Leading the Boundary of Scientific Skin Care, Winona Creates a New Era of Sensitive Skin Repair Based on Classified Management

Leading the Boundary of Scientific Skin Care, Winona Creates a New Era of Sensitive Skin Repair Based on Classified Management

As the size of the Chinese beauty and skincare market continues to expand, the consumer group with sensitive skin is demonstrating explosive growth. According to the Expert Consensus on Diagnosis and Treatment of Sensitive Skin in China, nearly 56% of Asian women have sensitive skin. Among them, the proportion of Chinese women with sensitive skin exceeds 36.1%. Winona under Yunnan Botanee Bio-Technology Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Botanee") is the leading brand in China's sensitive skin care market. It has taken the lead in promoting the development of China's skin health ecosystem. By advancing and making breakthroughs from basic research to applied research, Winona continually raises the "ceiling" of technology and academic endorsements.

The Fourth China Sensitive Skin Summit

On April 16, the Fourth China Sensitive Skin Summit was held by the Winona Research Institute under Botanee, in collaboration with The Chinese Journal of Dermatovenereology, the Skin Professional Committee of the Chinese Non-Government Medical Institutions Association, the Chronic Skin Disease Management and Health Promoting Branch of the China Anti-Aging Promoting Association, and the Skin Disease Professional Committee of the China Association for Promotion of Health Science and Technology. This summit once again gathered a group of experts, including Professor Philippe Humbert, former Director of the Director of the Skin Research Center at the University of Franche-Comté, as well as renowned figures in the Chinese dermatology field such as Zheng Zhizhong, Gu Jun, He Li, Wen Hai, Li Li, Xiang Leihong, Ma Huiqun, and others. They gathered in the hall to address new issues and challenges to be solved urgently in the management of sensitive skin. They conducted in-depth discussions from various perspectives, including sensitive root targets, the demands and trends of pan-sensitive populations, and research on the efficacy of Yunnan's plant extracts, and explored the new definitions of sensitive skin and breakthroughs in sensitive skin repair in the era of precision skincare. Together, they delved into the new journey of China's skin health ecosystem development and the new understanding and research breakthroughs of sensitive skin.

Professor Philippe Humbert, former Director of the International Institute of Skin Bioengineering and Director of the Skin Research Center at the University of Franche-Comté

Gathering Experts, Winona Keeps Raising the Cognition and Research "Ceiling" of Sensitive Skin

Since its establishment, Winona, as the core brand under Botanee, has targeted the field of cosmeceuticals with unique insights and sharp foresight. With the mission of "solving common skin problems of the Chinese people," Winona has continuously delved deep into sensitive skin issues. Leveraging the collaboration among companies, universities, research institutes, and hospitals, the brand has not only established a solid foundation for brand innovation and technological barriers but has also constantly achieved breakthroughs in R&D and academic research. These efforts are geared towards continuously seeking the most cutting-edge and scientific solutions for sensitive skin repair. As Dr. Guo Zhenyu, Chairman and President of Yunnan Botanee Bio-Technology Group Co., Ltd., stated in his opening speech, "We are an enterprise from Yunnan, a province characterized by biological diversity. After identifying targets among over 6,500 plant species, we developed cosmetics with a pharmaceutical mindset. Today, Winona has gained recognition from dermatologists and consumers in China, and become a highlight of Chinese products. Fortunately, China has entered the era of efficacy in May 2021! Here, I would like to thank all the experts for their support and promotion of this industry."

Dr. Guo Zhenyu, Chairman and President of Yunnan Botanee Bio-Technology Group Co., Ltd.

At the summit, Dr. Ma Yanyun, Secretary-General of the Human Skin Health Professional Committee of the Shanghai Anthropological Society and a postdoctoral research fellow, shared his insights on "New Understanding of Sun Protection for Sensitive Skin." He held that for sensitive skin, sunscreen products should not only be safe and non-irritating but also provide basic repair and soothing effects, along with a pleasant skin feel. Winona's sunscreen is a practitioner of these principles.

Professor Li Li, President of the Chronic Skin Disease Management and Health Promoting Branch of the China Anti-Aging Promoting Association, shared breakthroughs in barrier repair. She unveiled the secrets of Winona Barrier Extreme Cream. It is noteworthy that this product has been supported by nine papers and has shown outstanding performance in improving and enhancing skin barrier function indicators in large-sample multicenter clinical trials. Professor Li stated, "The Winona Barrier Extreme Cream we see today has been found to have a good auxiliary treatment effect on sensitive skin and problematic skin in experiments conducted in five hospitals. It is a very effective treatment method for sensitive skin."

Professor Li Li, President of the Chronic Skin Disease Management and Health Promoting Branch of the China Anti-Aging Promoting Association

Professor Yuan Chao, a member of the Cosmetology Group of the Chinese Society of Dermatology, shared her opinions on "New Perspectives on Understanding of Sensitive Skin and Maintenance." In her view, barrier repair and stability maintenance are crucial. Not only should products be able to repair the barrier, but they should also reduce sensitivity.

Professor Yuan Chao, a member of the Cosmetology Group of the Chinese Society of Dermatology

Every year at the annual summit, Winona has been setting new benchmarks for the industry. At the first summit in 2020, Winona released three authoritative industry guidelines of high scientific standards and foundational significance along with one consensus. In 2021, it promulgated the Industry Standard for Sensitiveness Relieving Moisturizing Skincare Products and Guidelines for Their Applications in Sensitive Skin, establishing standards for the innovative and transformative skincare industry. Focusing on the advanced demands of sun protection, whitening, and anti-aging for sensitive skin in 2022, Winona comprehensively analyzed professional skincare methods for sensitive skin. From being the first to release guidelines and consensus, to establishing Chinese standards, and further deepening the leadership, Winona has continuously empowered the industry with academic expertise, leading the way for the development of cosmeceutical products. Nowadays, in the academic research, cognition, and achievement transformation of the sensitive skin repair field, Winona, relying on interdisciplinary collaboration among companies, universities, research institutes, and hospitals, has once again achieved new progress. It announced breakthroughs in sensitive skin barrier repair, elevating the ceiling for sensitive skin care.

Releasing Two Reports, Winona Creates Skincare Strategies for Sensitive Skin of Different Types

As is well known, since its inception, Winona has collaborated with dermatologists both domestically and internationally to conduct extensive basic research and exploration into the causes and mechanisms of sensitive skin among the Chinese population, continuously setting new standards, guidelines, and trends for sensitive skin research. This year, Winona, which has always been committed to in-depth study and solid work, once again opened up a new perspective on sensitive skin and pioneered a new era by introducing the concept of "pan-sensitivity." It has provided consumers with professional and scientific precise skincare strategies for sensitive skin of different types.

At this year's summit, Winona, in collaboration with the Tmall Innovation Center (TMIC), made a significant release of the Insight into the Industry Trend of Pan-sensitive Skin. Xiao Juan, Head of TMIC under Alibaba, and Bu Xiyun, Head of the TMIC Eco-partner Keying Strategy Domain Digital Center, analyzed the development trends of sensitive skin consumer groups, their characteristics, and their care needs. They pointed out that the concept of "pan-sensitivity" is gradually emerging and becoming a new trend direction. Additionally, the Winona Research Institute, based on consumer big data analysis, collaborated with the TMIC to jointly launch the 2023 White Paper on Pan-Sensitive Development Trends, providing precise insights into the development trends and consumer demands of pan-sensitive skin. The White Paper was unveiled at the summit with the witness of Zhang Mei, Vice President of Botanee Group, and Ar Bu, General Manager of Tmall Beauty.

Launching Ceremony of the 2023 White Paper on Pan-sensitive Development Trends

Furthermore, based on cutting-edge research progress in dermatology and consumer big data analysis, Winona has partnered with Dingxiang Doctor to initiate the New Concepts of Sensitive and Pan-Sensitive Skin Care. By combining user insights with clinical experience, they have proposed a new standard for sensitive and pan-sensitive skincare based on the classified management of sensitive skin. They have also put forward new precise skincare strategies tailored to different types of skin sensitivity. This not only provides a practical reference value for skincare enthusiasts but also serves as a guide for correct skincare practices.

Regarding the topic of "pan-sensitivity," Professor Gu Jun, Chairman of the Dermatovenereology Professional Committee of the Chinese Association of Integrative Medicine, shared his opinion on "Following Stepped-care Treatment for Inflammatory Skin Diseases to Solve Pan-Sensitivity." He emphasized that the pan-sensitive population is the group that dermatologists pay particular attention to. In the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases, in addition to addressing the disease's pathogenesis, restoring skin barrier repair function is also crucial.

Professor He Li, Head of the Innovation Team under the Ministry of Education and Vice Chairwoman of the Asia-Pacific Skin Barrier Research Association, shared her insights on "Mechanism Breakthrough and Precise Intervention of Sensitive Skin," highlighting the latest breakthroughs in the pathogenesis, classification, and clinical diagnosis and treatment of sensitive skin. The researchers discovered 9 skin barrier damage genes related to sensitive skin and, for the first time internationally, identified and confirmed that CLDN-5 mediates the epidermal permeability barrier damage of sensitive skin. This helps dermatologists tailor personalized treatment plans for patients accurately and also paves the way for the R&D of cosmeceutical products.

Professor He Li, Head of the Innovation Team under the Ministry of Education and Vice Chairwoman of the Asia-Pacific Skin Barrier Research Association

At the end of the summit, Winona also specially invited dermatologists and professional beauty bloggers to carry out two roundtable dialogues on sensitive skin care. Through face-to-face interactions among experts, they discussed the demands and trends of sensitive skin care. Professors such as Zheng Zhizhong, Gu Jun, Wen Hai, and Ma Huiqun shared new perspectives, directions, and breakthroughs in basic research on sensitive skin from the viewpoint of dermatologists. Meanwhile, Professor He Li, Executive Director Wang Feifei, and renowned blogger Wang Ruochi engaged in discussions and exchanged views on the topic of pan-sensitive development trends.

Roundtable Dialogue on "Demands and Trends of Sensitive Skin Care"

Roundtable Dialogue on "Pan-Sensitive Development Trends"

Winona, as a pioneer in academia, has gathered the strength of the industry to participate in the China Sensitive Skin Summit Forum again, providing new insights to empower the beauty industry and offering new precise skincare solutions to safeguard the skin health of Chinese people. With consumers' increasing focus on the refined care of sensitive skin, it is believed that the classified management of sensitive skin and the R&D system of cosmeceutical products will continue to improve.

Strengthening Independent R&D to Consolidate Technological Barriers for New Achievements and Breakthroughs

The collaboration among companies, universities, research institutes, and hospitals is an interdisciplinary cooperation and a win-win cooperation where scientific research institutes and enterprises empower each other. Thanks to the guidance of industry experts on research, Winona can maintain a decade-long dedication to research and excellence amidst a rapidly changing market environment, becoming a pride for China. As the saying goes, it takes a good blacksmith to make good steel. In recent years, building on the continuous investment in independent R&D by its parent company, Botanee, Winona has constantly enhanced the brand's capability for independent production and innovation. This has not only contributed to a significant increase in its brand awareness and reputation, but also solidified its position as a leader in sensitive skin care and reinforced its technological barriers with new achievements and breakthroughs.

Up to now, Winona, which has formed a highly competitive professional barrier in academic resources and clinical data, holds a total of 133 patents and has participated in the formulation of 15 national-level expert guidelines and consensuses. It has led the formulation of 31 association standards for cosmeceutical products and presided over the formulation of 11 product standards.

In terms of R&D, Botanee, with a platform integrating companies, universities, research institutes, and hospitals, has established R&D centers in Kunming, Yunnan Province, and Shanghai. It has also invested nearly RMB 500 million to successfully build a new Botanee central factory in 2023, with an annual output value reaching RMB 5 billion. In addition, in 2022, Botanee led the construction of the Yunnan Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory, comprising various centers such as the Yunnan Characteristic Plant R&D Center, Cosmeceutical R&D Center, Functional Food R&D Center, and Botanical Drug R&D Center. In the future, Botanee will take consumers' health demands as the starting point and strive to break through the core key technologies in this field. According to Botanee's just-released 2022 annual report, the company invested about RMB 255 million in R&D throughout the year, with a year-on-year growth of 124.96% and an R&D expense ratio of 5.08%. Moreover, the company's R&D talent reserve witnessed a 65.68% increase compared with the previous year, reaching 391 individuals, continuously strengthening its scientific research strength.

Winona, which has always been supported by botanical technology and dermatology, not only cooperates with dermatologists from 63 well-known hospitals in China and foreign dermatologists such as those from the University of Franche-Comté in France to conduct multi-center observation of the effect to ensure the safety and efficacy of products, but also keeps increasing research and investment in botanical technology.

Wang Feifei, Vice President of Yunnan Botanee Bio-Technology Group Co., Ltd. and Executive Director of the Botanee Research Institute, stated, "Our Yunnan Characteristic Plant Extraction Laboratory is established to solve the bottleneck problems of Yunnan Province Science and Technology Department and can drive the development of Yunnan's characteristic industries with an output value of over RMB 100 billion."

Wang Feifei, Vice President of Yunnan Botanee Bio-Technology Group Co., Ltd. and Executive Director of the Botanee Research Institute

Dr. Guo Zhenyu also mentioned in his speech titled "Botanee's Skin Health Ecosystem" that the Group is now attaching great importance to the collaboration among companies, universities, research institutes, and hospitals and the development of botanical technology. "We conduct collaboration among companies, universities, research institutes, and hospitals and botanical basic research. We start from a specific field and conduct in-depth research in this field, aiming to achieve effective results. We carry out research not for publishing papers but for realizing industrialization. We must adopt an open attitude and a global perspective in our work. We have also established a Skin Health Research Institute whose focus is solely on R&D. Based on identified issues, we transform basic research into industrial solutions. That is our approach," said Dr. Guo.

Keynote Speech by Dr. Guo Zhenyu, Chairman and President of Botanee Group

In the cosmetics industry, plant extract technology has become an R&D hotspot due to the extract's rich efficacy and diverse components. Researcher Liu Haiyang from the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, focused on the topic of "Building a Plant R&D System to Promote High-quality Development of Cosmetics." He unveiled the improvement and care effects of plant-based ingredients on skin and their significance for promoting the high-quality development of cosmetics from the perspectives of the current situation and problems in China's cosmetics market, the ingredients restricting the development of cosmetics, and the building of an R&D system for plant-based cosmetic ingredients. This aligns with what Winona has been doing and will continue to do in the future.

Scientific research and innovation have always been the primary driving forces for development. Looking towards the future, Winona, the core brand under Botanee, will continue to aim high and stand firm. It will forge ahead with R&D as the cornerstone. The brand will continue to conduct systematic research and innovation focusing on the preparation of effective ingredients from characteristic plant extracts in Yunnan and sensitive skin care. The goal is to decode the secrets of the skin with the spirit of an explorer, harvest scientific achievements with the vigor of a pioneer, and drive the industry's healthy and high-quality development through professional scientific research and academic contributions. The brand aims to lead the development of the industry to the next milestone, continually raise expectations for technological barriers of Chinese brands, and achieve extraordinary success again!