sensitivity, UNIFON has unearthed a soothing ingredient suitable for the sensitive skin of Eastern women — re-brewed Ganoderma lucidum. This patented ingredient, developed in collaboration with the Institute of Hemp Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, has multiple effects such as antioxidant, whitening, and anti-aging, and has obtained three national invention patents. Accordingly, to meet the demands of Eastern sensitive skin consumers, UNIFON has developed a variety of formula products including gentle moisturizing masks, cleansing products, low-sensitivity skincare products, and dedicated skincare products for anti-sensitivity and repairing damaged skin, obtaining nine invention patents.