Korean beauty brands go mainstream as TikTok trends fuel skincare sales surge

Viral skincare trends from South Korea are driving a bricks-and-mortar retail surge as Gen Z shoppers seek immersive experiences

Jin, a member of South Korean K-pop band BTS. K Beauty is an example of South Korea’s growing cultural prominence where food, film, TV, and K-pop, with international stars — including BTS — becoming big business as companies expand into large consumer markets.

Korean beauty products are moving from phone screens to high streets as social media drives sales of skincare with the help of eye-catching ingredients such as snail slime and salmon sperm.

Retailers are looking to capitalise on the TikTok and Instagram trend for skincare and make-up ranges from South Korea — known as K-beauty — by opening physical stores and launching brands in a push to get consumers to pick up products that have gone viral online.