Global Courant
BEIJING – As temperatures hit a record high of 40 degrees Celsius in multiple cities in China, protecting your skin from the sun and staying cool has become a hot topic in the country.
Accessories such as hats with ultraviolet (UV) protection to coverings known as “facekinis” that hide most of the face except the eyes are sold out – mostly worn by women seeking head-to-toe protection.
The trend has led to an explosion of local brands that focus on sun protection products, such as Bananain, Beneunder and OhSunny.
Other larger brands, such as Anta, Uniqlo, Lululemon and Decathalon have also added clothing such as UV tinted hats and jackets to their local product range.
Data from Shanghai-based China Insights Consultancy shows that China’s sun protection apparel market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.4 percent between 2021 and 2026, with a market size of 95.8 billion yuan (S$17 .87 billion) by 2026 .
“We’re worried about getting burned and tanned, so we’re fully prepared,” said a 34-year-old business owner who gave her surname Hong, referring to her outfit of a hat and arm sleeves when she visited Beijing’s tourist area of Qianmen on Thursday.
Many female consumers in East Asia prefer light skin and sun protection products are also popular in neighboring countries such as South Korea. Analysts say the trend has really taken off in China this year.
Data from the Alibaba Group’s Tmall shopping platform showed that during this year’s 618 shopping festival held last month, sales of “new generation” sun protection clothing grew 180 percent year-on-year, with the number of sun protection items purchased per consumer two to three times higher than in previous years.
According to Tmall, “sunscreen blush masks” are also particularly popular. The bottom half of the mask is white with pink on top, giving the wearer the appearance of makeup from a distance.
Ms. Li Hongmei, a 26-year-old resident of Beijing, said she is a fan of such masks and also wears a sun-protective jacket when she goes out.
“During the pandemic, I didn’t put on makeup much because I would be wearing a mask anyway,” she told Reuters as she browsed a rack of sun-resistant clothing at Adidas. “Now I’m too lazy to go back to makeup. I’d rather wear a sunscreen mask and go outside.” REUTERS
