Preface
As the leader of China’s beauty and cosmetics industry, Guangzhou has built a complete ecological closed loop from raw material R&D to brand globalization, boasting 30% of the country’s production enterprises and an annual output value exceeding 100 billion yuan. The release of the 2025 Guangzhou Cosmetics Industry White Paper further reveals the new momentum of this “International Beauty Bay” in core raw material breakthroughs and global layout. Combining the latest industry data and corporate practice cases, this article analyzes Guangzhou cosmetics’ industrial advantages and innovation paths, while providing practical guides on OEM/ODM selection for entrepreneurs and buyers, as well as product purchasing for consumers—helping all stakeholders seize new industry opportunities.
I. Industrial Cluster Strength: Driven by Scale and Synergy
1. 100-Billion-Yuan Ecological Pattern
As of October 2025, Guangzhou is home to 7,237 cosmetics registration and filing entities (30% of China’s total) and 1,857 production enterprises (30% of China’s total), with over 1.2 million circulating products. It has formed a full industrial chain covering “raw material supply, R&D testing, manufacturing, and brand marketing.” In 2024, the export volume of beauty and personal care products reached nearly 10 billion yuan, and from January to July 2025, exports surged by 45% year-on-year, solidifying Guangzhou’s position as China’s top export city for cosmetics.
2. Multi-District Collaborative Development Matrix
- Baiyun District (“Baiyun Beauty Bay”): Exports increased by 28% year-on-year in the first three quarters of 2025, focusing on the daily chemical industry cluster.
- Huadu District (“China Beauty Capital”): Output value of above-scale enterprises has grown by over 10% for 34 consecutive months, with more than 300 production enterprises holding a large number of patents.
- Huangpu (“Southern Beauty Valley”) & Conghua (“Bay Area Beauty Valley”): Differentiated and complementary, with high-tech innovation and ecological manufacturing as their core strengths respectively.
II. Innovation-Driven: From “Formula Application” to “Raw Material Definition”
1. Core Technology Breakthroughs
- Patent Leadership: Accumulated 14,900 invention patent applications, including 11,774 in raw materials, and 40 new raw material registrations (12.4% of China’s total), breaking overseas technological monopolies.
- R&D System Upgrade: Established 31 provincial-level engineering technology research centers; the National Cosmetics Quality Inspection Center provides full-chain technical support; enterprises like Bavay Co., Ltd. led the formulation of 6 national standards.
2. Corporate Innovation Practices
- Simpcare: Pioneered the “five-dimensional scientific research model,” integrating resources from universities and Grade A tertiary hospitals. Completed over 400 clinical efficacy tests; its 2025 618 GMV across all channels increased by 160% year-on-year, with its men’s skincare set topping Tmall’s rankings.
- Danting Daily Necessities: Focused on the winter moisturizing track; exports from January to November 2025 tripled year-on-year. Its products are exported to North America through Zengcheng Customs’ “source control + process traceability” supervision model.
III. Global Expansion: Driven by Brand, Supply Chain, and Culture
1. Explosive Export Growth
- Segment Category Breakthrough: Sunscreen sprays, oil-control base makeup, and moisturizing creams have become popular in ASEAN, the EU, and Latin America. Baiyun District’s exports reached 2.2 billion yuan from January to July 2025 (up 32.1% year-on-year).
- Policy Dividends: Zengcheng Customs implemented “advance declaration” and “priority inspection,” improving customs clearance efficiency by 40%. The supervised export value from January to November 2025 reached 120 million yuan (up 28.72% year-on-year).
2. Global Layout Cases
- Feimei Company: Became a leader in Indonesia’s and Malaysia’s skincare markets through localization strategies.
- Focallure: Maintained its position as the top online makeup brand in Southeast Asia; Perfect Diary and Colorkey entered European, American, Japanese, and South Korean markets via cross-border e-commerce.
- Overseas Factory Expansion: 15 Guangzhou beauty enterprises have established factories in France, Australia, Vietnam, etc., realizing localized production.
IV. Practical Guides: Must-Know for Entrepreneurs and Consumers
1. EETA Experience-Oriented OEM/ODM Selection Standards for Guangzhou Cosmetics
- Complete Qualifications: Business license, cosmetics production license, and environmental discharge permit are mandatory.
- R&D Capability Verification: Prioritize high-tech enterprises with PhD R&D teams and university cooperation.
- Qualified Production Hardware: Require GMPC workshop certification, ISO22716 system certification, and advanced equipment such as liquid chromatographs.
- Proven Track Record: Check cooperation with well-known brands to verify quality stability.
2. Consumer Purchasing Tips to Avoid Pitfalls
- Verify Registration: Check product registration numbers on the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) official website; reject “three-no products” (no registration, no production license, no quality inspection).
- Trust Origin Advantages: Enterprises in Baiyun and Huadu have mature supply chains and more reliable raw material traceability.
- Check Ingredient Innovation: Focus on products with Guangzhou’s independently developed new raw materials (e.g., patented plant extracts) for targeted efficacy.
- Refer to Reputation Data: Prioritize local brands ranked high on Tmall’s repurchase list and Douyin’s bestseller list (e.g., Simpcare, Colorkey).
Conclusion
In 2025, Guangzhou’s cosmetics industry is leaping from “Made in China” to “Created in China,” with “raw material innovation as the core, industrial clusters as the foundation, and global markets as the wings.” For entrepreneurs, it offers a complete supply chain and policy support; for consumers, it provides high-efficacy and cost-effective local products. By grasping the innovation code of Guangzhou beauty and cosmetics, whether for cooperation and entrepreneurship or product purchasing, you can seize opportunities in the “beauty economy.”