IT Cosmetics Is Quietly Exiting China’s Official Online Market

A beauty brand that dominates shelves across American drugstores and department stores is quietly disappearing from Chinese shoppers entirely. IT Cosmetics, owned by L’Oréal, is closing its Tmall Global flagship store, the brand’s only official online sales channel in China, on September 2. The retreat effectively ends IT Cosmetics’ presence in one of the world’s largest beauty markets, even as it remains a leader back home in the US.

The Warning Signs Were There More Than a Year Ago

This closure did not happen suddenly, the signs had been building for well over a year. IT Cosmetics stopped updating its WeChat, Weibo, and Xiaohongshu accounts by early 2025, quietly scaling back its local presence long before the storefront itself actually closed. That slow fade is a common pattern among international brands losing ground in China, rather than the kind of sudden announcement that usually accompanies a market exit.

The Store Was Already Unsearchable Before the Official Closure

By the time this closure became public, the brand’s digital footprint had already largely vanished. The Tmall Global store became unsearchable on the platform, and its product listings were removed entirely. Once the storefront officially shuts down, IT Cosmetics will have no remaining official online sales channel anywhere in mainland China, leaving Chinese consumers with no legitimate way to purchase directly from the brand.

A US Leader, But Apparently No Match for China’s Market

The contrast between IT Cosmetics’ two biggest markets could hardly be sharper right now. In the US, the brand remains a genuine leader in prestige complexion categories, built around its dermatologist-developed approach to makeup for problem skin. That same formula and brand story, apparently, has not translated into sustained traction with Chinese consumers, despite years of investment trying to establish a foothold there.

The Exit Lands Almost Exactly a Decade After a $1.2 Billion Deal

IT Cosmetics’ China retreat lands almost exactly a decade after L’Oréal acquired the brand for $1.2 billion in 2016. Founded in 2008 by former television anchor Jamie Kern Lima after years of rejection from major retailers, the brand grew into one of America’s top prestige cosmetics names before L’Oréal’s acquisition, then doubled in size afterward under the parent company’s new leadership team.

Other L’Oréal Brands Are Pulling Back From China Too

IT Cosmetics is far from alone among L’Oréal-owned brands pulling back from China this year. Shihyo, a luxury brand under the same parent company, announced the closure of all its online shops in China entirely earlier this year. Separately, several other L’Oréal brands including Lancôme, Yves Saint Laurent, and Shu Uemura closed their standalone Hong Kong online stores on August 18, shifting remaining sales to shared Tmall storefronts instead.

This Isn’t Just an L’Oréal Problem, Either

This pattern is not unique to L’Oréal’s portfolio of brands specifically. Tatcha, a skincare brand owned by Unilever, closed its own Tmall shop earlier this year as well. Across the industry, multiple international prestige beauty companies have been quietly consolidating or eliminating dedicated China e-commerce operations, suggesting a broader industry-wide recalibration rather than one company’s isolated decision.

Domestic Chinese Brands Now Own More Than Half the Market

Behind these retreats sits a fundamental shift in who actually wins in China’s beauty market right now. Domestic Chinese brands captured 57.4 percent of the country’s cosmetics market in 2025, their fourth consecutive year ahead of foreign competitors, according to industry data. That domestic dominance runs even deeper online, where local products increasingly outsell established international names on platforms like Tmall.

The Same Week, a Chinese Brand Is Pushing Into the US

The direction of this trend became especially visible in the same week as IT Cosmetics’ announcement. Chinese beauty brand Proya is preparing to enter the US market for the first time through a partnership with Ulta Beauty launching in November, positioning itself around science-led, high-efficacy skincare. While one international brand exits China, a Chinese brand is actively pushing the opposite direction into America.

The Beauty Industry’s Balance of Power Is Visibly Shifting

IT Cosmetics’ situation captures a broader truth reshaping global beauty right now: established Western credentials no longer guarantee success in China, and Chinese brands are increasingly confident enough to compete directly in Western markets instead. Whether more international brands follow IT Cosmetics out of China, or whether the market eventually swings back, will likely depend on how quickly foreign companies can match the pace domestic competitors have already set.