Key Takeaways:
On a Thursday in November, it was (virtual) standing-room only for the “2026 K-Beauty Forecast” with Lucie Shin, Head of Data Business at Trendier AI, and host Kelly Kovack, founder and CEO of BeautyMatter. Korea has long been the hub of beauty industry innovation, so it’s no surprise that this webinar pulled in more than 1,000 participants, making it BeautyMatter’s biggest to date.
To pinpoint what will be K-beauty’s next viral moments, Shin analyzed millions of product data points at Trendier, an industry-specific data intelligence platform for the beauty business. Think of Trendier AI like ChatGPT but with data backed by Trendier’s global beauty database, enabling users to search and analyze insights easily.
Shin kicked off her presentation by noting that in the first quarter of 2025, Korea was the No. 2 cosmetics exporter, with $3.61 billion, behind only the US with $3.75 billion. Retailers globally rode the second K-beauty tidal wave through the first half of 2025 by accelerating K-beauty listings.
But what makes K-beauty so distinctive on a global scale? Innovation. Shin referenced the popular meme “Living in 2050” to describe how far ahead K-beauty is from the rest of the world, and TikTokers often use “Living in 2050” to describe K-beauty.
Shin also explained that while K-beauty used to be just about products, it’s now a whole viral “Glow up in Korea” where TikTokers show “before” shots of themselves before traveling to Korea, and then the glowed-up “after.”
K-beauty is known for its virality, but what sets it apart from other viral beauty trends is that K-beauty trends have “data-backed credibility behind the hype,” Shin said. This means that a K-beauty viral trend first catches the consumer’s attention, but unlike most viral trends, it also keeps consumers as loyal customers by securing trust in the efficacy of K-beauty products.
Global enthusiasm for the iconic ideals of K-Glow and K-Glass Skin remains strong, according to Shin, which continues to drive first-time purchases and repeat buying. And Trendier tracks it all.
Trendier currently follows 30 e-commerce channels across 15 countries,
and by the end of this year, that number will expand to 37 channels in 18 countries. They monitor tens of millions of products and hundreds of millions of reviews. The insights that went into the “Top 7 Forecasted K-Beauty Trends” are grounded in real, large-scale data.
Top 7 K-Beauty Trends Forecasted by Trendier
1. The Medicosmetic Pivot is the mainstreaming of medical ingredients in skincare. And K-beauty is leading the way by rapidly bringing innovative products with clinical and bioactive ingredients to market. Top rising active ingredients used in medical or pharmaceutical settings include PDRN, exosomes, tranexamic acid, dexpanthenol, and EGF. Over-the-counter K-Pharmacy brands were previously only available in Korea, but now, thanks to TikTok, they sell out quickly at K-beauty’s biggest retailer, Olive Young. Shin said that, altogether, this signals a clear consumer shift towards clinically proven efficacy and dermatologist-trusted ingredients.
2. Daily Skincare Devices make the list because devices were once reserved for special occasions or for addressing a specific skin issue. But now, Korean skincare devices are designed for daily use and are incorporated into daily skincare routines. Leading this movement is the multitasking Medicube AGE-R Booster Pro, which got a buzz bump when Kylie Jenner was photographed using the device at a brand pop-up in Los Angeles.
3. Sensory Textures are in high demand among consumers seeking a sensorial experience. Keywords “After Feel” dominate the rankings as key decision factors for shoppers, signaling that today’s consumers need more than efficacious ingredients and formulations—they are seeking products that deliver a memorable user experience.
4. Cooling Care is a direct response to the rising global temperatures driven by climate change. Consumers are looking for products that instantly lower the skin temperature and give a cooling sensation. Shoppers want products that address “heat sensation” and “redness relief.” According to Trendier’s data, “cooling” and “skin heat relief” products are increasingly in demand.
5. Collectible Fun, Joyous Experiences makes this list because today’s consumer not only wants effective products but also something with a playful “cute” design that looks adorable on their shelves. The most searched keywords associated with this trend are “travel size,” “unique,” “keyring,” “collaboration,” “minisize,” and “fun.”
6. Skincaring Glow continues to attract global consumers seeking active ingredients and efficacy. When it comes to makeup, shoppers want multitasking products such as cc creams, concealers, tinted moisturizers, and lip balm infused with skincare ingredients like squalene and hyaluronic acid. Popular keywords like “deep hydration,” “skin-barrier,” and “cushion” are driving consumers to search and find these trending products. “Skincaring sunscreen” is a consumer favorite for not only protecting the skin from sunrays but also addressing skin concerns like “photoaging,” “hyperpigmentation,” and “skin heat.”
7. Emerging K-Haircare has been trending as global interest for haircare and scalp care rises. Korean brands are leveraging their experience in technology, advanced ingredients, and sophisticated product quality to drive growth in this category. “K-Skincare brands like VT Cosmetics and COSRX are successfully entering the haircare market, leveraging ingredients usually reserved for skincare, such as cica, PDRN, and peptides. K-hair “longevity” solutions dominate global sales, with a deep focus on scalp care and hair regrowth.
Once Shin concluded her presentation and before kicking off the Q&A, Kovack noted that it’s one thing to look at trends on social media or editorial, “but to have it backed by actual data makes it more actionable for people.”
Webinar participants filled the chat with questions for Shin. One participant asked, “Looking forward, where are you placing bets on naturally derived Korean or Japanese botanicals, or is it more dermatological, biotech ingredients?” The answer is both. Shin said that brands are looking to innovate by combining active ingredients like PDRN with naturally derived ingredients.
Whether Shin and Trendier place bets in the future on specific ingredients or trends, we know robust data will drive their predictions, making it evidence-based rather than a gamble.
Download the deck here
