A class that focuses on Chinese medicine cosmetics in East China's Jiangsu Province has trended on Sina Weibo, China's answer to Twitter, as students have the ambition to improve the international reputation of Chinese cosmetics brands. 

China Pharmaceutical University set up the experimental class in 2017, with 30 students being accepted for the course. 

A clip about the cosmetics, which also use traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as ingredients, had been viewed nearly 4 million times as of press time after it was posted on Weibo on Saturday. A post about the course has received 15 million hits.

Zhang Dongyang, a teacher at the school, said that the intention was to integrate fine ingredients from TCM into cosmetics, which can make cosmetics safer and more suitable for people of different physiques, in an interview on short video platform Pear Video on Saturday. 

"South Korea has its established brands for make-up lovers while Japan enjoys prestige in producing 'cosmeceuticals.' I hope more Chinese brands can win favor from consumers worldwide," said Wu Hualan, a student from the class. 

"Cosmeceutical' is a term used to describe cosmetics which have a claimed medicinal benefit. However, the US Food and Drug Administration says it does not recognize the term, as if a product claims to have such an effect, it will be classified as a drug.    

"I am in the middle of making 'vinasse' facial mask," said Wu, adding that "vinasse, the residue left after fermenting wine, contains antioxidants and moisturizing ingredients, which is conducive to people's skincare."

Other colleges, including the Shanghai Institute of Technology, Jiangnan University, and Guangdong Pharmaceutical University have all set up cosmetics majors. 

"China has risen to be a big player in the cosmetics market and the entire industry has gained momentum in recent years. So there's a greater need for skilled people," Cheng Gong, brand director for fashion magazine Marie Claire, told the Global Times. 

The courses provide comprehensive study on cosmetics and the industry, which will help produce cosmetics that will appeal to consumers both at home and abroad," Cheng said.

The cosmetics sector in China is lucrative. Total sales volume of cosmetics in China was 32.59 billion yuan ($4.86 billion) in 2017, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.