From technology and product innovations to business and market expansion, K-beauty remains a non-negligible part of the global cosmetics industry.
In the past year, we have seen companies like APR Corp breaking its performance records consecutively, an increasing number of Korean beauty brands venturing into new markets, as well as investments going into this relentlessly growing sector.
Nevertheless, it has also had to deal with challenges such as US tariffs and rising cases of counterfeits.
Ahead of the new year, CosmeticsDesign-Asia spoke to Lauren Lee, founder of skin care brand Jelly Ko and K-beauty consultancy STYLESTORY, to discuss the key areas to watch in 2026.
Changes in what consumers are looking for
In Lee’s opinion, the K-beauty industry is moving into a mature consumers-led phase. This means that while younger consumers, particularly Gen Z, still drive discovery and viral moments, the most meaningful growth is in consumers in their 30s, 40s, and beyond.
“They are less interested in chasing every micro trend and more focused on slow ageing, which is about maintaining skin health and looking well-rested and hydrated. This group is also more willing to invest in products that genuinely work, as long as the brand has built enough trust.”
At the same time, virality by itself has become a “very fragile” foundation for brands.
“The earlier K-beauty waves have been driven by cute textures and fast launches. That era cannot continue in perpetuity, especially given the rate at which new brands and products are coming to the market.
“I think the brands that will last into the next cycle are the ones that move from being purely product-led to clearly brand- and even founder-led. They have a defined philosophy and point of view, are consistent about how they formulate and communicate, and they think about retention and lifetime value, instead of only chasing the next sold-out SKU on social media,” Lee explained.
As consumers become overloaded with information and more sceptical, there will be a premium on coherence and follow-through, not just on attention-grabbing ideas.
Ingredients, categories and formats
On the ingredients front, Lee expects regenerative and medical-adjacent actives to keep moving into the mainstream.
“We will see more PDRN, including plant-derived versions, and ingredients such as EGF, peptides, and retinal. These are increasingly being combined with barrier-supporting staples like ceramides, Centella derivatives, and squalane, so the overall positioning shifts from simple hydration into language around repair and recovery.”
In terms of categories, she foresees to see an expansion of three in 2026 — SPF, inner beauty, and post-procedure skin care.
Sunscreens have become a non-negotiable daily category rather than an optional step, with consumers being growingly educated about textures and issues like reapplication. SPF products are showing up in more hybrid formats like tinted sunscreens, cushions, and makeup bases that promise both protection and visible improvement.
According to Lee, inner beauty, or what Koreans call “edible skin care”, has been firmly established among consumers. Therefore, continued growth in supplements for skin, hair and stress, especially where they are linked to sleep, hormonal changes and slow ageing, can be anticipated.
The last major growth area is said to be derm adjacent and post-procedure beauty. As lasers, peels and injectables become more normalised globally, there is a corresponding demand for products that are clearly positioned for use on compromised skin during the recovery window.
As for product formats, Lee sees less appetite for novelty and more interest in hybrids that work harder. These include cream serum and toner serum textures, makeup that combine coverage, SPF and treatment, and “one and done” products that can stand in for a multi-step routine on busy nights.
From a regulatory perspective
In recent years, South Korea has tightened its stance on a number of ingredients and claim areas for skin and hair care categories, and that is expected to continue.
“Where I would personally like to see even more clarity is around the family of medical adjacent cosmetic ingredients that are now everywhere in marketing, such as PDRN and various growth factors.
“These sit very much in the quasi-drug territory and the claims being made around repair and regeneration are racing ahead of the underlying rules. This is particularly a problem in export-facing English language materials where the claims are being met with very little oversight from global regulators,” Lee said.
Although the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has cracked down domestically on claims around spicules (such as “microneedling in a bottle”) and exosome cosmetics, there have been “very little changes” about the way products are marketed in foreign languages.
“For that reason, I would welcome stricter guidance on the use of words like regeneration and repair, with more oversight from global regulators in markets where K-beauty is trending, as well as the MFDS.”
In addition, maintaining strong enforcement around SPF testing and retesting whenever formulas change remains critical.
“We have seen again this year how damaging sunscreen controversies can be for consumer trust with the Australian sunscreen scandal. Korean beauty is not immune from this.”
Furthermore, as cross-border e-commerce continues to grow, more coordinated action on counterfeit and poorly handled parallel imports would be crucial to protect both consumers and the reputation of K-beauty as a whole.
