Korean Beauty products got attention in Asian countries first, but popularity and availability in Western countries is growing. While the endorsement of beauty influencers is pushing sales, another reason for the widespread recognition for Korean beauty products is Hallyu, the Korean wave. Many fans get introduced to the South Korean beauty market through the pop-culture based phenomenon, since many celebrities are endorsing K-beauty products. For example, more than a quarter of female consumers in Vietnam stated that endorsements of their favorite Korean celebrity would convince them to try Korean skin care, while almost half of respondents would be influenced by their favorite beauty influencer. Additionally, given that Korean TV shows and music videos highly rely on looks, fans often get interested in how to improve their appearance.
The value of exports of beauty, make up and skin care preparations have been growing by over 700 percent during the last decade, while the volume of those exports grew by around 870 percent in the same period. Until a few years ago, users of Korean beauty products had to order them from overseas or go to specialized stores. Nowadays, mainstream drug stores around the world started to offer a small Korean beauty selection. With an increasing availability of big Korean brands in the Western market, the reach of those products grows beyond the number of Korean culture fans and is slowly becoming mainstream.
