What is driving the shift from traditional mosquito repellents to 'natural' or plant-based alternatives?

What is driving the shift from traditional mosquito repellents to 'natural' or plant-based alternatives?
China's mosquito repellent market is undergoing a paradigm shift from 'medicinal smell' to 'pleasant and effective.' Consumer demand now prioritizes health, sensory experience, and aesthetics alongside efficacy. This is evident in product innovation: leading brands are embedding real flowers into repellent liquids, merging botanical aesthetics with function. The coil segment shows this trend clearly—2025 sales surged 83.5% year-on-year to RMB 573 million, but 2026 first-half sales fell 21.6%, with May plunging 64.9%. Meanwhile, the 10-20 yuan price band gained share while sub-10 yuan products face oversupply. Market concentration is rising fast: CR10 jumped from 46.4% in 2024 to 59.4% in 2026, squeezing long-tail brands. New entrants like Zhenzhi and Likewen are carving niches with smokeless, plant-based formulations.