Amidst the K-content craze, K-beauty is also hot on the global scene. We reveal the brands and products that went viral overseas before Korea.
With the recent rise in popularity of K-content, Korean celebrities’ glowing skin has become the center of attention. As the world’s interest in K-beauty continues to grow, Korean skincare and base makeup products such as sunscreen and cushion foundation have become increasingly popular.
As of July, 11 Korean products were among the top 50 bestsellers in the skincare category on Amazon, a testament to its popularity. MediCube, Laneige, and COSRX are among the most well-known brands, but the influence of Korean beauty brands like Glow Recipe, Superegg, Yepoda, and Hwarang, which draw on Korean skincare philosophy, manufacturing know-how, storytelling, and ingredient formulation, is expanding. K-beauty is no longer just about consuming Korean brands, but has become a cultural code that embodies the “K-beauty sensibility” based on formulations, aesthetics, and experiences developed in Korea.
Glow Recipes
The iconic K-beauty brand has captivated consumers around the world with its Americanized take on Korean skincare philosophy. It was co-founded in New York City in 2014 by Sarah Lee and Christine Chang, two Koreans who both worked for global beauty giant L’Oréal. Inspired by their childhood memories of their grandmother applying watermelon packs to their sunburned skin, they introduced the Watermelon Glo Sleeping Mask and Watermelon Glo Pink Juice Moisturizer, and received an overwhelming response from American consumers with their jelly-like formulas, unique watermelon ingredients, and pink, Instagrammable packaging.
Currently, the company is proposing a new identity for K-beauty by expanding its product line beyond skincare to include color categories such as blush and lip balm, using not only watermelon but also various fruit ingredients such as blueberries, avocados, and papaya.
SuperEggs
Superegg, a vegan skincare brand, was founded on the philosophy that skin, like the body, needs balance. The brand is led by Erica Most, a former digital art director and esthetician at Barneys New York. Growing up watching her family apply raw eggs to their faces in a steam room, she took note of the power of eggs for skin and combined it with a sustainable, vegan philosophy to launch Superegg in 2020. The benefits of eggs, which have been used in Eastern beauty practices since BC, have been reinterpreted in a modern way to create clean beauty for skin repair and healthy balance.
The brand’s proprietary formula is 100% plant-based and contains a combination of vitamins, minerals, and proteins derived from the yolk, white, and egg yolk membrane, providing nutrition without animal ingredients and minimizing skin irritation. The physical product packaging resembles the streamlined curves of an egg. The product was first launched in the U.S., Canada, and Japan, and has been gaining traction since its official launch in Korea last year.
The Hydrogel Eye and Cheek Mask is an editorial favorite. The transparent gel sheet adheres to the skin for a cooling and soothing effect, and when you peel it off, your skin is left with a smooth, moisturized glow.
Pretty
Yepoda is a German-born K-beauty brand. The skincare brand, which is somewhat unfamiliar to Koreans, was co-founded in 2020 by Korean-German Sander Junyoung and German Veronika Strottmann. Whenever Sander visited Seoul, he was often asked by his friends to buy Korean cosmetics, and he realized that there was a need for a brand that would make K-beauty accessible in Europe. Yepoda was born. The brand name and packaging incorporate the Korean word “pretty” and all products are produced in Korea, emphasizing the identity of K-beauty.
Focusing on K-beauty’s unique step-by-step routine and philosophy of restoring the skin’s natural health, the brand is introducing a line of routine-type products for long-term skin improvement, from skincare to serums, lotions, and sunblocks. The clean formulas and refillable packages with naturally derived ingredients such as green tea, botanical snail mucus, and turmeric have captured the hearts of European consumers by practicing sustainability. From 2024, the brand will be officially stocked in Sephora online and offline stores in France, and pop-up stores in major cities in Italy and France to spread the K-beauty sensibility and philosophy.
Gallery
There are also Nordic K-beauty brands inspired by the traditional beauty culture of the Silla Dynasty. Hwarang was founded by Finnish designer Elisa Ahonpakim, who was introduced to the beauty culture of Silla-era galleries during a trip to Gyeongju with her Korean husband! The brand name, Hwarang, which combines the words “gallery” and “goods,” reflects the spirit of the Silla galleries, which believed that beauty on the outside reflects virtue on the inside.
Based on Korean herbal ingredients such as bellflower extract, products are produced in collaboration with domestic ODMs such as Hankook Colmar and NFC. The resulting cleansing balms, moisturizing barrier creams, and acne patches are practical items designed for the dry weather and skin types of Northern Europe, optimizing K-beauty solutions for the region. Within a year of its launch, the brand grew rapidly to 1,191 stores in 16 European countries, including all Müller stores in Germany, and recently launched in the domestic market through Hemeco Lab and Naver Store.
🪭The product that went viral overseas! Popular K-skin care items 3
Joseon Beauty Rice Bran Water Clear Serum
When you think of Joseon Beauty, only clear rice sunscreen comes to mind? Now, this serum is also emerging as a glass skin maker overseas. As soon as you apply it, it gives you a glow. The rice bran water extract, which has the feeling of rice water washing, nourishes the skin and brightens dull tones in a clear and even manner. In addition, if you apply just one layer before makeup, you can finish the skin with a transparent glow that shines like a glass grain.
MediCube Deep VitaC Capsule Cream
If you’re a regular tiktok user, you’ve probably seen a video of someone with a bunch of capsules on their face. This Gen Z favorite has been nicknamed ‘Boba Cream’ thanks to its unique visual of round vitamin C capsules. It liposomizes unstable pure vitamin C to keep it fresh until it hits the skin, and naturally brightens dull skin tones.
Anua Rice Enzyme Brightening Cleansing Powder
This cleansing powder, which has become a hot topic on social media for its slime-like formula that stretches when it comes into contact with water, is somewhat unfamiliar to Koreans, but it is already known as a ‘K-cleansing item’ among American consumers. The Korean rice flour and enzyme ingredients gently exfoliate dead skin cells for a smooth, uneven complexion, and you can mix it with toner to use as a wash-off pack for exfoliation and moisturizing.
Writer. Harry Cho
She studied abroad in Sydney, Australia and London, England, where she developed a sense of reading trends in various cultures. Since then, she has been creating experimental contents based on fashion and culture at , a fashion magazine aimed at MZ generation, and currently works as a beauty editor at . She is a tastemaker who is deeply immersed in aesthetics, documenting the intersection between beauty and trends.
