Once an afterthought in the beauty aisle, China’s haircare market has rapidly become one of the industry’s most dynamic frontiers. What was once a simple routine of shampoo and conditioner has evolved into a multi-step ritual driven by science, self-care, and status. From scalp serums and pre-wash treatments to AI-powered diagnostics, personalized formulations, and professional-grade at-home devices, consumers are embracing haircare trends that mirror the sophistication of skincare, a phenomenon now known as the “skinification of hair.”
According to Jing Daily’s recent report “Haircare: Capturing China’s Next Beauty Boom”, this shift reflects a broader transformation in how Chinese consumers perceive beauty and wellbeing. The report highlights a surging focus on scalp health, the rise of premium, science-backed products, and a cultural redefinition of haircare as an expression of both identity and wellness. As the category grows in value and complexity, it’s clear that haircare has become a reflection of lifestyle, innovation and modern Chinese aspiration.
The rise of scalp health
If skincare defined the last decade of beauty, scalp care is shaping the next. In China, the conversation around hair has shifted from the surface shine of strands to the wellbeing of the scalp beneath. The Jing Daily report reveals that 250 million Chinese consumers—nearly one in six—experience hair loss, and 83% show signs by age 30. Among Gen Z alone, 36.1% already report thinning hair. These figures have reframed haircare as a wellness priority rather than a vanity pursuit, driving the rapid expansion of the category.
As Stefan Huang, strategy director of Joy Group, highlighted the trend: “Asian consumers are increasingly investing in hair and scalp health and seeking products with clinical validation and real problem-solving capabilities. Market data shows that while the overall online shampoo and haircare market in China grew just 0.09% in the first half of 2025, the mid-to-high-end price segment expanded by 28%, even as the mass-market tier declined by 3%.”
That expansion is measurable. China’s overall haircare market grew from RMB 43.4 billion in 2017 to RMB 65.5 billion in 2023, and is forecast to reach RMB 82.8 billion by 2027! Within that, scalp-focused products are leading growth. Scalp oils and serums jumped 50.4% year-on-year in 2024 to capture around 10% of category share, while hair oils reached RMB 2.11 billion in GMV, accounting for 34% of total haircare sales. Despite the surge in interest, scalp-care GMV remains just RMB 752 million, or 11.5% of the market, leaving vast headroom for brands to expand.
Premium brands are already seizing that opportunity. During the 2025 “618” shopping festival, René Furterer recorded RMB 181 million in gross merchandise value, a 34 percent increase year-on-year, selling over 380,000 units of its Triphasic anti-hair-loss shampoo and one million units of its Progressive Serum. This success underscores how clinical claims and visible efficacy now anchor consumer trust. At the same time, Chinese innovators such as Spes have built viral empires through convenience and design: its rinse-less “lazy-economy” spray has sold more than 50 million units, controlling over 95% of the category across major platforms.
Rather than a passing fad, the surge in scalp health marks a structural shift, a new axis of competition. In China, the scalp is no longer just the foundation of hair; it has become the foundation of modern beauty.
Smart science, ancient wisdom
The next frontier of China’s haircare boom lies at the intersection of technology and tradition, a space where algorithms meet ancient apothecaries. The country’s rapidly evolving beauty consumer expects products that are not just luxurious, but “intelligent”, personalized, and rooted in cultural meaning.
In premium channels, technology is putting experience at the forefront of haircare. AI scalp diagnostics, smartphone apps, and in-store sensors are becoming fixtures of luxury retail, helping consumers visualize hair density, scalp condition, and follicle health in real time. Kérastase has rolled out diagnostic pop-up salons equipped with analysis tools and personalized regimens, while Vichy and Aveda link their scalp scrubs and serums to digital self-assessment routines that make the “skinification” of hair tangible. These advances appeal to a generation raised on measurable results: efficacy proven by data, not just marketing.
Yet the most distinctive innovation in China’s haircare market IS homegrown. Local players are combining biotechnology with cultural fluency, blending modern formulations with the sensory familiarity of traditional Chinese medicine. Jing Daily notes that the herbal shampoo and conditioner segment is projected to reach RMB 17.8 billion by 2025, and as much as RMB 30 billion by 2030, with ginseng, ginger, and He Shou Wu among the most in-demand ingredients. This revival of botanical formulas has turned pharmacies, Douyin livestreams, and even hospital-backed tonics into trend incubators, as consumers seek “natural that works.”
Cultural aesthetics are another engine of innovation. The rise of the “high cranial vault” look, a voluminous, lifted crown considered flattering in East Asian beauty ideals, has spurred demand for volumizing and oil-control products. The hashtag #HighCranialVault has drawn 3.5 billion views on Xiaohongshu, making scalp volume as aspirational as skin glow once was. Meanwhile, brands are addressing female pain points long ignored by global companies, from postpartum hair loss to stress-induced shedding, through routines that combine repair and ritual.
By uniting precision science with cultural intuition, China has turned haircare into both mirror and model, a reflection of national identity, and a glimpse of where global beauty may be heading next.
What’s next: Haircare as a wellness economy
More than a beauty fad, the evolution of China’s haircare market has become a matter of wellbeing. The “Haircare: Capturing China’s Next Beauty Boom” report shows that the category is moving beyond cosmetics and into the realm of holistic self-care, where hair, scalp, and body are treated as one system. The next phase of growth will be defined by the convergence of beauty, health, and technology, transforming haircare from a functional routine into a lifestyle ecosystem.
Brands are already framing the scalp as a reflection of both physical and emotional balance. This logic—long familiar in traditional Chinese medicine—is now shaping a modern wellness narrative. The market’s next frontier will likely combine AI diagnostics, ingestible beauty supplements, and personalized regimens into seamless, data-driven self-care systems that connect nutrition, mood, and appearance.
The bigger story, however, is cultural. In China, haircare has transcended its utilitarian past to become a marker of self-expression and emotional health, a reflection of how consumers navigate status, stress, and self-image. As the market continues to blend science, spirituality, and design, its impact may extend far beyond Asia. What started as a local fixation with scalp health is evolving into a global conversation about wellbeing itself. And in that sense, China’s haircare boom may prove to be the world’s next wellness revolution.
