During Covid-19 “Health and Wellness” trends have exploded in China

During the lockdown due to Covid-19, Chinese consumers developed new trends related to the culture of the body, mind and skin. 

The spread of the virus has, in fact, increased their awareness of the importance of these practices, leading to the explosion of these trends on social media such as Douyin, Xiaohongshu and Weibo.

Above all, the new generations have started looking for wider and more sophisticated ways to achieve well-being, curbing their anxieties for an uncertain future. Many of them research and buy products such as beauty drinks or skin care cosmetics, or practice more physical activity for the body.

In all this KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) have played a fundamental role as leaders of the new “Health and Wellness” trends.

“Eating for health” trend

Chinese urbanites are trying to improve their skin condition through a more conscious diet in 2020.

The global pandemic has further enhanced the Chinese tradition of eating specific foods to improve health or skin. 

It was a cultural belief that still dominates the Chinese mind today, that’s why new trends related to eating for health are exploding in China.

The pandemic has led Chinese people, especially the Millenians, to pay more attention skin care and now is dominating a trend:

• The “Beauty snacking“

The now trendy term "妆食同源" refers to a kind of snack drinks designed to make your skin radiant.

Obviously, companies have followed this trend by developing products capable of satisfying the needs of Chinese consumers, Coca-Cola is an example.

The Coca-cola company has developed a line of products, exclusively for the Chinese market, called "the wakeup face", an appetizing drink to drink late at night that promises to make consumers beautiful when they wake up.

In addition to Coca-Cola, other Chinese food industry giants such as Yili and Mengniu have also launched beauty snacks with similar "food for skin" philosophies.

“Mind-care” trend

Mind care trends are exploding on various Chinese social media, leading KOLs to be the protagonists of live streaming on these platforms.

Since the beginning of China’s lockdown, similar content has done well on social media. The hashtag #UpMyHappiness (提升幸福感) on lifestyle platform Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu) now has 60k+ posts. Therefore, content of self-soothing and self-pampering routines are now very common and popular.

For example, in one of the most popular videos of the Chinese vlogger @ Suji, she documented a daily routine of pampering during the lockdown.

“At-home workout” trend

During the pandemic, Chinese consumers are becoming more dedicated to their at-home workout routines. In fact, during the pandemic, there was a 185% increase in the use of fitness apps.

Douyin has become the best platform to do physical activity online and live, and many celebrities and KOLs have participated in this trend leading the online fitness courses to get huge traffic.

This trend is expected to continue also in the post Covid-19 phase.

For additional information regarding the new trends of Chinese consumers, click on the following links:

• https://www.marketingtochina.com/chinese-consumers-behaviors-you-need-to-know-to-succeed-in-china/
• https://jingdaily.com/wellness-is-the-new-luxury-after-covid-19-for-china/