Korean Beauty Trends & Industry News: 25-06-02

Record-High Production and Exports in 2024: Strengthening K-Beauty’s Global Competitiveness

    In 2024, Korea’s cosmetics industry set new records in both production and exports, further solidifying K-beauty’s global presence. According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, domestic cosmetics production totaled KRW 17.5426 trillion—up 20.9% from the previous year—while exports increased 20.3% to USD 10.2 billion. With this, Korea rose to the third-largest cosmetics exporter in the world, following France and the United States.

Korean cosmetics were exported to 172 countries—seven more than the year before. The U.S. saw a 56.4% jump to USD 1.9 billion, ranking second after China (USD 2.49 billion), while Japan (USD 1.04 billion), Hong Kong, and Vietnam followed. The UAE, with USD 170 million in exports, showed a 91.0% surge and entered the top ten, while exports to Indonesia (USD 140 million) and Poland (USD 130 million) rose 69.9% and 161.9%, respectively.

Growth in base and color cosmetics exports appears to have driven increased domestic production. Base skincare products reached KRW 10.2961 trillion, up 58.7%, followed by color cosmetics (KRW 2.6755 trillion, +15.3%), cleansing products (KRW 2.077 trillion, +11.8%), and hair care (KRW 1.528 trillion, +8.7%).

Among base skincare, lotions, creams, and essences rose from KRW 4.4405 trillion in 2023 to KRW 5.7515 trillion, while masks and packs increased from KRW 986.8 billion to KRW 1.3169 trillion. Color cosmetics, especially lipsticks and lip glosses, saw production jump from KRW 654 billion to KRW 990.4 billion.

Functional cosmetics, such as anti-wrinkle products, reflected the rising consumer interest in “slow aging,” with production soaring 71.0% to KRW 2.5593 trillion.

MFDS Deepens Regulatory Collaboration with 9 Asian Nations, Targets Saudi and Emerging Markets

    The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) announced on June 2 that it had reinforced its regulatory diplomacy through the “2025 One Asia Cosmetics Regulatory Innovation Forum” held in Seoul. The forum, which ran for three days from May 28, was held under the theme “Regulatory Innovation: Collaboration and Challenges in the Asian Cosmetics Industry.”

Attended by over 600 participants, including regulatory authorities from nine Asian countries—Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, Laos, and Korea—as well as global experts, industry members, and associations, the event served as a platform to share the latest global cosmetics trends and regulatory innovation strategies.

At the “Asian Regulatory Authorities Cooperation Meeting,” five key topics were discussed to enhance collaboration among member countries. These included reporting on last year’s One Asia Beauty Forum achievements, establishing a regulatory cooperation network, and sharing national cosmetics safety policies and online sales management practices.

In particular, a bilateral meeting with Saudi Arabia enabled both sides to exchange policies related to cosmetics safety management and lay the foundation for further cooperation. Exports of Korean cosmetics to Saudi Arabia increased from USD 29 million in 2023 to USD 61 million in 2024.

A separate meeting with Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration was held to examine regulatory trends and strengthen meaningful cooperation between the two countries.

For the first time, a corporate roundtable between Korean companies and regulatory authorities from eight export markets was arranged, where companies were able to directly ask questions about export procedures and required documents. This allowed the industry to improve its understanding of global regulatory requirements and explore new business opportunities.

MFDS stated that it would continue to lead international cooperation efforts to support the global competitiveness of Asia’s cosmetics industry and actively assist Korean cosmetics exports.

K-Vegan Beauty Taps into Japan’s MZ Generation: Freshian and A’the Expand Presence

    As the Japanese vegan cosmetics market gains momentum—especially among MZ-generation consumers who value ingredients, ethics, and brand philosophy—K-beauty brands are quickly responding to this shift.

According to KOTRA on June 1, vegan beauty accounted for only 2.6% of the Japanese cosmetics market as of 2023, but the category has shown steady growth in both product range and customer base. Skincare and base makeup are leading this expansion, with the market expected to grow to approximately USD 1 billion by 2028.

The rise of e-commerce has further fueled the market. Specialty retailers such as Cosme Kitchen, Lush, and Loft are continuously expanding their ethical beauty offerings. At the same time, viral marketing via social media and influencer campaigns has led to increased consumer engagement.

In response, Korean brands are accelerating their entry into Japan. LG Household & Health Care is promoting its vegan makeup brand “Freshian” through about 70 Loft stores across Japan, as well as via online platforms such as Amazon and Qoo10. Its hero product, the “Egglike Glow Cushion,” has become a steady seller, and the newly released “Egglike Cream Blush” further expands the brand’s lineup.

LF’s vegan beauty brand “A’the” is also making strong inroads. Following a distribution agreement with a Japanese partner last year, the brand began sales on Qoo10 Japan earlier this year and recently entered Loft’s offline stores.

“A’the” has captured local interest with products like the “Authentic Lip Balm” and “Lip Glow Balm,” thanks to their high-quality color payoff and sleek packaging. The brand also plans to launch a skincare product line tailored for the Japanese market, including the “7-Day Programming Mask Pack,” within the first half of the year.

Both brands are strategically targeting Japan’s MZ generation with value-driven, functional, and ethical product concepts—positioning K-vegan beauty as both a challenge and an opportunity in this rapidly evolving space.