In the past two decades, a strong trend of "returning to nature" has brought natural plant essential oils, making people's lives more and more "fragrant": rose essential oil, lavender essential oil, lemon essential oil, etc. are increasingly added to commonly used skin care products, and more and more common scenter machines are wafting with wisps of jasmine, cypress, sandalwood, and aromatherapy to treat mental illness...
"This is the booming aroma industry." Li Guangwu, director of the Institute of Neurobiology of Anhui Medical University, who has been engaged in aroma research for many years, said.
Nowadays, from aromatic plant planting to sightseeing tourism, special catering, and then to extraction and processing into essential oils, used in medical treatment, beauty, health care, psychotherapy, etc., thus driving an industrial chain, will form a huge job market, training market, and even produce some emerging industries.
Relevant reports show that China's aroma industry has not yet formed an industrial chain, although China's natural essential oils and spices production accounted for one-third of the world's output, but the consumption accounted for less than one percent, sales profits are even more negligible.
The aroma industry market space is huge
What restricts the development of China's aroma industry?
What are essential oils? Fashionistas will tell you that essential oils are aromatic molecules extracted from plants and can be used in medical treatment, health care, beauty and so on.
Systematic research in modern aromatherapy began in Europe in the last century. After nearly 100 years of development, in developed countries in Europe and the United States, the production and application of plant essential oils has formed a complete discipline.
Although essential oils do not originate in China, the "predecessor" of essential oils in China - vanilla has a long history, and there are 365 kinds of drugs recorded in the Shennong Materia Medica, of which 252 are aromatic plants. In the Ming Dynasty Li Shizhen's "Compendium of Materia Medica", there is an album "Aroma", which systematically describes the source, processing and application of various herbs.
Due to the vast territory, diverse climate and the popularity of traditional Chinese medicine, the cultivation of vanilla in China is not only variety, but also a wide range. Traditional export commodities star anise oil production accounted for 80% of the world's total output, China's cinnamon oil production accounted for 90% of the world's total output, in addition, China's mint, mountain cane, spearmint, jasmine, osmanthus flower, eucalyptus, lavender and so on are exported in the world spice market, has a certain degree of influence products. At present, the spice products produced in China have been exported to 122 countries and regions, which is a veritable raw material power.
However, compared with the research and development of essential oils in Europe for hundreds of years, there is still a great distance between the popularization and use of essential oils in China. Data show that China's plant essential oil consumption is less than 1% of the international market consumption.
Work high-end product research and development
But even this 1% is a number that cannot be underestimated. According to reports, the annual sales of China's aromatic health care industry have reached tens of billions of yuan, and it has developed rapidly at an annual growth rate of 20% to 30%.
Industry insiders said that if the per capita consumption of China's aroma industry reaches one-tenth of Australia's, China's aroma industry market will reach 700 billion to 800 billion yuan.
How can China's aroma industry seize the huge market space? Don't work high-end products, you will only give up high profits! Due to the low overall production level, the amount of direct export of essential oils in China is very small, and the export is mainly primary raw materials.
There are reports showing that China's natural essential oil and spice production is about one-third of the world's, the vast majority of exports to foreign countries, but the export value is only 8% to 11% of the international market. Japan and Western Europe import a large number of primary raw materials from China, use their technical advantages for processing, and then export them to the world with made drugs, high-grade beauty skin care products and health care products, and the added value has greatly increased.
Explore a new path for the characteristic aromatic industry
Market participants believe: "The aroma industry must be a brand and make a big brand." "In recent years, essential oil skin care products have become more and more selling, but only imported big brands can win the favor of buyers. With technology as the support, bigger and stronger national brands, this is the consensus of the domestic aroma industry.
Today, aromatic products have penetrated into all aspects of people's lives and become an inseparable part of daily life.
Hefen essential oils, taking the lead in exploring a new road of characteristic aroma industry, applying plant essential oils to beauty, health care, spiritual counseling and other aspects, providing consumers with a variety of consumption choices.