South Korean tradition began to change into more and more seen within the late Nineteen Nineties, initially by means of TV serials and Ok-pop music. The Hallyu (or Korean wave) hit China first, unfold to Japan, after which progressively reached the USA and Europe. The primary Korean cosmetics, together with the well-known BB Lotions, started to make a reputation for themselves outdoors Asia within the early 2000s.
“In 2011, Garnier launched its first BB Cream, which marked the start of Korean magnificence’s affect on the event of Western manufacturers. CC and DD Lotions had been to comply with,” explains Florence Bernardin, founder, and Managing Director of the Asia Cosme Lab company. This development continued with the launch of cushion foundations, which met with extra reasonable success in France. Korean manufacturers comparable to Laneige and Dr. Jart+ have now established a long-term presence at Sephora, shifting from the retail retailer’s Korean Nook to straightforward cabinets.
Right now, the second surge in recognition of Ok-beauty is pushed by skincare and enhanced by the promotion of Korean routine on social networks, significantly TikTok, the place it’s shared by influencers from all around the world. “The Korean authorities has invested closely in selling Korean tradition, and Ok-beauty specifically, outdoors its borders,” explains Lilin Yang, founding father of MiiN Cosmetics, a European community of thirty specialist boutiques. The corporate is celebrating its tenth anniversary this yr together with the opening of its first outlet in France.
South Korea is now a significant cosmetics exporter, a lot in order that Japan now imports extra Korean cosmetics than French ones, one thing by no means seen earlier than, based on Florence Bernardin.
Enjoyable and accessible preventive magnificence
The notion of routine goes hand in hand with the Ok-beauty idea based mostly on layering. This methodology consists of superimposing on the face, in ten steps, a number of completely different skincare merchandise to depart the pores and skin trying hydrated, radiant, and wholesome. “What I discover actually fascinating about this strategy is that it goals to rebalance and hydrate the pores and skin. The strategy is preventive quite than healing, which remains to be, too usually, not the case within the Western world,” explains Emma Gatineau, founding father of Maison Kōsane, a market specialising in Korean and Japanese cosmetics, which provides personalised routines based mostly on a pores and skin analysis.
Ok-beauty is a enjoyable and enticing magnificence idea, with a continuing stream of progressive magnificence gestures. It appeals to a related goal group, aged between 18 and 35, and even older. And it’s undeniably inspiring Western magnificence manufacturers.
‘’Western shoppers are very keen on sheet masks; at the moment, they’re all over the place and now not restricted to Korean manufacturers,‘’ says Anne Luong, founding father of Korean Cosmetics, a community of three Parisian boutiques specialising in Korean cosmetics. “At Oh My Cream, we determined final June to suggest a number of three Korean sheet masks, a discipline the place Korean manufacturers excel. We chosen three masks from the manufacturers Abib, Fantastic thing about Joseon and Torriden, which I found on a visit to Seoul,” provides Fanny Morel, Communications Director at Oh My Cream.
The day by day sunscreen, a staple of the Korean skincare routine, has been extremely popular in France for the final two years. “We launched the Fantastic thing about Joseon solar cream similtaneously our sheet masks. In July, it was one in every of Oh My Cream’s prime two best-sellers, with 297 models bought per week, a determine on a par with our Oh My Cream Skincare plumping cream, one in every of our best-sellers“, continues, delighted, Fanny Morel.
“Toners are additionally a staple of Korean magnificence. For a while now, we’ve got been witnessing the arrival of toner pads: cotton pads soaked in lotion that are available a field. At Maison Kōsane, they’re already an enormous hit,” explains Emma Gatineau.
Ok-beauty can also be characterised by means of particular components comparable to Centella asiatica, tea tree, bakuchiol, collagen and niacinamide. In Korea, shoppers are very nicely knowledgeable about components, a development that can also be creating in Europe, significantly in France, the place persons are more and more within the composition of merchandise. “But, the success of Ok-beauty in Western markets is especially as a result of its progressive textures, minimalist packaging and inexpensive costs,” explains Florence Bernardin.
Pharmacies, retail, magnificence salons
In France, pharmacies are rising as a key channel for Korean cosmetics. Manufacturers comparable to Torriden, which formally launched its merchandise in France on 14 October, are banking on pharmacies and wonder salons to broaden.
Pharmacie Lariboisière, within the ninth arrondissement of Paris, has made these merchandise one in every of its specialities. By establishing themselves on this channel, Ok-beauty manufacturers are positioning themselves alongside main dermocosmetics manufacturers, putting them positively on the earth of trusted skincare merchandise.
In the meantime, following the success of its sheet masks, retailer Oh My Cream can be introducing two new skincare ranges from the Torriden model in February 2025.
Maison Kōsane, for its half, has opened a Korean pop-up nook at Le Bon Marché from 25 October to 31 December, that includes a number of merchandise. “This collaboration raises consciousness of Korean layering whereas inviting folks to check out the merchandise,” explains Emma Gatineau. SeeMy Cosmetics and Maison Kōsane additionally provided guests, as a part of this operation, an immersive expertise based mostly on Korean face-lift on the Institut du Bon Marché from 4 to 10 November.
Market gamers have certainly been fast to determine one other important side of Korean magnificence routine: salon remedies. Within the close to future, the founders of Korean Cosmetics and MiiN Cosmetics intend to supply skincare protocols of their future French retailers, as they already do of their two MiiN Cosmetics flagships in Madrid and Barcelona, Spain. “The buying energy of French shoppers is larger than that of Spaniards, which is why I feel {that a} MiiN Cosmetics flagship in Paris, with therapy rooms, may very well be an enormous hit. In Barcelona and Madrid, the loyalty price is excessive, as a result of outcomes after therapy are there for all to see, and we all know at the moment that this is without doubt one of the considerations of shoppers who use salon remedies,” explains Lilin Yang. The founding father of MiiN Cosmetics informed us that she was presently searching for premises within the Marais district for the opening of a second store in Paris. Her intention is to additionally open outlets outdoors Paris very quickly.
A key driver within the improvement of Korean cosmetics, innovation is and stays a vital think about profitable over shoppers.
Florence Bernardin additionally observed that folks with darker pores and skin are more and more drawn to Korean cosmetics. This huge shopper base in France and the USA might nicely open the way in which for Ok-beauty manufacturers to a market that’s nonetheless under-exploited, and display their means to satisfy the wants of all pores and skin varieties.
Emma Gatineau additionally sees progress potential for Korean hair care merchandise, that are nonetheless not very widespread in Europe and North America. “At Maison Kōsane, our ambition is to supply a complete number of Korean cosmetics, by introducing first, hair care merchandise to our on-line providing, earlier than branching out into make-up at a later stage,” she explains.
Lastly, Lilin Yang, who’s all the time looking out for rising tendencies, observed a growth in hydrogel masks in South Korea. These “sleeping masks 2.0” might nicely symbolize a brand new stage in innovation, additional strengthening the enchantment of this dynamic and continuously evolving cosmetics development.
