Reference
K-Beauty Brand Profiles
55 featured K-beauty brands with editorial profiles — founded year, positioning, hero ingredients, signature categories, and how many of their products appear in our answer guides. Sales figures and rankings are deliberately not stated; we describe what can be verified from public sources.
Recently surging globally (TikTok / international media)
Luxury (3)
High-end, often heritage brands sold at department stores and duty-free.
- HERA 헤라 est. 1995
HERA is a South Korean luxury cosmetics brand launched by Amorepacific in 1995, positioned as a sophisticated, urban-modern house alongside Sulwhasoo …
- OHUI 오휘 est. 1997
OHUI (오휘) is a South Korean luxury skincare brand launched in 1997 by LG Household & Health Care (LG H&H). Positioned as a science-driven "de-aging" d…
- Sulwhasoo 설화수 est. 1966
Sulwhasoo is Amorepacific's luxury brand, built on Korean ginseng research dating to 1966. Formulas pair traditional herbal extracts with modern luxur…
Premium (6)
Higher price, focused positioning, often specialty or duty-free.
- Aestura 에스트라 est. 2012
Aestura (에스트라) is a South Korean derma-cosmetic brand owned by Amorepacific, built on the pharmaceutical heritage and research of its predecessor Paci…
- d'Alba 달바 est. 2017
d'Alba (달바) is a Korean indie brand focused on white truffle extract and Italian-inspired formulations. Heavily marketed in Asia via duty-free, and ex…
- IOPE 아이오페 est. 1996
IOPE is a South Korean skincare brand launched by Amorepacific in 1996, positioned as a bio-science skincare label built around dermatological researc…
- Jung Saem Mool 정샘물 est. 2015
JUNGSAEMMOOL (정샘물) is a Korean cosmetics brand founded in 2015 by Jung Saem Mool, one of Korea's first-generation celebrity makeup artists whose studi…
- Primera 프리메라
Primera is a South Korean skincare brand owned by Amorepacific, built around its proprietary seed-germination concept ("SEED TECH") that uses the ener…
- Rejuran 리쥬란 est. 2014
Rejuran is a South Korean skincare brand from PharmaResearch, launched in 2014, that originated from the company's clinical PDRN (polydeoxyribonucleot…
Mid-tier (25)
Beyond drugstore but below luxury. Strong global indie growth in this band.
- Abib 아비브 est. 2017
Abib is a South Korean skincare brand founded in 2017 and operated by Forment, positioned in the affordable-to-mid-tier "derma" and barrier-care segme…
- AHC est. 2000
AHC (Aesthetic Hydration Cosmetics) is a South Korean skincare brand founded in 2000 and originally developed for use in professional aesthetic clinic…
- Amuse 어뮤즈 est. 2018
Amuse (어뮤즈) is a South Korean color cosmetics brand founded in 2018 and known as one of Korea's first vegan-certified makeup brands, with formulations…
- Anua 아누아 est. 2018
Anua is a Korean indie brand centered on heartleaf (어성초) — best-known for hydrating toners and oil cleansers that target oily, breakout-prone, and sen…
- Atomy 애터미 est. 2009
Atomy is a South Korean direct-selling (network marketing) company founded in 2009 by Park Han-gill, distributing skincare, cosmetics, haircare, and h…
- Banila Co 바닐라코 est. 2005
Banila Co is a South Korean cosmetics brand launched in 2005, known for blending color makeup with skincare-driven formulas. It gained global recognit…
- Beauty of Joseon 조선미녀 est. 2010
Beauty of Joseon (조선미녀) draws on traditional Korean herbal medicine, reframing modern K-beauty formulas around rice, propolis, ginseng, and other heri…
- Centellian24 센텔리안24 est. 2015
Centellian24 is a South Korean derma-cosmetic brand launched in 2015 by Dongkook Pharmaceutical, the maker of the Madecassol wound-healing ointment, l…
- CLIO 클리오 est. 1993
CLIO is a South Korean color cosmetics brand founded in 1993 and operated by Clio Cosmetics Co., Ltd. It is a mass-market makeup specialist best known…
- Dr.G 닥터지 est. 2003
Dr.G is a dermatologist-aligned Korean brand under Gowoonsesang Cosmetics, focused on barrier-care and sensitive-skin formulas. Strong shelf presence …
- Espoir 에스쁘아 est. 2006
Espoir is a South Korean color-cosmetics brand owned by Amorepacific, established as a dedicated makeup label in 2006 and spun off into an independent…
- Hanyul 한율 est. 2003
Hanyul is a South Korean skincare brand launched by Amorepacific in 2003, built around traditional Korean botanical remedies passed down through gener…
- IPKN 입큰 est. 1999
IPKN (입큰) is a South Korean cosmetics brand founded in 1999 by INEL Cosmetics (이넬화장품), launched as one of the first New York City-inspired K-beauty br…
- Klairs 클레어스 est. 2010
Klairs (full name "Dear, Klairs") is a South Korean skincare brand launched by Seoul-based Wishcompany. It focuses on simple, minimal-ingredient formu…
- Laneige 라네즈 est. 1994
Laneige is a long-running Korean skincare brand under Amorepacific, centered on hydration technology — best known for sleeping masks, water-based cush…
- Mamonde 마몽드 est. 1991
Mamonde is a South Korean skincare and cosmetics brand launched by Amorepacific in 1991, built around the theme of flowers and botanical extracts. It …
- Manyo Factory 마녀공장 est. 2012
Manyo Factory (마녀공장) is a South Korean skincare brand founded in 2012 and headquartered in Seoul, known for clean, vegan-friendly formulations and fer…
- MEDI-PEEL 메디필
MEDI-PEEL is a South Korean derma-cosmetic skincare brand operated by Skinidea Co., Ltd. and positioned as a "Derma Beauty Creator." It is known for h…
- Medicube 메디큐브 est. 2017
Medicube is a South Korean skincare and beauty-device brand launched in 2017 by APR Corp, a Seoul-based beauty-tech company. It is positioned as a der…
- numbuzin 넘버즈인 est. 2019
numbuzin is a South Korean skincare brand launched in 2019 by BeNow Co., Ltd., built around an intuitive numbered system in which each product number …
- Round Lab 라운드랩 est. 2017
Round Lab is a South Korean skincare brand founded in 2017, known for gentle, minimalist formulas built around natural ingredients sourced from the Ko…
- TIA'M 티암
TIA'M (티암) is a South Korean skincare brand focused on affordable, ingredient-driven treatments built around high concentrations of single actives. It…
- too cool for school 투쿨포스쿨 est. 2010
too cool for school is a South Korean cosmetics brand launched in 2010 that blends art and fashion-school aesthetics across makeup and skincare. It is…
- Torriden 토리든 est. 2019
Torriden is a Korean indie brand centered on multi-weight hyaluronic acid (5D HA technology) and barrier-care. Strong global growth via TikTok in 2023…
- VT Cosmetics 브이티코스메틱 est. 2015
VT Cosmetics is a South Korean skincare and cosmetics brand founded in 2015 and operated by VT Industry (also known for the K-pop label VT GiGi tied t…
Drugstore (21)
Accessible price, broad reach, often Olive Young / general retail.
- Cos De BAHA 코스드바하
Cos De BAHA is a South Korean indie skincare brand known for affordable, single-active serums and ampoules formulated with high concentrations of one …
- COSRX 코스알엑스 est. 2014
COSRX is a Korean indie skincare brand built on minimalist, ingredient-focused formulas — best known for high-percentage hero serums (snail mucin esse…
- Derma Factory 더마팩토리
Derma Factory is a South Korean skincare brand operated by GREEN COS that focuses on single-ingredient, high-concentration formulations sold at afford…
- Dewytree 듀이트리
Dewytree is a South Korean skincare brand operated by Dewytree Co., Ltd., widely recognized for its sheet masks and accessible daily-care products. Th…
- Etude 에뛰드 est. 1985
Etude (formerly Etude House) is Amorepacific's playful, color-driven K-beauty brand — especially strong in K-makeup (lip tints, blushes, eye palettes)…
- Goodal 구달
Goodal is a South Korean skincare brand under CLIO Cosmetics (Clio Inc.), known for affordable, ingredient-focused products built around naturally der…
- Holika Holika 홀리카홀리카 est. 2011
Holika Holika is a South Korean cosmetics brand launched in 2011 by Enprani, known for affordable, playfully themed skincare and color makeup aimed at…
- Ingredient Editor 성분에디터
Ingredient Editor (성분에디터, SUNGBOON EDITOR) is a South Korean skincare brand operated by Olive International Co., Ltd. and built on an "ingredient-firs…
- Innisfree 이니스프리 est. 2000
Innisfree is an Amorepacific drugstore brand built on Jeju Island-sourced botanicals (green tea, volcanic clay, camellia). One of the earliest K-beaut…
- Mediheal 메디힐 est. 2009
Mediheal is a Korean sheet-mask focused brand that scaled globally — best known for the N.M.F. Aquaring Ampoule Mask line. Gained mainstream internati…
- MISSHA est. 2000
MISSHA is a South Korean cosmetics brand launched in 2000 by Able C&C, originating from the online community "Beautynet." It built its reputation on a…
- Peripera 페리페라
Peripera is a South Korean color cosmetics brand owned by Clio Cosmetics (Clio's playful, youth-oriented sub-brand). It is best known for its long-wea…
- Pyunkang Yul 편강율 est. 2016
Pyunkang Yul is a South Korean skincare brand founded in 2016, derived from the Pyunkang Korean Medicine clinic, which has practiced traditional Korea…
- rom&nd 롬앤 est. 2016
rom&nd is a South Korean color cosmetics brand launched in 2016 by Korea-based company iPKN (Aekyung-affiliated background), built around accessible, …
- Sikmulnara 식물나라 est. 1993
Sikmulnara (식물나라, "plant country") is a South Korean naturalism skincare brand first launched in 1993 by CJ as one of Korea's first mass-market cosmet…
- SKIN1004 스킨1004 est. 2012
SKIN1004 is a South Korean skincare brand founded in 2012, known for hypoallergenic, single-ingredient-focused formulas built around Centella asiatica…
- SKINFOOD 스킨푸드 est. 2004
SKINFOOD is a South Korean skincare and makeup brand launched in 2004 under the philosophy "Treat your skin with food," formulating products around ed…
- Some By Mi 썸바이미 est. 2017
Some By Mi is a Korean drugstore brand focused on acne-prone and oily skin, framing routines around fermented + acid-led formulas (AHA·BHA·PHA toner b…
- The Face Shop 더페이스샵 est. 2003
The Face Shop is a South Korean cosmetics brand founded in 2003 and acquired by LG Household & Health Care (LG H&H) in 2010. It is a mass-market, natu…
- The Saem 더샘 est. 2010
The Saem (더샘) is a South Korean cosmetics brand launched in 2010 under Able C&C, the parent company of Missha. It is a value-oriented, naturalism-them…
- TONYMOLY 토니모리 est. 2006
TONYMOLY is a South Korean cosmetics brand launched in 2006 and operated by TONYMOLY Co., Ltd. It is widely recognized for affordable, playfully packa…