From 2023 to 2025, silk-based raw materials have completely broken out of the single track of traditional textile industry and concentrated on three high-value-added fields: cosmetics, medical & health care, and food & nutrition. In 2025, the combined demand share of these three fields exceeded 82%, an increase of 9 percentage points compared with 2023.
1.Cosmetics and Personal Care
The application scenarios of silk peptide powder have been continuously expanded and deepened: in 2025, the addition ratio of nano-scale silk peptide powder in anti-wrinkle serums and firming facial masks was raised from 3%–5% to 8%–12%. Meanwhile, its application in the color cosmetics sector has achieved a breakthrough.
Silk sericin powder has become a new favorite in sensitive skin care: its inherent dual properties of moisturization and anti-inflammation perfectly align with the needs of sensitive skin care products, accounting for 29% of the formulations in soothing skin care products in 2025. Additionally, the application of silk sericin powder in hair care products has begun to scale up.
2.Medical and Health Care
During 2023–2025, medical-grade silk-based raw materials achieved a leap from technological R&D to commercialization, with a demand growth rate of 21.7%.
Wound Repair Field:
The annual consumption of silk sericin powder in wound repair films surged from 280 tons in 2023 to 412 tons in 2025, with hospital procurement volume exceeding 5 million pieces in 2025.
Silk fibroin-based artificial skin completed Phase III clinical trials, and is expected to obtain market approval in 2026, with its market size projected to exceed RMB 0.3 billion.
Medical Device Field:
The number of Class II medical device registration certificates for silk fibroin powder-based products increased from 22 in 2023 to 39 in 2025, covering categories such as absorbable surgical sutures and tissue engineering scaffolds.
Silkworm pupae amino acid dressings with a purity of 99.3% completed Phase II clinical trials, demonstrating an efficacy rate 23 percentage points higher than that of traditional products, and are scheduled to enter Phase III clinical trials in 2026.
3. Food and Nutrition
The recognition of silkworm pupae protein powder in the food sector has improved rapidly, evolving from a niche protein source to a mainstream healthy dietary choice.
Prepared Dishes Sector: The demand for silkworm pupae protein powder in prepared dishes reached 18,000 tons in 2025, primarily used in high-protein prepared meal products.
Senior Nutrition Sector: In 2025, the market share of easily absorbable silkworm pupae protein formula powder tailored for the elderly population rose to 29%.
Feed Sector: After silkworm pupae protein powder was added to the Feed Raw Material Catalog in 2024, its annual consumption in the livestock feed sector exceeded 80,000 tons in 2025, mainly applied in high-end aquatic feeds.