South Korean cosmetic brands, including Tirtir, d’Alba, Torriden, and Beauty of Joseon, are negotiating with major US retailers to sell their products in physical stores, according to Reuters.

These companies aim to leverage their online success in the US, despite facing challenges such as tariffs.

Retailers such as Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Costco, and Target are reportedly in discussions to stock these brands.

Tirtir’s CEO, An Byung-Jun, noted the success of its cushion foundation, which gained popularity online for its suitability for diverse skin tones.

This product will be available at Ulta Beauty outlets this summer, with the company aiming to double its US sales in 2025.

The growing interest in Korean cosmetics in the US highlights a broader trend of global demand for K-beauty products.

🔗 Source: Reuters

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ The thousand-year foundation of Korea’s modern beauty empire

South Korea’s cosmetics industry didn’t emerge overnight—it builds on centuries of beauty traditions dating back to ancient times.

The Three Kingdoms Era (57 BCE) marked the beginning of documented makeup practices, with each kingdom (Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla) contributing unique beauty standards and techniques that evolved over centuries 1.

Traditional Korean beauty emphasized natural ingredients like ground mung beans for cleansing, plant juices for lotions, and various oils for moisture—principles that remain central to modern K-beauty’s appeal 1.

This historical foundation helps explain why South Korea has rapidly risen to become the world’s third-largest beauty product exporter in 2024, overtaking Germany with $13 billion in cosmetics output 2.

The industry’s focus on combining traditional wisdom with scientific innovation has created a compelling value proposition in global markets, offering products that are both innovative and rooted in proven historical practices.

2️⃣ The “Hallyu effect” creates a powerful marketing advantage

Korean beauty brands enjoy a significant advantage through cultural amplification that most competitors can’t replicate: the Korean Wave (“Hallyu”) of popular culture.