Charting distinctive path for beauty brands

A technician (right) helps a China Daily reporter experience a skin analyzer at Jiangnan Institute of Beauty Research in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, in September. XU JIAYI/CHINA DAILY

Can you believe that an entire industry chain operates inside a single building in Wuxi, Jiangsu province?

In Wuxi National High-tech District, this is exactly how the beauty and wellness industry works.

At Jiangnan Beauty Bay, an industrial park dedicated to the beauty and wellness sector, raw materials travel upstairs and return as finished products, while livestreamers next door sell them to consumers worldwide. Here, "upstairs and downstairs" is literally "upstream and downstream".

Research and development are at the earliest stage of this industry chain.

Inside the R&D lab of the Jiangnan Institute of Beauty Research, a new facility established with help from Jiangnan University, scientists are creating the ideas that will shape tomorrow's beauty brands.

"Scientific innovation is the 'brain' and 'engine' of the modern beauty and wellness industry. It has shifted from a supporting role to the core driving force behind industrial upgrading and value creation," said Li Jinhua, a professor at Jiangnan University and head of the institute.

Li said the institute's technological capabilities also play a vital role in optimizing production processes, supporting industrialization and bridging laboratories with brand owners.

"R&D is no longer an optional link in the beauty supply chain — it is the lifeline running through the entire process. It determines whether products can stand out from homogenized competition, whether brands can build long-term trust and whether the whole industry can move toward higher efficiency, scientific rigor and sustainability," he said.