In-House Data Shows a Rapid Shift From High-Volume Basics to Selective, Function-Driven Use
Toners—long considered the entry point of the K-beauty skincare routine—are undergoing a clear structural transition on China’s largest e‑commerce platform, Tmall.
According to a two-year analysis of Tmall sales data compiled directly by this publication, the toner category has recorded the sharpest contraction in unit sales among core skincare segments.
At the same time, underlying consumption patterns suggest a rapid move toward a high-function, highly selective market, rather than a collapse in demand.
2025: A Classic High-Volume, Value-Oriented Category
In April 2025, total sales of the top 10 Korean toner brands on Tmall reached 32,000 units, reflecting a category still driven primarily by volume.
The market was dominated by mild, large-capacity products positioned around affordability and daily use. Leading brands included: Miguhara: 6,000 units, AHC, Torriden, Dermafirm: 5,000 units each, Round Lab: 3,000 units.
The top four brands alone accounted for more than half of total sales, underscoring toners’ role at the time as a habitual replenishment item, often purchased in large sizes and frequently repurchased without extensive comparison.
2026: Adoption of “Needs-Based” Purchasing
By April 2026, the category’s profile had changed dramatically.
Total top-10 sales fell to 10,100 units, representing a roughly 68% year-on-year decline.
Despite the sharp drop, brand rankings remained largely intact: Miguhara, Dermafirm, Torriden: 2,000 units each, Round Lab, AHC: 1,000 units each.
What changed was scale. Individual product volumes were cut by more than half, indicating that routine, volume-led purchases gave way to more deliberate, function-based selection.
Industry observers note that toners are no longer replenished automatically, but purchased only when a specific skin concern arises, such as calming, brightening, or barrier support.
Pricing Moves Upmarket
The structural shift is further reflected in pricing.
In 2026, products priced above 100 yuan became the norm among top sellers: Miguhara: 139–146 yuan, Dermafirm / Torriden: 129–139 yuan, COSRX, Anua, Klairs: 139–159 yuan.
These mid- to high-priced products replaced the low-cost, large-volume toners that previously fueled category growth. This repositioning suggests that Chinese consumers increasingly view toners not as passive prep products, but as targeted skincare solutions with defined functions.
From “Skin Prep” to “First Active Step”
Product messaging highlights the category’s functional evolution.
While 2025 promotions emphasized hydration, mildness, and daily use, 2026 leading products focused on soothing repair, hyaluronic acid delivery, vitamin-based brightening, propolis synergy, and barrier reinforcement.
As a result, toners are being repositioned as the “first active step” in the skincare routine—no longer simply preparing the skin for serums, but delivering measurable efficacy on their own. The boundary between toner and essence has become increasingly blurred, particularly in the premium segment.
Top 10 best-selling toners in the Tmall Korea Pavilion for April.
Conclusion: The Fastest-Maturing Base Skincare Segment
Based on this publication’s review of two years of sales data, the K-beauty toner category appears to be the first core skincare segment on Tmall to fully complete a slimming and premiumization cycle.
The collapse in volume does not indicate declining relevance. Instead, it reflects toners shedding their identity as low-cost daily staples and emerging as high-function auxiliary treatments selected with intention.
An industry source told this publication that future competition will hinge less on price and size, and more on whether brands can deliver essence-level efficacy narratives at the very first step of skincare.
In that sense, dwindling unit sales may mark not contraction, but the successful reinvention of the toner category in China’s increasingly sophisticated beauty market.
[Editor’s Note]
This publication does not rely on third‑party syndicated reports. We directly collect and aggregate publicly available sales data from official brand flagship stores on China’s Tmall platform, and have been tracking long‑term sales trends across eight core K‑beauty product categories since May 2019.
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