From 'facekinis' to arm sleeves, sun protection gear sells out in China heatwave

BEIJING - As temperatures hit a record roasting 40 degrees Celsius across multiple cities in China, how to shield one's skin from the sun and stay cool has become a hot topic in the country.

Accessories such as hats boasting ultraviolet (UV) protection to coverings known as "facekinis" which hide most of the face apart from the eyes are selling out - sported mostly by women seeking head-to-toe protection.

The trend has led to a boom in local brands that focus on sun protection products, such as Bananain, Beneunder and OhSunny.

Other larger brands, such as Anta, Uniqlo, Lululemon and Decathalon have also added clothing such as UV tinted hats and jackets to their local product assortment.

Data from Shanghai-based China Insights Consultancy shows that China's sun protection apparel market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.4 per cent from 2021 to 2026, with the market size reaching 95.8 billion yuan (S$17.9 billion) in 2026.

"We're concerned about getting sunburned and tanned so we're fully prepared," said a 34-year-old business owner who gave her surname as Hong, referring to her outfit of a hat and arm sleeves as she visited Beijing's downtown tourism area of Qianmen on Thursday (July 6).

Many female consumers in east Asia favour fair skin and sun protection products are also popular in neighbouring countries such as South Korea. Analysts say the trend has really taken off in China this year.

Data from Alibaba Group's Tmall shopping platform showed that during this year's 618 shopping festival held last month, sales of "new generation" sun protection apparel grew 180 per cent year-on-year, with the number of pieces of sun protection gear purchased per consumer two to three times higher than in previous years.

"Sunscreen blush masks" are also particularly popular, according to Tmall. The bottom half of the mask is white with pink at the top, so it appears the wearer has makeup on from a distance.

Li Hongmei, a 26-year-old Beijing resident, said she's a fan of such masks, and also wears a sun protection jacket when going out.

"During the pandemic I didn't put on makeup often because I'd wear a mask anyway," she told Reuters as she browsed through a rack of sun protection clothing at Adidas. "Now I'm too lazy to return to makeup, I'd rather wear a sun protection mask and go out."

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