A beauty product that is more than skin-deep

JAKARTA — Chinese beauty brands are experiencing increasing popularity in Indonesia, due to their comfort, affordability and good quality.

At a beauty exhibition, Dewanti Ariestyanti Wardhana, a 26-year-old Jakarta resident, stands by the booth of Skintific Cosmetics, a Chinese beauty brand.

Wardhana says that since last year, she has been using the Chinese skincare brand's face wash, face serum and face moisturizer every day.

"Previously, I used (South) Korean skincare products, but I have switched to China's Skintific because it is more comfortable for my face," she says.

Similarity between the skin types of Indonesian and Chinese people plays a role in preference, and Western beauty brands are not tailored for the tropical climate in Indonesia, she says, explaining the rising popularity of Chinese brands on the Indonesian skincare market.

Nurul Qomariah, a resident of Bekasi in West Java province, is a loyal consumer of China-based skincare brand Bioaqua. At the four-day exhibition which concluded on Sunday, she bought a number of Bioaqua products.

Qomariah says she has been using Bioaqua for more than two years after having switched from Western brands.

"Chinese skincare products are more affordable than Western and (South) Korean beauty brands, and with better qualities and more complete series. I have also tried Skintific," she says.

She shares her interest in trying Chando, a premium Chinese brand that made its debut in Indonesia in September last year.

Chinese skincare brands are now in high demand in Indonesia. According to local reports, Chinese skincare products have taken the lead in sales in Indonesia's e-commerce market.

The Jakarta-based Institute for Development of Economics and Finance reported that as of last year, Chinese brands had surpassed well-known local brands in popularity, and the shift can be attributed to the influence of social media platforms like TikTok, which have played a significant role in promoting Chinese products.

The beauty exhibition also introduced a Shanghai-based makeup brand, Judydoll, and presented dozens of makeup varieties.

Clarissa Merry, marketing manager of Judydoll Indonesia, says that before the introduction, a Judydoll team conducted in-depth research on the Indonesian market to ensure that its products would satisfy the needs of consumers in the country.

"We spoke to hundreds of Indonesian consumers and retailers to gain a thorough understanding of unique needs and cultures of Indonesian beauty product users," she says.

Wahab Afwan, an expert in cultural studies at Indonesia's Padjadjaran University, says that Indonesia is the largest beauty industry market in Southeast Asia, with continued growth, a rapidly expanding middle class, a growing urban population and increasing beauty awareness. "Indonesia is an important target for global cosmetics marketing," he says.

Xinhua