K-beauty is in its second heyday. Popular for its innovative formulations, layered skincare routines, and emphasis on natural, glowing skin, the movement resonates with a myriad of consumers. In 2023, the global K-beauty market was valued at $12.54B—expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.43% in the upcoming years, amounting to $25.98B by 2032. The proliferation of K-beauty has led to a shift in the US cosmetics market. American consumers are now increasingly prioritizing skincare over makeup, adopting multistep skincare regimes, and seeking out products with gentle yet effective ingredients.Amorepacific Group CMO Jungyeon Kim attributes the second K-beauty wave to e-commerce. “With the advent of K-wave, international consumers already have a foundational understanding and appreciation of Korea and its brands,” Kim tells BeautyMatter. “Korean culture is present on various commerce platforms such as Amazon, Lazada, and TikTok Shop”—making overseas markets far more accessible for Korean brands today.Additionally, a report by Kantar and TikTok reveals that Korean media has also played a part in increasing interest in K-beauty, with 92% of TikTok users stating they are now more interested in Korean beauty products due to K-drama/K-pop.The K-Sunscreen Surge As attention towards sun protection continues to grow in the US—with69.4% of adults stating they routinely use at least one form of SPF daily—Korean sunscreens in particular are gaining traction among shoppers. According to Spate NYC, US Google searches for “Korean Sunscreen” are up +77.3% in the last year. Brands trending alongside the search term include Klairs with 8.3K average monthly searches (+19.