They're looking good, but in the Chinese way

Today's customers pursue beauty using digital technology - but the solution could be in the mushroom fields

On the face of it, traditional Chinese medicine may seem to have little to do with fashion - and that is what motivates some cosmetics marketers to try to prove the opposite. They claim products based on TCM can play a key role in the lives of the fashion conscious.

Yue Sai, a beauty brand of Chinese origin, is one that has thrived on the heritage and good name of TCM as it has sought new ways to connect with young people.

When the brand celebrated its 25th anniversary in Shanghai recently it invited six celebrities and influencers, including the actress Li Qin, the independent musician Chen Li and the cartoonist Ding Yichen, to demonstrate how they interpret their own inner beauty in ways that correspond with Yue Sai.

The brand's founder, Yue-Sai Kan, the Chinese-American television personality and entrepreneur, attended the event.

"These days women can choose their own career as well as their own style," Kan says. "It doesn't matter how old you are, you can always have your own Chinese style, just like Yue Sai. As Yue Sai sticks to its Chinese heritage, women from my age (60s) to those in their 20s can all use the products."

Now the brand is trying to communicate with younger Chinese who, it says, approach beauty in "a more digital way".

"As a Chinese brand with a strong heritage of 25 years, it might look a bit more challenging in terms of brand desirability to very young post-'95 consumers," says He Jie, brand general manager for Yue Sai.

Yue Sai, one of the first modern beauty labels that Chinese women were exposed to, was bought by L'Oreal in 2004. It has since drawn on the French company's technical expertise while remaining faithful to its Chinese roots. It uses extraction techniques to utilize TCM in both skin care products and makeup.

Based on its research on Chinese skin, Yue Sai tailors its products to cater to the needs of Asian complexions. The brand has developed different collections for its customers, most aged between 25 and 50. From the expensive cordyceps and ganoderma series to the cheaper white fungus and white peony, many kinds of TCM ingredients have been used in its preparations.

Over the course of Yue Sai's history Chinese women have evolved in their aesthetic pursuits as they become more sophisticated when it comes to beauty choices, He says.

"They have come from a generation that lacked skills and information about beauty, who were used to shopping in department stores and who relied very much on the advice of beauty advisers, to a point where today the same generation is much better informed, skillful and sophisticated when it comes to choosing their own beauty solutions. The younger customers, in particular, shop in department stores and also online, and their lifestyles are very digitally connected in this new era."

Rather than following the big brand names, these customers are proud of using Chinese brands as they look for products that are safe, efficacious and provide value for money, He says.

"They appreciate Chinese culture and they believe in Chinese beauty rather than being obsessed with South Korean or Western beauty standards."