What Dr. Plant does

Dr. Plant (Beijing Dr Plant Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 植物医生) is a privately held Chinese skincare company founded in 1994 and headquartered in Beijing, specializing in alpine plant-based skincare products. The company sells 18 product series spanning more than 100 SKUs organized around key botanical ingredients — most prominently the flagship Dendrobium Orchid Skincare Series (石斛兰胶原焕活系列) launched in 2017 — alongside premium lines featuring black and white truffle, Cordyceps, Snow Lotus, Ganoderma, Matsutake, and Centella. Core proprietary technology is anchored on patented Dendrobium oligosaccharides with >99% purity, developed jointly with the Kunming Institute of Botany through the Zhongke Kunzhi Plant Doctor R&D Center under Chief Scientist Professor Pei Shengji (founder of Chinese ethnobotany); complementary technologies include Biomimetic Sebum Film and 5D Hyaluronic Acid delivery platforms. Dr. Plant monetizes via direct-to-consumer sales of branded skincare through a multi-channel network: company-owned physical store counters, a nationwide franchise system backed by eight national warehouses, an official Tmall flagship store (drplant.tmall.com), and dedicated international brand stores. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; customers transact via one-time product purchases. The end customer is the general female consumer in China seeking anti-aging, whitening, moisturizing, sensitive-skin, and sun-protection solutions, with Japan added as an international market in 2023. Dr. Plant does not appear to license its technology to third parties; revenue is generated entirely from finished skincare product sales. According to Euromonitor International, the Dendrobium series achieved #1 global retail sales in its category in 2023.

Name

Dr. Plant

Legal name

Beijing Dr Plant Biotechnology Co., Ltd.

Website

https://drplant.com.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Dr. Plant is a privately held Chinese alpine plant-based skincare company, founded 1994, selling 18 product series through branded counters, a nationwide franchise network, a Tmall flagship store, and international brand stores in China and Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Botanical Skincare

NAICS

Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural/Organic & Clean Skincare (CRABAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sensitive Skin & Barrier Repair (CRABAAAG), Dermocosmetics & Medical-Grade Skincare (CRABAAAF)

Keywords

• Alpine plant skincare
• Botanical facial care
• Anti-aging skincare
• Whitening skincare products
• Sensitive skin care

Headquarters

HQ city

Beijing

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Skincare Product Sales: Direct sales of alpine plant-based skincare products through brand stores, counters, Tmall flagship store, and franchise/franchise network. Products include multiple series targeting various skincare needs such as anti-aging, whitening, moisturizing, and sun protection.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Dr. Plant develops, manufactures, and sells alpine plant-based skincare products across 18 distinct product series covering anti-aging, whitening and spot reduction, moisturizing, sensitive-skin care, cleansing, and sun protection. The flagship offering is the Dendrobium Orchid Skincare Series built around patented Dendrobium oligosaccharides, alongside premium truffle lines (black and white truffle), Cordyceps Sinensis, Centella, Snow Lotus, and Ganoderma series. Products are distributed through brand counters, franchise stores, a Tmall flagship store, and international brand stores.

Product overview

Dr. Plant (植物医生) is a Chinese skincare brand specializing in alpine plant-based skincare products. Founded in 1994, the company operates as a single unified brand with multiple product series organized around key botanical ingredients. The portfolio includes 18 distinct product series: the flagship Dendrobium Collagen Revitalizing Series (石斛兰胶原焕活系列) featuring dendrobium, a premier Chinese herb; premium anti-aging lines such as Cordyceps Sinensis Revitalizing Luxury Series and Ganoderma Sinensis Snow-Skin Series; brightening solutions including Snow Lotus Whitening & Spot Reducing Series and Whitening & Spot Lightening Series; hydrating lines like Yuanjiang Aloe High Hydrating Series and Dian Qinggua Watery Soothing Series; specialized care products such as Centella Soothing Special Care Series (nationally certified for sensitive skin) and Sun Protection Series; and high-end truffle series (Black and White Truffle). All products leverage alpine plant ingredients known for high altitude purity, abundant active substances, and natural efficacy. The brand positions itself as 'Alpine Plants, Pure Skin' with a vision 'To make the world fall in love with Chinese cosmetics.'

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dr Plant Black Truffle Revitalizing & Renewing Series High-end skincare series featuring black truffle active essence that repairs skin, makes it firm and tight, plump and bright; positioned as a premium tier offering for consumers seeking alpine plant-based rejuvenation.
• Dr Plant White Truffle Gold-Infused Intensive Energy Series Premium skincare line infused with white truffle active essence that repairs skin, makes it strong and tight, plump and bright; positioned as a high-end premium offering for aging-skin rejuvenation.
• Dr Plant Dendrobium Collagen Revitalizing Series Signature skincare series featuring Dendrobium (石斛兰), a premier Chinese herb, with moisturizing, firming, and anti-wrinkle benefits; contains patented Dendrobium oligosaccharides with smaller molecular weight and higher activity than traditional polysaccharides.
• Cordyceps Sinensis Revitalizing Luxury Series Advanced anti-aging series featuring 5x Cordyceps Extract that stimulates collagen synthesis, improves fine lines, firms and refines skin with dual cordyceps components and 4D Sodium Hyaluronate.
• Centella Soothing Special Care Series Nationally certified sensitive skin care series using Biomimetic Sebum Film Technology with 9x patented centella extract to soothe sensitivity quickly and stabilize the skin's moisture barrier.
• White Snow Tea Lifting & Firming Series Anti-aging series featuring high mountain white snow tea extract and multiple collagen proteins that delay aging and promote cell regeneration with a water-like non-greasy formula.
• Whitening & Spot Lightening Series Brightening and blemish-correcting skincare line for reducing dark spots and uneven skin tone.
• Yuanjiang Aloe High Hydrating Series Intensive moisturizing series featuring Yuanjiang aloe extract for deep hydration and skin plumping.
• White Tea Cleansing & Refining Series Cleansing and pore-refining series with alpine white tea for purifying and refining skin.
• Jade Bamboo Moisturizing & Revitalizing Series Hydrating and activating skincare line featuring jade bamboo extract for moisturizing and revitalizing skin.
• Dian Qinggua Watery Soothing Series Hydration-focused series with cucumber extract and 5D Hyaluronic Acid forming a multi-dimensional hydrating layer, featuring multiple soothing factors for barrier strengthening.
• Sun Protection Series UV protection line including Illuminating UV Protection Lotion SPF50+ PA++++, Revitalizing Sunscreen Essence, Gentle Intensive Care Essence Sunscreen, and Children's Gentle Multi Protection Sunscreen SPF30 PA+++.
• Dianshan Tea Moisturizing Series Moisturizing series featuring Dianshan tea extract with oil-water balance technology for nourishing and moisturizing skin.
• High Mountain Matsutake Fresh & Bright Series Brightening series with 10x+ Tricholoma matsutake content featuring targeted extraction of matsutake polysaccharides that combat melanin deposition, brighten skin tone, reduce yellowness with anti-glycation and anti-oxidation benefits.
• Qingxiguo Light Sensitivity Repair Series Sensitive skin repair series featuring prickleberry (青刺果) extract for soothing and repairing light-sensitive skin.
• High Mountain Black Tea Firming & Wrinkle Relieving Series Anti-aging series with Yunnan Alpine Black Tea as core ingredient promoting collagen synthesis, firming contours, reducing wrinkles with dual resistance factors and carnosine blocking collagen glycation.
• Ganoderma Sinensis Snow-Skin Series Aging-care series rich in Ganoderma (紫灵芝) active extracts with tightening, anti-wrinkle and moisturizing effects for snow-skin rejuvenation.
• Snow Lotus Whitening & Spot Reducing Series Brightening series with Snow Lotus brightening factors that reduce melanin synthesis by 35.79% at source, featuring high-purity Niacinamide and gentle exfoliating factors for scientific brightening.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dendrobium Orchid Skincare Series achieved world's top retail sales in 2023 per Euromonitor International
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017DR PLANT collaborated with the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, to establish the Zhongke Kunzhi Plant Doctor Research and Development Center, where they work with dozens of scientists led by Professor Pei Shengji to explore the beauty of alpine plants and develop proprietary botanical skincare ingredients.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017The UNDP-DR Plant Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use Project is the first and only project named by a Chinese brand under the UNDP. This project has restored 5,590 acres of alpine ecological environment as part of the 'Biodiversity Alpine Plant Protection Initiative' launched by DR PLANT in 2017.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Face Shop: Korean mass-market natural skincare brand with extensive global counter presence. Comparable as a reference point for plant-based/natural skincare international scaling via franchise and counter retail.
• Innisfree: Amorepacific's mass-market natural skincare brand built around Jeju botanicals. Comparable as a global natural/botanical skincare playbook (island provenance, ingredient storytelling, wide counter distribution) relevant to DR PLANT's scaling trajectory.
• Proya (珀莱雅): One of China's largest listed skincare companies with a multi-brand portfolio across mass and premium tiers. Comparable as a major Chinese skincare competitor with substantially larger R&D and marketing budgets.
• Pechoin (百雀羚): Heritage Chinese mass-market skincare brand owned by Shanghai Jiafeng with similar plant/herbal heritage positioning. Comparable as a broad incumbent in Chinese botanical skincare with significantly larger scale and longer heritage than DR PLANT.
• Shanghai Jahwa (上海家化): Listed owner of Herborist (佰草集), Pechoin, and other heritage Chinese personal-care brands. Comparable as the dominant Chinese botanical/heritage skincare conglomerate whose Herborist brand competes head-to-head with DR PLANT's premium tier.
• Sulwhasoo (雪花秀): Amorepacific's premium Korean brand built on Korean herbal medicine. Comparable as the global benchmark for premium Asian botanical skincare — relevant for DR PLANT's international premium-tier ambitions.

Direct peers

• Inoherb (相宜本草): Chinese skincare brand built on Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs (e.g., lycium, angelica). Directly comparable to DR PLANT's TCM-derived ingredient narrative, mass-to-mid-tier price positioning, and Chinese department-store counter distribution.
• Forest Cabin (林清轩): Chinese plant-based skincare brand built around a single hero botanical (camellia). Closest comparable to DR PLANT's alpine-botanical positioning, single-ingredient-led brand architecture, and DTC + counter + franchise retail model.
• Herborist (佰草集): Premium herbal-skincare line within Shanghai Jahwa positioned on TCM-derived ingredients. Closely comparable to DR PLANT's premium alpine-botanical positioning and department-store counter presence.

Emerging players

• Marubi (丸美): Chinese skincare brand focused on eye care and anti-aging. Comparable as a domestically listed Chinese skincare player competing for similar female anti-aging consumer segments, though without the same alpine-botanical differentiation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dr. Plant