The insight: Demand for Korean beauty products is soaring, helping buoy industry sales even as growth slows.

• US shoppers spent $2 billion on K-beauty products in the 12 months ended July, up 37% YoY, per Nielsen data shared with Business Insider.
• The segment is the top selling beauty category on TikTok Shop, with sales up 132% in 2025, a TikTok spokesperson told Business of Fashion.
• South Korea is now the top country of origin for beauty imports to the US, dethroning France.

Why it matters: K-beauty products hit the sweet spot between quality and affordability, appealing to the growing ranks of value-conscious beauty shoppers. A nimble manufacturing network allows brands to get new products to shoppers in as little as three months, keeping fresh choices in front of consumers.

Unlike most beauty brands, K-beauty companies were quick to embrace the potential of Amazon and TikTok Shop.

• Selling on Amazon was a “no-brainer” for Medicube because “almost everybody in the US was a Prime member,” Kim Byung-hoon, CEO of the brand’s parent company APR, told BoF.
• Brands are using social media virality—and strategic partnerships with big-name celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Sydney Sweeney—to speedily increase brand awareness and drive ecommerce sales.

Specialty retailers vie for share: K-beauty’s explosive growth has made it a focus category for Sephora and Ulta Beauty, both of which are racing to sign exclusive deals to prevent the other from dominating the market.

• Sephora has added Beauty of Joseon, Hanyul, and Aestura to its lineup, while Ulta scored TikTok favorite Medicube.
• Ulta also partnered with K-Beauty World to bring eight new brands to its stores and website, which it is promoting via a traveling “K-Beauty Mart” pop-up that offers interactive displays, live demos, and exclusive early access to products.

Our take: The Hallyu wave shows no signs of ebbing. Korea’s rising cultural influence is being felt on everything from films to music to food, with global spending on Korean cultural exports expected to nearly double by 2030.

Tapping into K-beauty—and demand for all things Korean—could help specialty retailers buck a broader sales slowdown and keep Amazon and TikTok Shop from stealing more beauty share.