As the scale of China’s hair care market is about to exceed 60 billion yuan in 2025, choosing the right shampoo manufacturer has become a crucial factor for a brand’s success or failure. Foreign brands occupy 73% of the high-end market share relying on technological barriers, while only 12% of local emerging brands survive due to incorrect supply chain choices. Combining the cooperation experience of 10 well-known brands such as Clear and Hesi, this article breaks down the core logic of manufacturer selection, provides market-verified evaluation tools, and helps you avoid patent traps, production capacity bottlenecks, and compliance risks. It is particularly suitable for beauty entrepreneurs, brand owners, and distributors as a reference.
I. 3 Core Dimensions for Manufacturer Selection
1. Hard Technological Strength: The Underlying Support from Patents to Efficacy
The core competitiveness of professional manufacturers lies in R&D investment and patent reserves. To break through the anti-dandruff market, the international giant Unilever collaborated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University to develop the patented Aminexil ingredient, increasing the brand premium rate of Clear by 12%. In contrast, the average R&D expenditure ratio of local enterprises is only 6.2%, far lower than the 11.7% of foreign brands, leading to the monopoly of core segments such as anti-hair loss and hair repair.
Key Selection Points:
- Request the R&D expenditure ratio of the past 3 years (high-quality manufacturers should have no less than 8%);
- Verify the patent certificates for core ingredients (e.g., in the fields of silicone oil alternatives and plant extraction);
- Test efficacy data: Must pass human efficacy evaluation tests (single test cost exceeds 200,000 yuan).
2. Supply Chain Resilience: Determining Whether Hot-Selling Products Can Be Continuously Delivered
The key to Hesi’s breakthrough of achieving a monthly GMV of 75 million yuan lies in its manufacturer’s flexible supply chain, which can quickly respond to the scenario-based demand for fragrance shampoos. Industry data shows that building an automated production line requires a minimum investment of 20 million yuan, and an additional 30-50 million yuan for nationwide KA channel deployment, creating significant barriers for small and medium-sized brands.
Risk Avoidance:
- Conduct on-site inspections of production capacity flexibility: Whether production can be increased by more than 30% during peak seasons;
- Verify the raw material supply chain: Whether it has an organic ingredient traceability system;
- Refer to historical cases: Whether it has provided production services with flexible minimum order quantities for emerging brands.
3. Compliance and Certification: The Make-or-Break Line in 2025
China’s new cosmetics regulations require all shampoo efficacy claims to pass human tests after 2025, and the EU CSRD regulations even mandate carbon footprint disclosure. Enterprises such as Procter & Gamble and Shiseido have improved their compliance systems by acquiring local OEM enterprises, while 30% of small and medium-sized manufacturers face elimination due to high production line transformation costs.
Mandatory Verification Documents:
- Cosmetics Production License (2025 new version);
- Efficacy Claim Evaluation Report;
- Carbon Footprint Accounting Certification (required for export).
II. Insights from 5 Top Brands’ Manufacturer Selection
1. Clear: Precisely Cooperating with Technology-Oriented Manufacturers
To compete with Head & Shoulders, Clear chose a manufacturer with segmented R&D capabilities, realizing the launch of “gender-specific anti-dandruff” products for the first time, and opened up the market with a 500 million yuan marketing investment. Its core logic is: The manufacturer’s technological reserves must match the brand’s differentiated positioning.
2. Hesi: Flexible Supply Chain Creating Hot-Selling Products
Hesi’s fragrance shampoo manufacturer can quickly adjust fragrance types and formulas, and with the “emotional aromatherapy” content marketing, the selling point of “smelling better than perfume” quickly penetrated the market. Insight: Emerging brands should prioritize manufacturers good at rapid-response production.
3. Bawang: Sticking to Local Chinese Herbal Medicine Manufacturers
By deeply cooperating with manufacturers leading in Chinese herbal medicine extraction technology, Bawang increased the revenue proportion of its anti-hair loss series to 45%, with a market share exceeding 12.6%. This proves that manufacturing advantages in vertical fields can be transformed into brand moats.
4. Shiseido: Acquiring OEM Enterprises to Improve the Supply Chain
To seize the high-end market, Shiseido acquired domestic manufacturers to optimize production capacity, increasing its market share to 16.3%. This is worthy of reference for brands with capital strength to quickly make up for supply chain shortcomings.
III. 3 Tips for Avoiding Pitfalls in Manufacturer Cooperation in 2025
- Beware of the “Patent Sharing” Trap: Some manufacturers claim to share international patents, but in fact, they only have authorized use rights. It is necessary to verify the exclusive patent license certificate;
- Avoid Channel Conflicts: Confirm that the manufacturer does not provide the same formula for competing products (exclusive clauses can be clearly stated in the contract);
- Reserve a Compliance Buffer Period: Choose manufacturers that have completed carbon footprint transformation to avoid forced production suspension after the implementation of the EU’s new regulations in 2026.
