On November 5, the High-Quality Development Conference of the 4th "Guangzhou International Beauty Week" was held at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Convention Center. With the theme "Beautiful Greater Bay Area, Leading Global Trends," this year's Beauty Week was co-hosted by the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government and the Guangdong Provincial Drug Administration, featuring a series of activities focused on technological innovation, international procurement, and industrial collaboration. As a key event of this year's Beauty Week, the Global Buyers' Procurement Season attracted nearly 1,000 overseas buyers from regions including Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia, as well as from EU member states, with total attendance exceeding 11,000 visitors. The event saw lively negotiations and enthusiastic engagement among companies. According to preliminary statistics, on-site orders on the first day totaled $50 million, marking a "strong start."
Global Buyers Gather in Guangzhou as Procurement Demand Continues to Rise
Held from November 4 to 5, the Global Buyers' Procurement Season attracted overseas buyers from Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, and EU member states. The standout feature of this year's event was that overseas buyers no longer came merely to "view products," but rather arrived with relatively specific market demands to connect with Chinese supply chains. In terms of procurement needs, the categories sought by overseas buyers spanned raw materials, packaging materials, skincare, color cosmetics, hair care, body care, fragrances, and OEM manufacturing, covering areas such as product selection, brand partnerships, and supply chain procurement. This provided Chinese beauty companies with more opportunities to meet diverse market demands.
Over 100 high-quality beauty companies from Guangzhou's Baiyun District—including Bawei, Adolph, Birou, and Han Xizhen—made their debut at the procurement season. Less than an hour after the event began, some companies reported already receiving orders. "At this Beauty Week, we can clearly sense that there are more and more overseas buyers; among them are both new faces and many long-term partners," explained Gu Jinyu, Director of International Trade at Bawei. The company brought differentiated products tailored to the needs of various markets—including Europe, Southeast Asia, and North America—as well as different skin types, hoping to foster more collaborations through on-site exchanges.
Ervano, a buyer from Indonesia, explained that his company specializes in personal care products, with categories including organic deodorants, organic body care products, shampoos, soaps, and body lotions. The purpose of his visit is to connect with domestic manufacturers, seek long-term partners, and engage in customized product development and contract manufacturing based on specific needs. The finished products will be shipped to Indonesia and sold through his company's own e-commerce platform as part of a strategy to build a portfolio of proprietary brands. "Through exchanges with Chinese companies, I've learned about many new beauty product technologies, which have sparked my curiosity—I gain new insights every day," said Ervano.
Cai Xiaodong, General Manager of Vietnam-based Fuhao Biotechnology Co., Ltd. and an overseas buyer, noted that his company participated in the Guangzhou International Beauty Week last year and will focus this year on fragrances, perfumes, and personal care products. He explained that Beauty Week brings together high-quality companies and brands in the industry, enabling centralized matchmaking with various manufacturers. "We have deep roots in the Vietnamese beauty market and provide supply chain services to support Chinese brands going global. "This time, we hope to find customizable perfumes that meet local Vietnamese demands, as well as cutting-edge, specialized functional products, to uncover high-quality partnership opportunities," he added.
It is reported that this year's Beauty Week also features a rich lineup of supporting activities designed to transform one-time business negotiations into long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships. The event includes three overseas buyer matchmaking sessions—with dedicated tracks for finished products and supply chain—featuring buyers from Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, the European Union, and other regions. At the same time, the organizers arranged for overseas buyers to visit Guangzhou's beauty industry park, R&D laboratories, factories, and brand headquarters, helping both suppliers and buyers move beyond "sealing a deal" to "building a lasting partnership."
Annual Output Value Exceeds 120 Billion Yuan: Guangzhou's Beauty Industry Accelerates Global Expansion
Behind the surge in overseas procurement lies the robust manufacturing foundation of Guangzhou's beauty industry. The *2026 Guangzhou Cosmetics Industry White Paper*, released at the conference, shows that Guangzhou's annual cosmetics output value has exceeded 100 billion yuan for seven consecutive years, surpassing 120 billion yuan in 2025 and ranking first among Chinese cities. Currently, the city is home to more than 1,800 cosmetics manufacturers and nearly 8,000 registered and filed entities, forming a complete industrial chain that encompasses raw material R&D, formula design, smart manufacturing, brand operations, and cross-border trade.
As international markets continue to expand, Guangzhou's beauty enterprises are transitioning from product exports to global operations. Currently, 15 companies have established or jointly built overseas factories in more than 10 countries and set up over 30 overseas warehouses, combining local R&D and supply chain advantages with overseas market demand and channel resources.
The clustering effect of the industry is also continuously strengthening. Industrial platforms such as "Baiyun Beauty Bay" in Baiyun District, "Southern Beauty Valley" in Huangpu District, "China Beauty Capital" in Huadu District, and "Bay Area Beauty Valley" in Conghua District are each leveraging their unique strengths to promote the coordinated development of manufacturing, scientific research, and brand resources, jointly shaping the landscape of Guangzhou's beauty industry.
Technology and Innovation Drive Upgrades, Propelling China's Beauty Industry onto the World Stage
Moving from manufacturing clusters toward full-chain innovation, scientific research capabilities are becoming a key pillar for enhancing the competitiveness of Guangzhou's beauty industry. As of the third quarter of 2026, Guangzhou had filed a cumulative total of 52 new cosmetic ingredients, accounting for approximately 12% of the national total; it has established one national engineering research center related to cosmetics, 37 provincial engineering technology research centers, and 20 provincial enterprise technology centers.
At the conference, companies such as Procter & Gamble, Viki Technology, Sea Turtle Dad, and Guyu shared their explorations in R&D, raw materials, technology, and brand innovation. Among them, Viki Technology has completed the filing of 23 new cosmetic ingredients, with products sold in more than 30 countries and regions worldwide, demonstrating the achievements of Chinese beauty companies in extending their reach upstream in the industrial chain.
Luo Yubing, Deputy Director of the Guangdong Provincial Drug Administration, explained that Guangdong will roll out eight major initiatives focused on cultivating international brands, building leading enterprises, strengthening the integration of culture and creativity, accelerating raw material innovation, and supporting the industry's expansion overseas. The province aims to foster 3 to 5 leading cosmetics enterprises with annual revenues of 10 billion yuan and 10 to 15 with annual revenues of 5 billion yuan by 2030, while prioritizing support for the market launch and application of over 100 innovative raw materials to further enhance the industry's international competitiveness.
This year's Beauty Week also features nine market trend presentations, 15 specialized industrial study tours, and activities such as matchmaking sessions with overseas buyers and industry exchanges, all designed to help domestic and international companies gain a deeper understanding of Guangzhou's R&D and manufacturing capabilities.
From on-site procurement by global buyers to companies accelerating the establishment of overseas factories and sales networks, the Guangzhou International Beauty Week is emerging as a vital platform connecting China's beauty industry with international markets. Leveraging the synergistic industrial advantages of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Guangzhou is driving the transformation of "Made in Guangzhou" into "Created in Guangzhou" and "Guangzhou Brands," enabling more Chinese beauty products to reach the global market.
Reporting: Xu Hong, Chen Sirong (Intern)
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