Zhongcaoji

Zhongcaoji (中草集) is a Chinese skincare brand built around ginseng and traditional Chinese herbal ingredients. According to its official brand story, it originated in the Changbai Mountain region and dates its beginnings to 1986, describing four decades of work in the ginseng skincare industry. The company presents itself as an integrated cosmetics enterprise combining research and development, manufacturing and sales, with the stated mission of "creating a national brand that Chinese people can be confident in" and the brand idea "good skin, use Zhongcaoji." The brand's defining feature is its claimed full-industry-chain model. It states that it owns a 1,500-mu (about 100-hectare) ginseng plantation in the Changbai Mountain area, a ginseng processing plant, a research center, a production factory in Fogang, and an operations headquarters in Guangzhou. The plantation is located in Wanliang Town, Fusong County, Baishan City, Jilin Province — an area described as the "world hometown of ginseng" that handles a large share of China's ginseng trade. Zhongcaoji says the base is operated under a direct agreement with the Wanliang town government and focuses on under-forest ginseng (林下参) while also cultivating garden ginseng and wild mountain ginseng. The brand emphasizes traceability, third-party testing for pesticide residues and heavy metals, and compliance with Chinese pharmacopoeia standards. Product lines are organized around ginseng types and herbal functions. The ginseng selection includes wild mountain ginseng, under-forest ginseng, Taiji ginseng, red ginseng, fresh ginseng and standard ginseng series, alongside herbal-purify lines such as Kushen (Sophora flavescens), cleansing, seven-herb whitening, Lingzhi (reishi) and hydrating series, plus cleansing, sun protection and essential oil ranges. Star products include a wild ginseng seed rejuvenating cream, a ginseng repair essence paired with wild ginseng seed oil, and a whitening and spot-fading cream holding a special-use cosmetics registration. The brand highlights patented formulas and an award-winning ginseng bottle design recognized at the German iF Design Award. Distribution centers on a large physical retail network. Zhongcaoji states it has more than 1,300 chain specialty stores, supported by its Guangzhou operations headquarters that coordinates overall market strategy. The brand positions itself at the intersection of herbal wisdom and modern biotechnology, targeting Oriental women and aiming to "let the world fall in love with Chinese ginseng skincare." It is a privately held Chinese company; no parent group or stock listing is indicated in the available evidence.

Zhongcaoji traces its origins to the Changbai Mountain region and states that it began in 1986, describing four decades of work in the ginseng skincare industry. The brand narrative emphasizes a family and regional heritage: a quote on its brand page says a father spent thirty years bringing Changbai Mountain ginseng back to Jiangnan, while the son devotes a lifetime to returning ginseng essence to everyone, with the 1,500-mu plantation described as the answer of two generations. The brand's development is closely tied to Wanliang Town in Fusong County, Baishan City, Jilin Province, an area known as the "world hometown of ginseng." Wanliang is described as China's largest ginseng distribution center, located on the golden ginseng-growing belt at 41–42 degrees north latitude and above 800 meters elevation, with more than a century of ginseng cultivation history. Fusong County is credited with 51 ginseng-related intangible cultural heritage items and has hosted the China Fusong Ginseng Festival for 39 consecutive editions. In December 2025, the "Jilin Changbai Mountain Ginseng Cultivation System (Fusong)" was recognized as an Important Agricultural Heritage of China, and Zhongcaoji presents its base as a participant and guardian of this tradition. Zhongcaoji built its model around vertical integration. It established a 1,500-mu ginseng plantation under a direct agreement with the Wanliang town government, with land-use rights protected by law and administrative guarantees, cultivation processes brought into government supervision, and raw materials made traceable. The base operates a three-tier ginseng source system spanning garden ginseng, under-forest ginseng and wild mountain ginseng, with a "time grading" approach: five-year garden ginseng for daily skincare, fifteen-year under-forest ginseng from surrounding primeval forests, and wild mountain ginseng described as the crown jewel. The brand says ginsenoside and polysaccharide content reaches a balance point in the fifth year, informing its harvest timing. Downstream, Zhongcaoji built a ginseng processing plant in Wanliang Town to shorten the distance from harvest to processing and preserve active ingredients, linking the plantation to its research center. It operates a research center focused on authentic ginseng and rigorous formulations, a production factory in Fogang, and an operations headquarters in Guangzhou that coordinates overall market strategy. The brand reports more than 1,300 chain specialty stores forming a nationwide terminal sales network. Product development has expanded from core ginseng lines into a broader herbal portfolio. The ginseng selection includes wild mountain ginseng, under-forest ginseng, Taiji ginseng, red ginseng, fresh ginseng and standard ginseng series. Herbal-purify lines include Kushen, cleansing, seven-herb whitening, Lingzhi and hydrating series, plus cleansing, sun protection and essential oil ranges. Star products include the wild ginseng seed rejuvenating cream, the ginseng repair essence and wild ginseng seed oil duo, and a whitening and spot-fading cream holding a special-use cosmetics registration. The brand has pursued patents and certifications to support its claims. It lists multiple national invention patents covering ginseng repair, ginseng extract, ginseng seed oil, ginseng whitening and ginseng firming formulas, plus a design patent for its "Shenxian" ginseng bottle, which won a German iF Design Award. It publishes third-party raw material tests for pesticide residues, heavy metals and microorganisms, and efficacy tests including human, zebrafish and enzyme-method evaluations across series, along with National Medical Products Administration product filings. Zhongcaoji frames its mission as creating a confident national brand and its vision as letting the world fall in love with Chinese ginseng skincare.

• 2025

  In December, the "Jilin Changbai Mountain Ginseng Cultivation System (Fusong)" is recognized as an Important Agricultural Heritage of China; Zhongcaoji presents its base as a participant and guardian.

• 2022

  A ginseng firming formula invention patent (ZL 2022 1 1003399.X) is listed.

• 2021

  Ginseng repair formula (ZL 2021 1 0247944.9) and ginseng extract formula (ZL 2021 1 0411934.4) invention patents are listed.

• 2019

  A design patent for the "Shenxian" ginseng bottle (ZL201930452689.5) is listed; the design later wins a German iF Design Award.

• 2018

  A ginseng seed oil formula invention patent (ZL 2018 1 0440504.3) is listed among the brand's patents.

• 1986

  Zhongcaoji dates its beginnings to this year, describing four decades of work in the ginseng skincare industry.

Herbal ginseng skincare brand combining Changbai Mountain ginseng sourcing with modern biotechnology, targeting Oriental women through a full-industry-chain model and a large specialty-store network.

• Wild mountain ginseng series

  Flagship line combining wild mountain ginseng with an 8-peptide complex, HPR, ginseng seed oil and ectoine for multi-pathway firming.

• Under-forest ginseng series

  Under-forest ginseng essence for deep repair, with ectoine to soothe skin and improve suppleness.

• Taiji ginseng series

  Taiji ginseng with intangible-cultural-heritage processing, combined with ectoine and botanicals for nourishing care.

• Red ginseng series

  Red ginseng essence for firming and anti-wrinkle benefits, with acetyl hexapeptide-8 to improve facial lines.

• Fresh ginseng series

  Live ginseng extraction preserving ginsenosides, with sodium hyaluronate and squalane for hydration and moisture lock.

• Ginseng series

  Ginseng volatile oil and jojoba seed oil for four-dimensional skin conditioning.

• Kushen series

  Sophora flavescens essence to purify and reduce acne triggers, gentle for sensitive and acne-prone skin.

• Cleansing series

  Long-running high-repurchase line with soothing and moisturizing benefits verified by third-party testing.

• Seven-herb series

  Seven white herbal extracts with glabridin and niacinamide for natural brightening.

• Lingzhi skincare series

  Reishi polysaccharides and triterpenes for early-aging skin, moisturizing and brightening.

• Hydrating series

  Acetyl glucosamine, sodium hyaluronate and oat beta-glucan for layered hydration.

• Camellia series

  Camellia oil with 10 botanical oils and freeze-dried technology with 8 peptides.

• Wild ginseng seed rejuvenating cream

  Star product with wild ginseng seed oil, fullerene and licorice root extract in a light gel-cream.

• Ginseng repair essence + wild ginseng seed oil duo

  Star duo pairing ginseng repair essence for soothing with wild ginseng seed oil for oil-based care.

• Zhongcaoji whitening and spot-fading cream

  Star product holding a special-use cosmetics registration, with nonapeptide-1, tranexamic acid and glabridin.

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