Tracking the Supersonic Growth of K-Beauty’s Biggest Brands

The K-beauty juggernaut continues — and its impact on the global industry is only increasing.

Thanks to the rise of TikTok, innovative ingredients like PDRN and trends like glass skin, K-beauty’s so-called second wave reached new heights among an international audience in 2025.

No wonder beauty manufacturers from South Korea were among the most dynamic on the 2025 Top 100.

Just take Amorepacific, whose brands include Sulwhasoo, Laneige and Innisfree. Sales rose 7.9 percent, with international revenues up 15 percent and surging 20 percent in the Americas and 42 percent in EMEA. And while LG H&G saw significant declines in its beauty sales and overall profitability as it continued to restructure, notably within its Chinese and domestic beauty operations, North American sales were up 9.6 percent, driven by the strong performance of hair care brand Dr. Groot and ongoing growth from established brands including Belif, The Face Shop and CNP. 

Medicube owner APR Co, meanwhile, saw sales skyrocket by a staggering 218.2 percent, with overseas revenues accounting for 80 percent of group sales last year. The company expects its device sales to progressively gain traction in international markets in the year ahead.

While companies like Goodai Global, owner of Beauty of Joseon, and D’Alba Global didn’t make the Top 100 list for 2025, they are certainly biting at the heels of the established players.

Retailers have been taking note. Sephora is linking up with CJ Olive Young to offer consumers a curation of Korean beauty in its stores around the world. The partnership will debut this fall in the U.S., Canada, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, with expansion into additional regions including the Middle East, the U.K. and Australia in 2027.

Ulta Beauty forged a partnership with K-Beauty World to bring in more than 200 products from eight Korean brands. In March, this was expanded through Ulta Beauty Marketplace, where the K-Beauty World lineup features 12 brands — Cosnori, Vidivici, Yadah, Menokin, Luvum, Hair+, Ilso, Hwarang, Truezyme, 8grow, Bewants and Dryope — with five additional brands, including P.Calm, Plu, Teabless, ChungMiJung and OddType, set to join the platform by May.

According to data from Spate and Nielsen IQ, K-beauty sales in the U.S. surged to $2 billion in the 12 months ending Aug. 9 — up 37 percent year-over-year — with facial skin care leading the charge and hair care seeing the fastest growth.

Compare this with 2024, when sales hadn’t yet cracked $1 billion. TikTok Shop has proven to be a force multiplier, with brands like Medicube and Anua translating viral content into real-world sales across Amazon, Sephora and Ulta.

The K-beauty trend also appears to be taking hold in numerous countries. In Mexico, for example, Circana noted that that while traditional department stores still represent the majority of sales for international brands, beauty specialized retailers are gaining traction, driven mostly by Gen Z that are looking for brands outside the mainstream like K-beauty. The trend has also made its way to Europe and the Middle East.

This in turn, could impact M&A trends, according to banking sources. Some Asian strategics are coming back to the market, with Korean companies, in particular, looking at U.S. based K-beauty brands. Sources pointed to the likes of Amore Pacific and Goodai Global, which reportedly raised $600 million in December, as potential acquirers. 

IPOs could also be on the horizon.

Joseon owner Goodai Global, for instance, is moving forward with IPO plans set for this year, while targeting a trillion won valuation, according to industry reports. And CJ Olive Young is also said to be a prime IPO candidate, among others.