Korea

Emerging potential: Korea aims to boost K-beauty export to Vietnam by streamlining regulations

26-Sep-2023 By Amanda Lim

The South Korean government says it will work with local regulators to support and expand cosmetic exports to the Vietnamese market.

Balm boom: Hourglass expands Tiktok-favourite lip range in Korea as it rides vegan wave

13-Sep-2023 By Amanda Lim

Hourglass Cosmetics is extending the shade range of its best-selling Phantom Volumising Glossy Balm in South Korea as it experiences “explosive” sales response.

New frontier: Why ‘quality’ Asian beauty brands are seeing signs of success in the US

13-Sep-2023 By Amanda Lim

The US beauty market could potentially be fertile ground for Asian cosmetic brands which are valued for their efficacy, innovation, and unique approaches to beauty.

K-beauty focus: Trends and innovations from South Korea’s cosmetics market

16-Aug-2023 By Amanda Lim

We round up the most recent developments in K-beauty, featuring Olive Young’s luxe ambitions, novel sun patches, K-beauty export updates and more.

Luxe refresh: CJ Olive Young strengthens premium position with new retail brand

02-Aug-2023 By Amanda Lim

CJ Olive Young is rolling out its new retail brand, Luxe Edit to strengthen its position in the growing premium beauty market.

Sunny outlook: Dr. G doubles down on SEA expansion on the back of sunscreen popularity

04-Jul-2023 By Amanda Lim

K-beauty brand Dr. G is continuing to expand in South East Asia with a new store in Malaysia, where its sunscreen range is enjoying significant success.

Clean craze: Olive Young expects clean beauty portfolio to achieve $200m in sales this year

12-Jun-2023 By Amanda Lim

South Korean health and beauty retailer Olive Young is expecting its clean beauty brands to rake in $200m in sales this year as demand for clean products remains voracious among consumers.

‘Value-for-money’ strategies: Missha aims to replicate South Korea and Japan successes in SEA and US markets

17-May-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

K-beauty brand Missha is looking to extend its global footprint through affordable product pricing, market-specific launches, and the appointment of Hollywood star Elizabeth Olsen as its latest ambassador.

‘Kind of a reset’: Estée Lauder highlights significance of travel retail despite gloomy results in Asia

16-May-2023 By Amanda Lim

Estée Lauder’s chief has emphasised the importance of travel retail to its global beauty business despite the rebound lag in Asia that has forced it to lower its full-year sales forecast.

Star power: Dr. G aims to solidify brand’s global presence with the help of K-Pop idols

02-May-2023 By Amanda Lim

K-beauty brand Dr. G is leveraging the international recognition of South Korea boy band SHINee to reinforce the brand’s presence overseas, starting with Japan and Vietnam.

New frontier: Olive Young testing the waters in Middle East with makeup brand Wakemake

15-Mar-2023 By Amanda Lim

K-beauty retailer Olive Young is making inroads into the Middle East region with its in-house colour cosmetics brand and plans to launch more of its own brands this year.

Boom in the West: Amorepacific 2022 revenues soar in N. America and Europe but Asia slumps

06-Feb-2023 By Amanda Lim

K-beauty giant Amorepacific records revenue growth of 83% and 37% in North America and Europe respectively in 2022 as China and South Korea markets report declines.

IFSCC CONGRESS 2022 LONDON, UK

Kimchi to cosmetics: Korean chili pepper promising for skin radiance, says L’Occitane

01-Dec-2022 By Kacey Culliney

French beauty major L’Occitane says capsaicin-free Korean chili pepper extract shows promise for improving skin radiance, even under pollution stress.

‘Asian wisdom’: Foot care startup Clapoti wants to bring Korean sauna culture to mass beauty

15-Jul-2022 By Kacey Culliney

Indie brand Clapoti has launched a line of Korean-inspired foot care products that aims to breathe life into an old-fashioned category and encourage wider uptake across Europe, its founder says.

K-beauty brand Dear Dahlia eyeing major expansion in the Middle East to capture luxury beauty opportunities

07-Jun-2022 By Amanda Lim

Luxury vegan beauty brand Dear Dahlia from South Korea is set on expanding its presence in the Middle East, with new markets including Egypt, Kuwait, and Bahrain on the cards for this year.

Hallyu herald: Shopee Korea scores $3m government project to bring K-beauty to Poland

02-May-2022 By Amanda Lim

The South Korean arm of South East Asian e-commerce platform Shopee has inked a deal with the Korean SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) to form a logistics service to facilitate the entry of Korean products to Poland.

'Success on a larger scale': LYCL reveals strategic growth plans after landing $5m funding with Beiersdorf

05-Oct-2020 By Amanda Lim

Korean skin care and tech start-up LYCL Inc. has outlined strategic plans to advance its expansion beyond its home market and into new product categories following a fresh injection of funding from Beiersdorf and other investors.

Skin mycobiome versus microbiome: Why fungal diversity may hold key to sensitive skin solutions

24-Aug-2020 By Guan Yu Lim

While interest in the bacteria that make up the skin microbiome sky high, researchers is Korea have uncovered new findings on the skin mycobiome – its fungal diversity – that may help create new products to target sensitive skin.

MakeUp in Seoul to focus on male grooming

03-Mar-2016 By Lucy Whitehouse

One of the leading industry events in Korea’s beauty calendar, the Makeup in Seoul trade show, is set to give a special focus to the ever-rising dominance of the male grooming category.

AmorePacific's Suh Kyung-Bae named 'Asia's 2015 Businessman of the Year'

10-Dec-2015 By Michelle Yeomans

It's all good for South Korea beauty giant, AmorePacific right now. Last month it made its debut at No. 28 in Forbes 2015 'World’s Most Innovative Companies' list, now its CEO Suh Kyung-Bae has been flagged up as the publication's...

Taiwan and South Korea named as Asia’s innovation leaders

26-Nov-2015 By Michelle Yeomans

Taiwan, South Korea and Japan have been tipped as leading the way in global R&D investment in Thomson Reuters Top 100 Global Innovators 2015 list.

Estée Lauder takes a stake in Korea's 'Dr. Jart+' to compete with K-beauty demand

29-Oct-2015 By Michelle Yeomans

After last year's announcement that it will 'embrace South Korea's trends and technology' in order to compete, Estée Lauder has taken a stake in its first Korean brand - 'Have & Be', the owner of 'Dr. Jart+'...

China and South Korea edge forward with free trade talks

09-Jul-2014 By Simon Pitman

A visit by the Chinese President Xi Jinping to South Korea last week is expected to make further progress towards a free trade pact between the two countries that is likely to benefit the cosmetics and personal care sectors.

Reed Exhibitions announces in-cosmetics Korea

30-Apr-2014 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

Korea is the latest country to attract the in-cosmetics trade show as plans have been made for the inaugural event there next year in the capital.

in-cosmetics Asia celebrates its most successful event

13-Nov-2013 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

in-cosmetics Asia 2013 its most successful show-to-date with 6,007 unique visitors from across Asia and beyond, a 16 per cent uplift compared to 2012 and here is an exclusive CosmeticsDesign-Asia.com video from the show.

Korea the major men’s grooming trend-setter in Asia

18-Jul-2013 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

The Korean beauty industry is the major trend-setter in Asia and is perfect for the male grooming sector, according to one finished goods manufacturer.

Male cosmetics segment continues its craze in South Korea

16-May-2013 By Michelle Yeomans

The male grooming market in South Korea is continuing to boom as the modern man becomes ever more concerned with his appearance and is increasingly aware of the benefits associated with a proper beauty regime.

The big 2013 trend in Korea? Move over Psy it’s men’s make-up time!

10-Jan-2013 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

The new calendar has seen the continuing growth of one of the biggest trends in South Korea, and it’s not the exuberant, catchy, feel-good viral dance phenomenon unearthed in 2012; but rather the increase in men’s make-up sales.

NUK baby powder under question in China

08-Apr-2009 By Katie Bird

Baby care powder manufactured under the German brand NUK has been removed from shelves in China under suspicion it contains asbestos.

Procter and Gamble to resume sale of SK-II cosmetics in China

24-Oct-2006 By Simon Pitman

Proctor & Gamble is to resume sales of its SK-II cosmetics line
after China authorities confirmed that levels of toxic heavy metals
found in the formulation were harmless, a state press report says.