A writer living in Germany examines the context and scale of the K-Beauty (Korean cosmetics and skincare) trend in Europe.

In this first part, we will unravel ‘why K-Beauty is trending now’ by looking at past European skincare trends.

Conclusion: The rapid expansion of Korean cosmetics, which were once known only to a select few, can be attributed to three factors: ‘filling the gap in European trends as they shifted from organic to ingredient-focused and barrier care,’ ‘generous export support from the Korean government,’ and ‘bringing an unprecedented user experience to the European market, which struggles with hard water and dryness.’

The influence of the ‘K-Beauty’ trend as felt by a writer living in Germany

In Japan, Korean cosmetics and skincare have firmly established themselves as a beauty category. They have also become a trend in the United States in recent years, and there isn’t a day where you don’t see posts about K-Beauty on social media; however, compared to that, the distribution of Korean items in Europe felt almost non-existent.

I live in Berlin. Because of my work, I have many opportunities to interact with people who love beauty, but even so, I had only met a handful of people who actually used Korean skincare up until 2024. (It might be a little different in Paris or London, where there are many East Asians.)

However, that atmosphere changed dramatically around 2025.

Serums from brands that are also popular in Japan have become easily available at major beauty shops and online stores in Germany. Before that, I think it hadn’t penetrated the general public at all, except for serious Asia enthusiasts or some beauty geeks who would access YesStyle (an Asian beauty and cosmetics e-commerce site), which was known only to those in the know.

The flow of skincare trends in Europe to date

Before considering ‘why K-Beauty has rapidly flowed into the European market since 2025,’ let’s take a rough look at skincare trends in Europe since the late 2010s.

Demand for natural cosmetics (until around 2015)

Long-established organic brands like WELEDA and Dr. Hauschka, as well as French dermatology brands (La Roche-Posay, Avène, etc.), monopolized the support of consumers seeking ‘safety, security, and sustainability.’

It was also around this time that the concept of clean beauty began to attract attention.

Eliminating parabens (preservatives), sulfates, synthetic fragrances, and microplastics, as well as formulations that can be used safely even on sensitive skin and environmentally conscious production, became important.

Growing interest in aggressive beauty with ‘scientific evidence’ (from around 2016)

The influence of the Canadian skincare brand The Ordinary was enormous.

With the spread of social media, consumers began to ‘learn.’ And they started seeking transparency in ingredients, thinking, ‘It is more effective to apply ingredients with scientific evidence directly.’

Through The Ordinary and the ingredient-focused brands that followed, ingredient names like ‘retinol,’ ‘niacinamide,’ and ‘salicylic acid’ became generalized, and minimalist, high-concentration, and low-priced products became explosive hits.

I also believe this was when the trend of North American trends being adopted in Europe began to strengthen.

Return to ‘skin barrier protection and dermatology’ (from around 2018). The leading player here is surely CeraVe. In 2017, the French L’Oréal Group acquired the American skincare brand for sensitive skin, CeraVe. The company began full-scale expansion into Europe in 2018. Since then, terms like skin barrier protection and human-type ceramide replenishment have spread throughout Europe. In the aforementioned ingredient-focused ‘aggressive’ skincare, it was also seen as a problem that people were causing skin irritation by using high-concentration products without having the correct knowledge. The trend shifted rapidly from ‘aggressive’ to ‘defensive.’ While not flashy, the sense of security that dermatologists recommend (in other words, authority) and the approach of ‘strengthening defenses’ became established across all generations. That leads to the current K-Beauty (Korean cosmetics) boom.

An unprecedented K-Beauty boom!

And now (2025–).
Korean cosmetics and skincare have been introduced to Europe in a very well-balanced way that takes the ‘best of’ previous trends.

Elements such as a focus on soothing and scientific research, as well as the ‘affordable price while maintaining high ingredient transparency’—the biggest reason for The Ordinary’s boom—were likely easily incorporated into the consumption habits of beauty-conscious individuals.

Two of my personal favorites from the many Korean ‘barrier protection’ skincare products I use.
Innisfree’s Retinol Cica Barrier Cream and Aestura’s Atobarrier 365 Cream.

Why is K-Beauty so popular right now?

I can understand why Korean cosmetics and skincare are novel to European consumers, but ‘why’ is it this popular?
Europe has creams specialized in barrier function protection, and after all, Europe is home to France, a skincare powerhouse…

‘Why’ Korean cosmetics? I have thought of three reasons based on my own subjective perspective.

1. South Korea’s policies

It is well known among beauty enthusiasts that Korean skincare and cosmetics exports receive significant government support and are treated as one of the country’s key national projects.

Following the contraction of the Chinese market, which previously accounted for more than half of exports, the focus shifted to developing the U.S. market. As a result, in 2024–2025, South Korea surpassed France, which had held the top spot for many years, to become the ‘largest exporter of cosmetics to the U.S.’

However, with concerns remaining over new U.S. tariff regulations, the potential for further exports is shifting toward the European and Latin American markets.

Export statistics from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) of South Korea.
Cosmetic exports to the European Union (EU) by South Korean SMEs (which house many K-Beauty brands) have shown a record-breaking surge, up 62.4% compared to the same period last year.
Since exports to Japan have remained around 6%, the rapid growth of the European market is clear.

Data source: SME Export Trends Report, Q3 2026

Also, the biggest barrier for overseas brands entering the European market is the EU’s strict cosmetics regulations.

Regarding EU cosmetics regulations…
There are over 1,600 to 1,700 prohibited ingredients. Because they follow the ‘guilty until proven innocent’ principle, many ingredients permitted in Japan, the U.S., and other countries are banned.
Furthermore, before a product can be placed on the market, a qualified professional must check all ingredient combinations and toxicity to create a Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR), and it is mandatory to register product information on the European Commission’s online portal (CPNP registration) before distributing cosmetics in the EU market.

There is a mechanism where the South Korean government directly subsidizes 50% to 70% of the costs required to clear these processes for the EU market.

On top of that, the South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare has opened ‘K-Beauty Official Experience and Sales Hubs’ in Paris, Milan, and Stuttgart one after another. They are using national funds to penetrate local retail at a scale impossible for a single company.

As a beauty geek living in Europe, I am overjoyed that Korean skincare is becoming easier to buy here! On the other hand, it is frustrating to wonder why the Japanese government doesn’t work a bit harder to support cosmetics companies in their overseas expansion.

2. Rapid expansion of brand marketing

One of the major factors that explosively permeated K-Beauty among general European consumers is the presence of social media, centered on TikTok, and influencers.

As a movement separate from the already mature Korean and Japanese markets, many brands are conducting new marketing for the Western and European markets.

Gifting and PR projects for Western TikTokers and influencers have visibly surged. As a result, the boom has accelerated even further.

For example, ‘Glass Skin,’ which recently became a trend in the West.
These are before-and-after videos of finishes that look like they are glowing from within, using Korean skincare. It spread rapidly among the Western MZ generation and was recognized as ‘new beauty potential’ along with its visual impact.

3. Because the usage experience was ‘new’ for European consumers

The climate in Europe is dry, and because the tap water is hard, skin tends to become rough. The mainstream approach of traditional European products has been to cover this with ‘oil’.

Korean skincare introduced the concept of ‘moisturizing the skin with light, fresh hydration’ to this market.

It might not seem like a big deal to those who use Korean and Japanese skincare daily, but a texture that moisturizes without being sticky was something that had never existed in Europe before.

The traditional method of ‘dealing with dryness using oil’ inevitably leaves a sticky feeling, and for some, it even increases acne. Therefore, the quality of the texture, which is taken for granted in Korea and Japan, must have been a ‘discovery’ for many Europeans.

Thank you for reading until the end!

In the next article, I will introduce what kind of Korean cosmetics are actually in demand in Europe.