Not long ago, beauty rituals were defined by geographies and inherited culture. French skin care was a Parisian luxury, Ayurvedic beauty remained an Indian wisdom and Korean skin care was only accessible in Seoul.
These beauty practices are no longer secrets, nor are they confined to their countries of origin. Global consumers can access these trends and products with a few taps on their phones, with many ritual brands evolving into multibillion-dollar entities. As beauty rituals transcend borders, e-commerce is the engine driving this cultural movement. In this article, we explore the dynamics of this movement, what it means for brands and why the future of beauty will be more connected than ever.
Marketplaces and social media democratise beauty
A decade ago, if consumers wanted authentic K-beauty or J-beauty products, they either needed to travel or find these products in limited specialist stores. For these brands, knowing that a larger consumer market existed beyond their traditional target customers was also a positive surprise.
So, what changed in the last decade?
Global marketplaces, primarily Amazon, have been a game changer for these brands.
Beauty and personal care products form the largest FMCG segment on marketplaces and 70% of their e-commerce sales are channelled via marketplaces
Source: Euromonitor International’s e-commerce research
The role played by third party merchants on marketplaces is monumental in making these products available outside origin countries. As demand strengthened, many brands also developed their own storefronts on marketplace platforms.
Of the cultural brands evaluated for this analysis, COSRX, Glow Recipe, Innisfree, Sulwhasoo (K-beauty), Tatcha, SK-II (J-beauty), Forest Essentials, KAMA (Indian) and Epara, 54 Thrones and Hanahana beauty (African beauty), Amazon was collectively the largest e-commerce retailer, channelling 38% of online sales in 2024.
COSRX, the leading cultural beauty brand from Korea, channelled 72% of its e-commerce sales via Amazon in 2024. Backed by e-commerce, the digitally-native brand’s success grew in South Korea and beyond, reshaping global skin care trends.
#Kbeauty, a hashtag encapsulating Korean beauty trends, products and rituals, has become a global phenomenon, seeing an explosion of over 7.7 million posts on Instagram and 1.4 million posts on TikTok
Source: Euromonitor International
User-generated content on these platforms has been key in boosting awareness and adoption of cultural beauty rituals and brands.
Product efficacy, income levels and digital outreach shape the size of the opportunity abroad
As the allure of cultural beauty trends and regimes attracts consumers globally, brands have found great success abroad. Asian beauty brands, primarily those hailing from Korea and Japan, have had a greater impact.
On average, home markets constitute only 22% of e-commerce sales for K-beauty and J-beauty brands
Source: Euromonitor International
COSRX has the highest e-commerce sales and 93% of the brand’s e-commerce sales come from outside South Korea.
A perfect formula for higher cross-border sales would consist of wider diaspora and brand loyalty. Brand positioning, price and digital outreach have played a greater role, with repeat purchases defined by price and efficacy. While Korean and Japanese beauty brands have proved disruptive for skin care in many markets, these have a unique positioning and compete across price tiers, despite most falling in mid- and premium tier pricing.
Thus, income level in foreign markets is also a key determinant, supporting a culture of exploring different skin care regimes. The US has been the biggest market for most cultural beauty brands.
For Indian beauty, despite a huge diaspora, more work remains to be done. Weak digital outreach and a preference for global brands by most Indian consumers impact e-commerce sales abroad. Forest Essentials is one such case, where only 28% of e-commerce sales are from abroad. For African beauty, cross-border e-commerce is defined by a loyal diaspora and marketing resonating with dark-skinned consumers. African ingredients and luxury skin care are the top trends opening opportunities for these brands abroad.
What’s next?
- Hyper-personalisation will blend ancient wisdom with modern technology
As technology leads to hyper-personalisation, the beauty industry will see a greater blend of cultural trends with modern technology. Powered by AI, tailored recommendations based on a customer’s skin type, local climate and ethnic background can not only connect consumers to lost cultural practices but also guide them to suitable ingredients for their skin type.
47% of beauty and personal care professionals report that AI has already impacted customer engagement by offering tailored marketing and personalised recommendation, according to Euromonitor International’s Voice of the Industry Survey 2024.
Consider the opportunity cultural beauty brands can unleash by harnessing DNA-based skin care assessment, microbiome analysis or AI-powered beauty advisers fluent in regional traditions or local languages.
- E-commerce will offer a broader gateway for more cultural beauty movements
As e-commerce grows in emerging market regions, notably Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, more beauty brands and traditions are yet to enter the limelight on the global stage.
Beauty and personal care e-commerce in emerging markets was valued at USD47 billion in 2024. By 2028, online sales of these products will reach USD75 billion, growing by 56%.
The rise of cultural beauty brands through digital platforms signals a greater movement, as these set new standards of quality and product efficacy while reshaping the future of the beauty industry through cross-border channels.
Read our reports, The Impact of Demographic Shifts on the Future of Beauty and Personal Care, for more analysis on the future of beauty and personal care, and Unlocking E-Commerce in Asia and Beyond: Lessons from China, Japan and South Korea, for in-depth analysis of e-commerce in the Asian markets and learnings from the region for small brands to tap e-commerce potential.