The cosmetics industry in China is thriving, with Baiyun district in Guangzhou at its center. Leveraging the country's largest cosmetics industry base, it has formed an industrial cluster covering the entire industry chain and been dubbed Baiyun Beauty Bay.

Guangzhou Halya E-commerce. [Photo/WeChat account: gz_baiyunfabu]

Guangdong boasts a strong cosmetics industry with numerous enterprises and among the highest outputs in the nation. The comprehensive industry chain and supply chain advantages here have attracted a large number of companies, driving rapid industry growth. Companies like MengErDa Technology and Guangzhou Halya E-commerce have thrived in Baiyun, creating a unique industrial ecosystem.

The numbers tell the story of this momentum. By the first quarter of 2025, Baiyun housed 576 cosmetics enterprises above designated size, up from 218 at the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), with the total industrial output value and wholesale & retail sales reaching 8.89 billion yuan ($1.30 billion), a year-on-year increase of 10.9 percent.

Enterprises are focusing on innovation in raw materials and breakthroughs in core technologies, using Chinese plant-based raw materials to develop new materials and launch a series of new products. The independent research and development achievements of companies like Simpcare have enhanced the competitiveness of their products in the market.

Baiyun Beauty Bay. [Photo/WeChat account: gz_baiyunfabu]

Simultaneously, regulatory authorities are improving regulatory mechanisms and establishing quality assurances and safeguards to promote high-quality industry development. Through measures such as strengthening inspections and optimizing services, they are supporting the upward trend of the cosmetics cluster.

Today, the cosmetics industry in Baiyun is experiencing remarkable growth, with the number of enterprises above the designated size (with a main business revenue exceeding $2.74 million) exceeding 550 in 2024. In the future, Baiyun aims to achieve a higher output value, propelling Baiyun Beauty Bay towards becoming a 100-billion-yuan industrial cluster.

The district's ambitions extended well beyond domestic dominance. In the first three quarters of 2025 alone, Baiyun's cosmetics exports surged nearly 28 percent year-on-year. This global push was fueled by platforms like the Yiyun Global Cosmetics Selection Center, whose cross-border livestreaming reached over 80 countries and regions, compressing order fulfillment to between just three and five days.

"Baiyun has provided tangible support in policy, land, and rental costs. That kind of commitment is what enables companies to steadily develop and compete globally,” said Weng Zhenguo, president of the Baiyun Cosmetics Industry Promotion Association and chairman of Xuelei Cosmetics.