Beauty bloggers praise homegrown skincare products for ingredients, creativity

A SOAK brunch gathering of bloggers and influencers held April 27. Courtesy of SOAK photo by Wesley Chang

By Lee Han-na

Amid K-pop seeing success in the global music scene, another Korean export is gaining steam ― homegrown skincare products.

Korea is emerging as a hot place for quality cosmetics. According to industry experts, there are about 3,000 cosmetics producers in Korea.

The country is becoming a hot place for social media influencers.

Due to the booming beauty industry, some foreign beauty experts have found a home in Korea.

A group of beauty bloggers and social media influencers had their third monthly brunch gathering April 27, organized by SOAK, a media company that raises awareness on beauty and lifestyle.

Some foreign bloggers, who are currently working as content creators, shared their tips on beauty and styling over food and drinks.

SOAK invites foreign beauty influencers who love Korean culture and Koreans who have experience living in foreign countries to the brunch to provide a safe place and protection for the people who have been rejected and disqualified in Korean working culture.

The brunch, since its launch in this February, is a monthly event aimed at building a community and network among the influencers and the small-sized indie cosmetics firms, to share and strengthen their partnerships to help homegrown cosmetics go global.

The gathering is the brainchild of SOAK CEO Judy Kim's years of endeavors to create a platform for beauty creators who she claimed don't receive enough recognition.

SOAK also hosts the gathering to bridge the gap between the actual, quality products Koreans use and the ones known in other countries, as the quality of some products well-known abroad is overblown.

The CEO, who understands the difficulty for small companies to enter the bigger market despite their quality products, also has a big heart for the small-sized indie companies that use safe and organic ingredients.

Judy Kim, CEO of SOAK, who knows how small-sized companies and online creators and influencers struggle, stresses the importance of Korean beauty. Courtesy of SOAK photo by Wesley Chang

Kim said Korean beauty has been gaining attention in the global market because of Koreans' creativity, technology and continuous innovation.

She explained, “With the global popularity of Psy's Gangnam Style music video, Korea was put on the map. The trend started off with K-pop and Korean dramas, where the viewers started to notice Korean singers and actors have smooth skin. Then what the people were fascinated with is the promotion of specific brands of their favorite artists.”

“I think there are a series of waves of certain Korean culture things that became popular. From K-pop and Korean dramas, then Korean beauty to makeup, then ultimately, to fashion because Koreans are making their own culture. There're already big audience in the Middle East and South America where even people there are curious about Korean lifestyle,” she added.

Skin care products of various companies were presented during the SOAK brunch. Courtesy of SOAK photo by Wesley Chang

Currently, Korean beauty is more concentrated on skincare products and beauty rituals, rather than makeup products. Many Korean companies are exporting their products globally and the biggest market is America, Europe and Asia.

Micaela Hayden, an American citizen, says awareness of Korean skincare is rising in the United States. But she said people have trouble learning about the steps and details. “They know Korean skin care but they don't know how to go about it.The mainstream shops do have Korean products but the quality is not so good,” she explained.

Kim said, “I think the products in the United States are two years behind Korean cosmetics trends. Mostly, the brands are the franchise shops like Etude, Tony Moly, and more, where in fact, there are a lot of hardworking indie companies who are great ingredient-wise. One of my goals in SOAK is to elevate the image of Korean beauty as premium and luxurious brands.”

To the question whether Korean products have potential to compete with other established global brands, all the influencers and representatives said “Yes.”

A representative of Urang, an organic skincare brand, shared the brand's experiences in overseas market. “Customers in Europe not only look into ingredients but the story of the products. In our case, the founder, Jina Lee, who is also an aroma therapist, started making these products when she was pregnant so that the products are safe for both mother and baby. Our story worked when we marketed our products there.”

Meanwhile, Style Korean exports various Korean brands globally as well. Officials of the company said, “Korean beauty is gaining a presence in Africa as well. K-beauty is trendy because the ingredients are special and the prices are cheaper, compared to others of similar quality.”

For the makeup products, she added, “Korean beauty makeup style is using more lovely and natural colors while other countries prefer passionate and strong colors. For that difference, as of now, skin care is more trending.”

"Beauty Box" presented by SOAK to beauty influencers during a brunch meeting. Courtesy of SOAK photo by Wesley Chang

SOAK and the collaborating exporting companies maximize the influence of the beauty bloggers and influencers on the online platforms. SOAK specifically target the global market by having networks with multi-lingual influencers within the countries.

The international influencers based in Korea share Korean beauty tips, as they embrace them, with their own countries' needs and demands. Therefore, the customers are exposed to the information on Korean beauty from influencers who are friendly to their eyes.

Moreover, through the hard work of SOAK and the companies, the influencers are taking part in raising awareness and strengthening the quality products of small starting companies.

The “Beauty Boxes,” a gift box of different products of a brand or brands, help promote the products as well, where usually the mixture of unknown brands with the relatively well-known one raises awareness and the brand power. As of now, it is mainly focused on skin care products however, the company plans the makeup product beauty boxes as well.

Lee Han-na is a Korea Times intern.