We’ve had South Korean pop, film, fashion and food , and now the latest trend is K-beauty, with sales of Korean skincare brands taking off in the UK as consumers are seduced by products that promise to conjure a radiant complexion. Britons are cutting back in other areas, but they are still chasing what the beauty industry describes as the “glass skin” look, with retailers reporting a rise in spending on high-end skincare. Demand for upmarket lotions and serums is up 13% on last year, according to the data company Circana.
“Everyone is talking about the trend for glass skin,” Circana UK’s account director, Emma Fishwick, said of the South Korean beauty phenomenon. Elixirs that promise “hydration” and “moisture” are even more sought after, she said, with sales up 15%. As products from South Korean brands such as Cosrx, Beauty of Joseon and Laneige go viral on TikTok, the high street is racing to keep up.
Boots, the UK’s biggest beauty retailer, is expanding its K-beauty range, with Skin1004 and Round Lab among the names being added to its website and going into selected stores next month. Alice Rafferty, Boots’s director of luxury beauty and cosmetics, said: “The industry is evolving quicker than ever before, with new brands emerging and reaching cult-like status in a matter of weeks.” K-beauty is expected to follow South Korea’s music, film and TV exports in becoming a blockbuster.
Demand is climbing at almost 10% a year, and K-beauty is predicte.