9 september 2025
From PDRN to mask cleansers: the biggest Korean beauty trends reported by Olive Young
As its seasonal sales drew to a close, Korean retail giant CJ Olive Young shared a report on the latest beauty trends in Korea, from the rise of ingredient-driven skincare to innovative mask cleansers.
Ingredient-driven skincare:
Recent online search data collected from the Olive Young Korean online store showed a 695% increase in searches for “PDRN”, a 72% increase in searches for “peptides”, and a 65% increase in searches for “niacinamide” and “zinc.”
These statistics suggest Korean consumers are now more interested in skincare products based on ingredients that promise solutions to their specific skin concerns rather than brand loyalty or packaging.
Mask cleansers:
In the cleansing category, there has been a 1700% spike in searches for mask cleansers, a brand new product segment emerged during the past year.
Mask cleansers are multifunctional face cleansers designed to also double as wash-off face masks with a wide range of benefits like pore refinement, hydration, and improved elasticity. During the sales, the top-performing brands in this category were Arencia, Fully, Hanyul, and Whipped.
![Whipped - Vegan Pack Cleanser [#Mugtree]](https://themonodist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Whipped-Vegan-Pack-Cleanser-Mugtree-1024x1024.jpg)
Multifunctional sun care:
The sun care category has expanded beyond traditional creams and sticks, with demand rising for innovative fluid formulas that blur the line between UV protection and skincare. Skin1004’s “Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum”, Shingmulnara’s “Light Watery Sun Gel”, and Fromrier’s “EGF Cica Water Sun Ampoule” ranked among the top performers in this category.
Sunscreens from Mediheal and Cell Fusion C, which combine UV protection with skincare benefits, also performed very well in sales.
Skin1004 – Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum SPF50+/PA++++
(SHOP)
Shingmulnara – Oxygen Water Light Sun Gel SPF50+/PA++++
(SHOP)
Fromrier – Vegan EGF Cica Water Sun Ampoule SPF50+/PA++++
(SHOP)
Mediheal – Madecassoside Moisture Sun Serum Blemish Repair SPF50+/PA++++
(SHOP)
Cell Fusion C – Laser UV Sunscreen SPF50+/PA++++
(SHOP)
Make-up:
In the make-up category, limited-edition products recorded impressive sales. In particular, Olive Young reported that, during the sale period, online sales of Romand’s lip tint sets skyrocketed, while Clio’s Cultural Heritage collaboration palette sold out immediately after launch.
The company also reported an interesting shift in consumer preferences from powder blush to liquid blush. Popular products included Dear Dahlia’s “Petal Drop Liquid Blush” and Wakemake’s “Shaking Blur Cheek”.
![Clio - Pro Eye Palette Air [#Cultural Heritage Edition]](https://themonodist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Clio-Pro-Eye-Palette-Air-Cultural-Heritage-Edition-1024x1024.jpg)
Functional body & hair products:
In the hair care category, searches for scalp treatments (ranging from ampoules and serums to tonics) showed an 80% increase compared to last year. During the sales, the top-performing brands in this category were Labo-H with its bestselling “Hair Loss Care Hair Line Ampoule”, Iilyeve with its “Grow Turn Ampoule”, and Vivelab’s “Revive Therapy Hair Scalp & Brow Ampoule”.
In body care, there has been an increasing demand for functional products like body lotions formulated with niacinamide and slimming ingredients (Beyond’s “Bodytamin Lifting Body Lotion” and Nutseline’s “Aroma Nut Slim Fit Body Guasha Serum” being the top performers in the category) and hand creams offering UV protection and anti-aging properties (led by W.Dressroom’s “Perfume Hand Cream SPF40/PA+++” and Ega’s “Advanced Regenerator Hand Cream SPF20/PA++”).
Labo-H – Hair Loss Care Hair Line Ampoule
(SHOP)
Iilyeve – Grow Turn Ampoule
(SHOP)
Vivelab – Revive Therapy Hair Scalp & Brow Ampoule
(SHOP)
Beyond – Bodytamin Lifting Body Lotion
(SHOP)
Nutseline – Aroma Nut Slim Fit Body Guasha Serum
(SHOP)
W.Dressroom – Perfume Hand Cream SPF40/PA+++
(SHOP)
EGA – Advanced Regenerator Hand Cream SPF20/PA++
(SHOP)
Source: CJ Olive Young.
Words: © 2025 Odile Monod.
Visuals: CJ Olive Young.
You may not reproduce the above article for commercial purposes without the express written consent of the translator.
