For a woman, skincare items helping beauty and elegance could not be missed. At a beauty exhibition here, Dewanti Ariestyanti Wardhana, a 26-year-old Jakarta citizen, stood by the booth of Skintific Cosmetics, a Chinese beauty brand that is scenting in Indonesia.

Wardhana told Xinhua that since last year, she had begun using Chinese skincare brand daily for face wash, face serum and moisturizing.

"Previously, I used (South) Korean skincare products, but I have switched to China's Skintific because it is more comfortable for my face," she said.

Similarity between skins of Indonesian and Chinese people plays a role in preference, and western beauty brands are not tailored for tropical climates in Indonesia, she said, explaining rising popularity of Chinese brands in the Indonesian skincare market.

Nurul Qomariah, a resident of Bekasi in West Java province, is a loyal consumer of China-based skincare brand Bioaqua. At the four-day exhibition which concluded on Sunday, she bought a number of Bioaqua series.

Qomariah said she has been using Bioaqua products for more than two years after having switched from some western brands. "Chinese skincare products are more affordable than western and (South) Korean beauty brands, and with better qualities and more complete series. I have also tried Skintific," she said.

She expressed her interest in trying Chando, a premium Chinese brand that made debut in Indonesia last September.

Chinese skincare brands are now in high demand in Indonesia. According to local reports, Chinese skincare products have taken the lead in sales in Indonesia's e-commerce market.

Jakarta-based Institute for Development of Economics and Finance reported that as of last year, Chinese brands had surpassed well-known local brands in popularity, and the shift can be attributed to the influence of social media platforms like TikTok, which have played a significant role in promoting Chinese products.

The beauty exhibition also introduced a new beauty brand from China, Judydoll, a Shanghai-based makeup brand, presenting dozens of makeup varieties.

Marketing manager of Judydoll Indonesia Clarissa Merry said that prior to the introduction, a Judydoll team had conducted in-depth research on the Indonesian market to ensure that its products could satisfy the needs of consumers in the country.

"We spoke to hundreds of Indonesian consumers and retailers to gain a thorough understanding of unique needs and cultures of Indonesian beauty product users," she said.

Wahab Afwan, an expert in cultural studies at Indonesia's Padjadjaran University, said that Indonesia is the largest beauty industry market in Southeast Asia, with continued growth, a rapidly expanding middle class, a growing urban population, and increasing beauty awareness.

"Indonesia is an important target for global cosmetics marketing," he said.

by Nurul Fitri Ramadhani