K-Beauty
Alphabet creams, cushion compacts, sleeping packs and sheet masks are just some of the products that have their origins in South Korea.
Synonymous with fast-paced innovation, K-Beauty provides a constant source of inspiration for European brands. Enkos founder and managing director Lorna Radford has strong links with South Korea. Her knowledge of the language and culture combined with her expertise in cosmetic science has given her a unique ability to translate the most exciting K-Beauty concepts into formulations for other markets.
Lorna regularly travels to South Korea to gather ideas from the latest cutting-edge developments in skin care and cosmetics and can conduct tailored research on behalf of clients. She has the competency to work cross-culturally and recently developed two prototype versions of a fresh-textured moisturising cream to demonstrate how formulations can be adapted according to different market needs. The European version is 100% naturally-derived, suitable for vegans and based on just 12 ingredients; whereas the product for the Korean market has a much longer INCI list, contains silicones, goat’s milk and pigment for a skin whitening effect.
“With regard to the beauty sector, there are huge differences in attitudes, consumer preferences and regulations between Eastern and Western regions. For example, skin whitening versus tanning, synthetic ingredients versus naturally-derived, short time to market versus long protocols. It is vital to understand these variations in order to develop formulations that successfully bridge the gap.”
Lorna’s top 5 K-Beauty
trends to monitor
1. Cica balms
2. Water drop creams
3. Jelly textures
4. Next generation masks
5. Tone up creams
For more information, check out the news page to read Lorna’s latest articles on formulating K-Beauty for European markets.
If you are interested in discussing bespoke opportunities for your brand, please get in touch today.