Breaking convention
Beyond Seoul itself, the savviest K-beauty brands breaking through internationally are pushing against how things have always been done — either by continuous innovation or challenging existing beauty norms.
Some brands boast “advanced derma”, high-performance, medical-grade skincare that can help achieve a similar effect to high-tech, at-home devices or professional dermatology treatments. Often developed by, or in collaboration with, pharmaceutical companies such as Dong-A Pharmaceutical and Dongkook Pharmaceutical, these products have been on the rise as “consumers increasingly look beyond basic barrier care”, says Kim. Since Olive Young introduced its advanced derma category in April, sales increased more than 260% by June, Kim notes, reflecting strong early consumer interest.
Among the innovators in this space is VT Cosmetics, whose signature Reedle Shot skincare line mimics that of a microneedling procedure. Despite not using any actual needles, the formula uses a patented technology featuring tiny, needle-like particles that can even create a tingle similar to those experienced via microneedling. Meanwhile, Biodance — founded by former TV beauty shopping host Mihwa Kim, who launched the brand while recovering from a car accident looking to heal her scars — has taken ingredients like PDRN and collagen from injectable clinical treatments and turned them into topical serums and ampoules. Clinic-born brand Pyderin, which Vo believes could hit big internationally, also specializes in high-purity PDRN. (Pyderin is primarily distributed through professional dermatology clinics and select pharmacies in South Korea, and is not widely available overseas.)
“While K-beauty in the West has often been associated with mild and gentle products that don’t do much beyond hydrating or soothing the skin, I believe these advancements are opening the door to a very different era of K-beauty, where the focus is increasingly shifting from simply supporting the skin to developing highly targeted solutions based on innovative technologies and a much more sophisticated understanding of skin biology,” says Monod. And unlike actual dermatology procedures, they’re affordable, can be done at home, and require less downtime — while still allowing the user to reap much of the benefits.
Makeup and perfume brands are releasing products with a more provocative edge. Borntostandout, the niche South Korean fragrance company founded in 2022 by Jun Lim, is one of the scene’s unexpected newcomers. The brand’s radical scents and packaging reject polite tropes (see its unapologetic crimson red bottles and perfume names like Fig Porn and Dirty Rice), making it unusual in a market that historically favors minimalist fragrance brands like Non Fiction and Tamburins. Still, Borntostandout has won over many of South Korea’s biggest department stores such as Shinsegae, as well as Western retailers like Selfridges and Harrods. Notably, the brand was backed by L’Oréal’s Bold venture fund in 2025, signaling a potential full buyout.
