(Yicai) Aug. 29 -- Chinese skincare giants Shanghai Jahwa United, Yunnan Botanee Bio-Technology Group and Proya Cosmetics logged substantial profit growth in the first six months from the same time last year as the Chinese cosmetics market bounces back.

Jahwa posted a 90.9 percent surge in net profit in the six months ended June 30 from a year earlier to CNY301 million (USD41.4 million), according to the Shanghai-based company’s semi-annual earnings report released yesterday. But revenue dipped 2.3 percent to CNY3.6 billion (USD497.91 million).

Botanee reported a 12.9 percent jump in net profit over the period to CNY450 million (USD61.7 million), while revenue surged 15.5 percent to CNY2.4 billion (USD324.9 million), per the Kunming, southwestern Yunnan province-based firm’s earnings report which was also published yesterday.

Proya’s net profit surged 65 percent to CNY490 million (USD67.2 million) and revenue jumped 35 percent to CNY3.5 billion (USD486.3 million), according to the Hangzhou, eastern Zhejiang province-based company’s latest financial report released earlier this month.

Sales of cosmetics in China climbed 4.8 percent in June from a year earlier to CNY45.1 billion (USD6.1 billion), halting a three-month slide, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. And from January to June, cosmetics sales advanced 9.8 percent year on year to CNY207.1 billion (USD28.4 billion).

In the medium and long run, the cosmetics sector has a good outlook, analysts said. But there could still be challenges in the short term. Cosmetics sales dipped 4.1 percent in July from the same period last year to C.NY24.7 billion (USD3.4 billion).

Jahwa is aiming for double-digit growth in the second half as the company boosts its online business and continues to improve its product quality and operational efficiency, it said.

Botanee, which used to only be known for the Winoma brand, has started to roll out other brands this year and explore more business segments, the firm said earlier.

Japan’s release of treated radioactive water from the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea last week could spell more opportunities for Chinese cosmetics firms as this will affect how Chinese consumers perceive Japanese skincare products, according to a recent report by TF Securities.

Imported cosmetics will only be allowed into China once they have passed safety inspections, the report said. And although some Japanese firms operate production lines in China which use locally sourced raw materials, they, too, will be faced with fading consumer trust.

Editors: Shi Yi, Kim Taylor