1. Industry Risk Analysis

(1) Policy Risk

The current male facial care industry is facing multi – dimensional compliance challenges during the policy implementation stage: With the strengthened implementation of the “Regulations for the Supervision and Administration of Cosmetics”, the product filing process and the review of efficacy claims have become stricter. The compliance costs for raw material safety assessment and toxicological testing have increased sharply. In the field of advertising and promotion, affected by the tightened “Advertising Law”, marketing terms such as “anti – aging” and “medical – grade” are likely to trigger regulatory red lines. New environmental protection regulations restricting excessive packaging and micro – plastic components are forcing the transformation of the supply chain, and the proportion of environmental assessment costs for secondary processing plants has increased. During the transition period from the filing system to the registration system for cross – border products, the approval cycle for imported raw materials has been extended, which may lead to the risk of out – of – stock of popular products. The industry is in a critical transition period from extensive development to standardized supervision.

(2) Economic Risk

The male facial care industry is currently facing double risks of demand contraction and cost squeeze under the economic cycle fluctuations. During the stage of slow economic growth, the trend of consumption grading is obvious. Mid – to – high – end products are facing the loss of customer groups due to the reduction of disposable income, while the mass market, supported by price – sensitive users, continues to grow but with a continuously thinning profit margin. On the supply chain side, the prices of raw materials have remained at a high level due to global inflationary pressures, and coupled with the rigid increase in warehousing and logistics costs, the cash flow of start – up companies is significantly pressured. During the capital winter, financing channels have narrowed. The input – output ratio of industry marketing has deteriorated due to the sharp increase in traffic costs. New brands find it difficult to gain users’ minds through large – scale promotion, while established enterprises are caught in the price war for existing users. The industry as a whole shows the characteristics of a stock game of “low growth and high competition”.

(3) Social Risk

The male facial care industry is facing social risks caused by generational concept conflicts. The consumption recognition of “delicate skin care” among Generation Z and millennial men is in opposition to the traditional perception of Generation X and older groups that “skin care is detrimental to male masculinity”. Brands are likely to be involved in gender – role disputes in public opinion. The excessive marketing in the rapid growth period is creating new anxiety about “appearance is competitiveness”, which may trigger ethical supervision of beauty consumption by policies. The high requirements of young consumer groups for product ingredient transparency and value alignment are misaligned with the efficacy expectations of traditional channel – dependent consumers, making it difficult to build brand loyalty. In the economic downturn cycle, as a non – essential consumption category, it is vulnerable to the impact of social discussions about “whether men should invest in their appearance”, resulting in fluctuations in consumer value recognition.

(4) Legal Risk

The legal risks in the male facial care industry are concentrated in product compliance and publicity norms: Product ingredients must comply with the “Regulations for the Supervision and Administration of Cosmetics”, and hormones or excessive additives are prohibited. When claiming efficacy such as “acne – removing” and “anti – aging”, human trial reports must be submitted; otherwise, it is suspected of false publicity and violates the “Advertising Law”. Imported raw materials must be filed and approved; otherwise, it constitutes illegal business operations. Missing ingredient lists, warning statements, or production license numbers on product packaging labels will result in administrative penalties. Using medical terms such as “treating acne” may be regarded as illegal medical practice. Collecting users’ skin data must comply with the “Personal Information Protection Law”, and storing and analyzing biological information without authorization will face high – value fines.

2. Entrepreneurship Guide

(1) Suggestions on Entrepreneurship Opportunities

There are structural opportunities in the current male facial care industry, and the development of light – functional products can be focused on: For the preference of Generation Z for natural ingredients and convenient experiences, develop oil – controlling masks and portable single – dose serums containing centella asiatica and ceramide, and establish ingredient trust through quick reviews on Douyin and a KOL matrix. In the sinking market, male – exclusive facial cleanser sets priced below 50 yuan can be distributed. Use community group – buying channels for铺货, and match them with 30 – second skin – care tutorial short videos to increase repurchase rates. In the mid – to – high – end market, the post – medical – aesthetic repair scenario can be targeted. Collaborate with skin management institutions to launch medical – device – class cold – compress patches, support premium pricing with visualized efficacy data (barrier repair rate tested by a third – party), and simultaneously open a WeChat mini – program to provide AI skin – type diagnosis services to enhance user stickiness.

(2) Suggestions on Entrepreneurship Resources

Entrepreneurs in the male facial care industry should focus on integrating light – asset resources: Prioritize cooperation with mature OEM factories to achieve rapid product launch and reduce initial production investment. Collaborate with beauty industry KOLs and male consumer communities for targeted content marketing, and achieve low – cost customer acquisition through platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu. Obtain industry channel resources with the help of beauty industry funds or strategic investors in the beauty industry chain, and focus on laying out male care zones in Watsons and JD.com’s self – operated channels. Establish a modular product R & D system, develop differentiated serum products for segmented needs such as oily and acne – prone skin and sensitive skin, and give priority to raw material solutions that have been verified by the market for core ingredients. Build a digital membership system to collect users’ skin – care data to support subsequent private – domain repurchase and product iteration.

(3) Suggestions on Entrepreneurship Teams

The entrepreneurship teams in the male facial care industry need to accurately integrate the genes of beauty professionalism and male consumption insights. The core members must include at least one technical talent with a background in dermatology or cosmetics R & D to ensure that the products are scientifically suitable for male skin types. Match them with a market operator with experience in operating male personal care brands to control the brand narrative strategy of “de – feminization”, and configure a content operator familiar with the social media operation of male beauty on TikTok/Xiaohongshu. It is recommended to adopt the “1 + 3 elastic structure” model (founder + product manager + content director + private – domain growth officer), iterate products through in – depth co – creation meetings with male consumer communities every month, use the AB testing mechanism to quickly verify the real user needs in segmented tracks such as men’s serums and after – shave care, and establish a data feedback closed – loop for one – on – one services between skin – care consultants and consumers.

(4) Suggestions on Entrepreneurship Risks

Entrepreneurs in the male facial care industry need to focus on product compliance, strictly follow national cosmetics filing and quality inspection standards, and avoid the risk of product removal from the market due to excessive ingredient content. Accurately position the customer group, avoid blindly following the “high – end” or “affordable” labels, and clarify the core needs of male users such as cleansing and oil control through market research. Strengthen the review of the supply chain, select qualified suppliers of mask fabrics and active ingredients, and prevent raw material fraud or unstable batches. Avoid exaggerating the efficacy of “acne – removing” and “anti – aging” in marketing and promotion, and obtain compliance certification when quoting clinical data. Build a user privacy protection mechanism, clearly inform and obtain authorization when collecting skin – type data. Establish a rapid after – sales response system, provide professional guidance according to the simplified characteristics of male skin – care steps, and reduce customer complaints and disputes caused by improper use.