Pechoin

Pechoin is a Chinese skincare and cosmetics brand based in Shanghai. Founded in 1931 by Gu Zhimin under Fu Bei Kang Cosmetics, it is widely described as China’s first domestic skincare brand. The name is associated with imagery of birds paying homage to the phoenix, reflecting the brand’s early use of Chinese cultural symbolism. Its historical identity was built around practical moisturizing products, especially a balm sold in distinctive blue-and-yellow round metal tins. The products became popular in Shanghai before expanding to other parts of China and, at various points, to Southeast Asian markets. During the Republican period, Pechoin developed a reputation among prominent urban consumers. Historical accounts associate the brand with patrons including the Soong sisters and entertainers such as Hu Die, Ruan Lingyu, and Zhou Xuan. The brand survived the Second Sino-Japanese War and was regarded as a leading domestic cosmetics name by 1945. After 1949, founder Gu Zhimin remained in Shanghai, and the business supplied products to the Chinese People's Volunteer Army during the Korean War. In 1956, the parent enterprise entered a state-private joint ownership arrangement. Gu died that year, after which his wife Luo Weizhen and son Gu Jiongwei assumed responsibility for the business. The enterprise was renamed Shanghai Second Daily Chemical Factory in 1962. Its development was disrupted during the Cultural Revolution, when several important personnel were persecuted. Production recovered during the reform era, and the factory was reported to be making approximately 40 million units of skincare products annually during the 1980s. The early 1990s brought severe pressure from foreign premium cosmetics brands, contributing to the bankruptcy of the parent enterprise. The Pechoin trademark was subsequently acquired by a Hong Kong businessman for CNY 500,000, according to historical accounts. A major revival began with the brand’s restructuring as Shanghai Pehchaolin Daily Chemical Co., Ltd. in 2000. The revitalized company combined the heritage of a pre-1949 Chinese brand with contemporary packaging, advertising, retail distribution, and e-commerce. Pechoin increasingly targeted younger consumers while retaining themes of Chinese botanical tradition and cultural identity. It expanded beyond classic creams into facial skincare, cleansing and personal-care products, fragrances, men’s products, and specialized product families. Pechoin’s modern portfolio includes Pechoin Herbs, Sansen Skincare, Sansen Nursing, Flavor, Bluemyth, Lucky Charm, Pechoin Men, and Beili. The company has used television sponsorships, celebrity endorsements, digital advertising, social media, and online shopping festivals to increase reach. It co-sponsored The Voice of China from 2012 to 2015 and sponsored the television drama Ice Fantasy in 2016. A 2017 digital campaign set in wartime Shanghai reportedly reached more than 30 million WeChat users and ultimately exceeded 100 million views. The brand’s commercial growth accelerated during the 2010s. Reference material reports strong annual growth from 2013 to 2017 and identifies Pechoin as one of the leading skincare brands in mainland China. It also reports substantial Singles’ Day e-commerce activity in 2016 and 2017, although such figures are company- or industry-reported rather than independently verified here. In 2020, Pechoin formed a strategic partnership with Germany’s Merck Group. Its scientific profile has also expanded through cosmetic research in areas including visible and near-infrared protection, the skin microbiome, and anti-aging approaches. Brand Finance rankings cited in the reference material placed Pechoin among the world’s most valuable cosmetics brands in the early 2020s. Pechoin remains an active Chinese beauty brand whose differentiation rests on heritage, botanical positioning, cultural storytelling, and broad domestic distribution.

Pechoin began in Shanghai in 1931, when Gu Zhimin founded the brand within Fu Bei Kang Cosmetics. The company entered the market as an indigenous Chinese skincare business at a time when much of the country’s modern cosmetics trade was concentrated in treaty-port cities and influenced by imported products. Pechoin’s early appeal came from accessible moisturizing products, particularly a balm packaged in a recognizable blue-and-yellow round metal container. Its name and visual language drew on Chinese cultural imagery, helping it establish a distinct identity rather than simply imitate foreign cosmetic labels. The brand gained prominence in Shanghai and then spread more broadly across China. Historical accounts identify the Soong sisters as notable patrons and associate Pechoin with several leading Chinese film and music figures, including Hu Die, Ruan Lingyu, and Zhou Xuan. Some products were also exported to Southeast Asia. Pechoin survived the disruption of the Second Sino-Japanese War and was considered one of China’s leading cosmetics brands by 1945. After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Gu Zhimin stayed in Shanghai. The company supplied products to the Chinese People's Volunteer Army during the Korean War. In 1956, the enterprise underwent socialist transformation and became a state-private jointly owned organization. Gu died from a heart attack in the same year, and management passed to his wife Luo Weizhen and son Gu Jiongwei. The enterprise was renamed Shanghai Second Daily Chemical Factory in 1962. The Cultural Revolution damaged the organization and affected a number of its key employees. During the early reform period, production recovered. By the 1980s, the factory was reportedly producing about 40 million units of skincare products each year. This recovery was not sustained into the early 1990s, when foreign high-end cosmetics brands entered China in greater numbers and intensified competitive pressure. The parent enterprise eventually declared bankruptcy, and the Pechoin brand was acquired by a Hong Kong businessman for CNY 500,000 according to the historical account summarized by Wikipedia. In 2000, the business was reorganized as Shanghai Pehchaolin Daily Chemical Co., Ltd. The restructuring provided the institutional foundation for a brand revival. Pechoin retained its historical name and associations with Chinese botanical skincare but adopted more contemporary packaging, media formats, distribution channels, and brand architecture. The business moved into e-commerce and cultivated younger audiences through television, celebrity marketing, graphic advertising, video, and social platforms. From 2012 through 2015, Pechoin co-sponsored The Voice of China. It sponsored the television series Ice Fantasy in 2016, targeting younger viewers attracted to popular fantasy entertainment. A 2017 advertisement used a stylized wartime-Shanghai spy narrative in which a character named Pechoin opposed the effects of aging. The campaign reportedly reached tens of millions of users on WeChat and exceeded 100 million total views. The brand also participated in Taobao and the broader Singles’ Day shopping ecosystem, reinforcing its position in China’s digitally mediated beauty market. During the 2010s, Pechoin expanded its product architecture into multiple lines, including Pechoin Herbs, Sansen Skincare, Sansen Nursing, Flavor, Bluemyth, Lucky Charm, Pechoin Men, and Beili. Its positioning combined traditional herbal references with claims connected to modern formulation and cosmetic research. The company’s scientific activities were recognized at International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists events, including awards for work on sunscreen, the skin microbiome, and anti-aging concepts. The brand’s reported sales and market-share growth made it one of the most prominent Chinese cosmetics names. In 2020, Pechoin entered a strategic partnership with Merck. Brand Finance rankings cited for the early 2020s placed the brand among the world’s leading cosmetics brands by estimated brand value. Pechoin continues to operate as an active Shanghai-based Chinese skincare and cosmetics brand, with its heritage, cultural storytelling, botanical associations, and mass-market accessibility remaining central to its identity.

• 2023

  High placement in Brand Finance cosmetics ranking

  [1]Pechoin - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  Brand Finance material cited Pechoin as the highest-ranked Asian brand in its global cosmetics-brand ranking for that year.

• 2020

  Strategic partnership with Merck

  [1]Pechoin - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  Pechoin entered a strategic partnership with Germany’s Merck Group.

• 2018

  International innovation award

  [1]Pechoin - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  A Pechoin scientist received the IFSCC Innovation Golden Award for cooling-sunscreen research.

• 2016

  Expands youth-oriented entertainment marketing

  [1]Pechoin - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  The brand sponsored Ice Fantasy and continued to expand its digital and e-commerce presence.

• 2013

  Products presented as national gifts

  [1]Pechoin - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  Pechoin products were reportedly presented as national gifts during diplomatic activities involving African leaders.

• 2012

  Begins co-sponsorship of The Voice of China

  [1]Pechoin - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  Pechoin co-sponsored the Chinese reality music program for four seasons from 2012 through 2015.

• 2007

  Recognized as a well-known Chinese trademark

  [1]Pechoin - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  Pechoin received the Chinese well-known trademark designation during the 2007–2008 period.

• 2000

  Private restructuring and brand revival

  [1]Pechoin - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  Pechoin was reorganized under Shanghai Pehchaolin Daily Chemical Co., Ltd., beginning a period of renewed growth.

• 1980

  Production recovers during the reform period

  [1]Pechoin - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  The factory was reported to be producing approximately 40 million skincare units annually during the 1980s.

• 1962

  Parent enterprise renamed

  [1]Pechoin - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  The company became known as Shanghai Second Daily Chemical Factory.

• 1956

  Socialist transformation and management succession

  [1]Pechoin - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  The parent business became state-private jointly owned. Following Gu Zhimin’s death, Luo Weizhen and Gu Jiongwei took charge.

• 1949

  Business continues after the founding of the People’s Republic

  [1]Pechoin - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  Gu Zhimin remained in Shanghai, and the company continued operating under the new political and economic environment.

• 1945

  Pechoin becomes a leading domestic cosmetics brand

  [1]Pechoin - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  After surviving the wartime period, Pechoin was recognized as one of China’s leading cosmetics brands.

• 1931

  Brand founded in Shanghai

  [1]Pechoin - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org

  Gu Zhimin founded Pechoin under Fu Bei Kang Cosmetics, establishing what is commonly described as China’s first domestic skincare brand.

Mid-range Chinese skincare rooted in heritage, botanical imagery, traditional cultural references, and increasingly modern cosmetic science.

• Herbal skincare

  Pechoin Herbs

  The core herbal-oriented range connects Pechoin’s historical Chinese identity with contemporary facial skincare. Products in this family are positioned around botanical ingredients, moisturizing, cleansing, and routine skin maintenance. The line represents the brand’s central strategy of modernizing traditional Chinese beauty associations without abandoning its heritage.

• Facial skincare

  Sansen Skincare

  Sansen Skincare is a dedicated facial-care family within Pechoin’s broader portfolio. It extends the company beyond its classic moisturizing-balm image into a more segmented routine involving products such as cleansers, moisturizers, and treatment-oriented skincare.

• Hair and body care

  Sansen Nursing

  Sansen Nursing broadens the brand into washing and personal-care products. The range demonstrates Pechoin’s move from a single iconic cream format toward a wider household beauty and care portfolio.

• Fragrance and personal care

  Flavor

  Flavor is one of the brand families listed in Pechoin’s modern portfolio. It represents the company’s participation in fragrance and sensorial personal-care categories alongside its better-known skincare business.

• Skincare

  Bluemyth

  Bluemyth is a specialized Pechoin product family within the company’s multi-line architecture. Its inclusion allows the brand to address consumers through a distinct identity while retaining the parent brand’s skincare expertise.

• Skincare and beauty

  Lucky Charm

  Lucky Charm is a Pechoin sub-line designed to give the portfolio a lighter, more youthful identity. It forms part of the company’s effort to use multiple names and visual styles to reach different consumer segments.

• Men’s skincare

  Pechoin Men

  Pechoin Men applies the parent brand’s skincare positioning to male consumers. The line reflects the company’s expansion from heritage creams into gender-segmented facial-care products.

• Beauty and skincare

  Beili

  Beili is another named product family in Pechoin’s portfolio. It supports the brand house’s strategy of offering differentiated ranges across skincare and cosmetics rather than relying solely on the original Pechoin label.

• 2024

  Banned ingredient complaint triggers investigation; authorities find no violation of relevant rules

  In 2024, Shanghai drug regulatory authorities opened an investigation after receiving a complaint that Pechoin cosmetics were suspected of adding banned ingredients. A November notice determined that the batch of the Water Replenishing Purifying Essence Cleanser at issue did not violate cosmetics-related regulations; this entry retains both the investigation and the clarification and must not describe the complaint as confirmed illegal addition.

  Source

Read more

• 2017Wartime Shanghai digital advertisement

  China

  A stylized advertisement imagined a wartime Shanghai story in which a Chinese woman named Pechoin acted as a special agent fighting the effects of time and aging. The narrative presented product benefits through historical fiction and cultural nostalgia.

  Outcome. The advertisement reportedly reached more than 30 million WeChat users and exceeded 100 million total views.

  Source
• 2016Ice Fantasy sponsorship

  China

  Pechoin sponsored the popular television fantasy drama Ice Fantasy as part of a strategy aimed at younger Chinese consumers.

  Outcome. The campaign extended the brand’s presence into youth-oriented television entertainment.

  Source
• 2012The Voice of China sponsorship

  China

  Pechoin co-sponsored The Voice of China for four seasons from 2012 to 2015, using a high-profile music television format to increase national awareness and connect its heritage brand with mass entertainment.

  Outcome. The sponsorship strengthened Pechoin’s mainstream visibility during its post-2000 revival.

  Source

• 2020

  Form strategic partnership with MerckOther

  Background

  Pechoin was expanding its scientific and formulation capabilities while competing in a more sophisticated Chinese beauty market.

  Action taken

  The company entered a strategic partnership with Germany’s Merck Group.

  Aftermath

  The partnership linked Pechoin with an international chemicals and life-science company, although the specific commercial scope is not detailed in the available reference.

  Source

• 2017

  Use cultural storytelling in digital advertisingOther

  Background

  Pechoin was using digital platforms and graphic or video content to reach younger beauty consumers.

  Action taken

  The brand released a historical-fiction advertisement set in wartime Shanghai and distributed it through WeChat and other digital channels.

  Aftermath

  The campaign reportedly generated more than 100 million views, demonstrating the reach of culturally themed digital storytelling.

  Source

• 2012

  Invest in mass entertainment sponsorshipStrategy

  Background

  The revived brand sought to become more relevant to younger consumers and to move beyond its image as a traditional Chinese cream brand.

  Action taken

  Pechoin co-sponsored The Voice of China for four seasons and later sponsored other popular television programming.

  Aftermath

  The company expanded its national visibility and connected its heritage positioning with contemporary popular culture.

  Source

• 2000

  Restructure as a private cosmetics companyStrategy

  Background

  The brand had suffered from poor performance in the early 1990s as imported premium cosmetics gained ground and its former parent enterprise entered bankruptcy.

  Action taken

  Pechoin was reorganized under Shanghai Pehchaolin Daily Chemical Co., Ltd., creating the platform for a commercial and marketing revival.

  Aftermath

  The brand entered a period of rapid growth, portfolio expansion, modern advertising, and stronger e-commerce distribution.

  Source

1. 1Pechoin - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Pechoin 百雀羚 – 始于1931 · 科技草本美学 · 东方礼献pechoin.com
3. 3品牌历史 – Pechoin 百雀羚pechoin.com
4. 4品牌科技 – Pechoin 百雀羚pechoin.com
5. 5帧颜 – Pechoin 百雀羚pechoin.com
6. 6Banned ingredient complaint triggers investigation; authorities find no violation of relevant rulesthepaper.cn
7. 7Banned ingredient complaint triggers investigation; authorities find no violation of relevant rulescompanies.caixin.com