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.

While some of the ranges have been available on specialist beauty websites for some time, shoppers are now getting the chance to try them out on their skin and assess their supposed wondrous effects.

The trend is another example of South Korea’s growing cultural prominence where food, film, TV, and K-pop, with its international stars — including boy band BTS — becoming big business as companies expand into large consumer markets.

K-beauty’s positive reputation stems in part from Korea’s tradition of using natural substances in products, making them gentle on the skin, and its strict rules around labelling.

The industry is also known for novel formulations and unexpected packaging (sometimes animal-shaped), although many shoppers discover brands such as Beauty of Joseon and Laneige through reviews by influencers.

Georgia Stafford, of market research firm Mintel, said: “Social media is the driving force behind K-beauty’s popularity in the UK, where 34% of users have bought a beauty or grooming product after seeing it on social media, rising to 58% of Gen Z users.” Some 21% of Gen Z consumers (aged 13-28) use K-beauty products, according to Mintel, compared with 8% overall.

They are more likely to follow the complex 10-step skincare routines popular in South Korea or try to get the “glass skin” look beloved by the beauty industry, where your face is drenched in moisture to give a dewy, luminous look.

K-beauty products have previously had a “relatively limited audience”, according to Ms Stafford, as they were unavailable on most high streets.

However, online popularity could now translate to in-person purchases.

Shoppers can now buy products such as Cosrx’s skin essence containing snail mucin — slime to the uninitiated — at Superdrug and Boots.

The latter shop also sells Anua’s face serum with PDRN (polydeoxyribonucleotide), which contains DNA fragments extracted from salmon sperm and is claimed to hydrate the skin deeply.

K-beauty products are “typically a fraction of the cost” compared with those from established premium brands, says Ms Stafford.

“Experimenting with new products and ingredients is, therefore, accessible to consumers. PDRN is a standout example. The ingredient promotes collagen production and its source is a real conversation starter.”

Boots sold a Korean skincare product almost every 15 seconds between December and the end of February and, in recent months, has expanded the range of products it stocks.

While consumers may be tightening their belts in other areas, spending on pharmacy, health, and beauty has emerged as an outlier. Figures from Barclays show spend in this area was, on average, 10.2% higher during the first three months of the year — compared with the same period in 2024.

The Korean retailer Moida (which translates as “to gather” or “to collect”) launched its first British store in West London’s Westfield shopping centre in December, and opened its second in the English capital this month. The new shop, fitted out in pink and red and located near Leicester Square, is close to its fellow Korean beauty retailer PureSeoul — which has eight outlets across Britain and is opening a further two this year.

Meanwhile, Korean beauty rival Skin Cupid has signed a 10-year lease in central London after the success of a nearby fortnight-long pop-up during the festive season.

“I watch K-drama,” said Ike Lawson, 28, browsing the shelves of a central London PureSeoul store with two colleagues during her lunch break.

“K-beauty products work for me, like the snail mucin serum. I went to Korea in 2023 to raid the skincare, but mostly for the food,” she added.

Lining the shelves of PureSeoul are stylish tubes and bottles of products, many boasting ingredients unfamiliar to the British market, ranging from mung beans and mugwort to propolis — which is extracted from bees.

Ms Lawson’s colleague Georgia Spooner, 27, who has bought a sunscreen stick for her upcoming holiday, said she has noticed “more shops popping up” after first discovering K-beauty on social media.

“It’s more mainstream now, ” she added.

This Charing Cross Rd branch of PureSeoul is something of a Korean hub, with grocery shops and restaurants.

Such locations appeal to retailers when choosing a space, said Matt Peters, a specialist in retail in the London office of property company Savills.

“Whilst these brands are looking to focus and showcase their products to a western audience, a lot of them will like to align with other Asian-focused businesses within a location,” Mr Peters added.

K-beauty retailers are among those filling in gaps on high streets, according to Savills, with some signing 10-year leases, signalling their intention to commit to a location for a considerable period.

Mr Peters said: “These retailers see this as a long-term movement — this isn’t a flash in the pan. K-beauty has been in the UK for over five years now. It’s a sector that is increasing in terms of products sold over different retailers.”

As shoppers prioritise spending on wellness and cosmetics, property analysts expect that K-beauty retailers will continue to eye up other areas outside London based on the location of their most loyal online shoppers.

Moida is planning further expansion this summer, taking its snail slime and other skincare novelties to new consumers.

Guardian