The State of K-Beauty in the U.S. (2026)

For most of the last decade, China was the market every Korean beauty brand planned around. That changed in 2025, when the United States became the largest buyer of Korean cosmetics. Below we look at the numbers behind that shift, where American shoppers are buying K-beauty, and what it means for independent stores deciding what to stock next.

The U.S. is now Korea's biggest market

Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety put 2025 cosmetics exports at $11.4 billion, up 11.8% from the year before. Shipments to the United States rose about 15% to $2.2 billion, edging past China at roughly $2.0 billion, which fell about 19%.¹² For the first time, Korea also passed the U.S. to become the world's second-largest cosmetics exporter, behind only France.

Skin care carries the category. At about $8.5 billion it made up roughly three-quarters of exports, and skin care, color cosmetics and cleansers each grew by more than 10%. Korean brands are also spreading out: they shipped to 202 countries in 2025, up from 172, and the combined U.S. and China share slipped to 36.7% as Europe, the Middle East and Latin America picked up.²

The pace picked up again in 2026. First-half exports reached about $7.0 billion, a 27% jump and a record for any first half, with June alone at $1.34 billion.³⁴

Monthly trade statistics from Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Treat these as preliminary until full-year figures are final.³

Where Americans are buying it

NielsenIQ sizes U.S. K-beauty sales at about $2 billion, up 37% year over year, and estimates that around 70% of those sales happen online. The shoppers skew younger and more diverse, and they spend more on beauty overall than the average customer.⁵

Amazon is the single biggest channel. During Prime Day in June 2026, Korean products held 38 of the top 100 skin care spots.⁷ TikTok Shop is the fastest climber: a TikTok spokesperson told eMarketer that K-beauty sales on the platform grew 132% in 2025.⁶

Physical retail is catching up quickly. Ulta added eight Korean brands through a partnership with K-Beauty World in 2025, including Neogen, Some By Mi and Rom&nd.⁸ Sephora carries Beauty of Joseon, Hanyul and Aestura,⁶ and Costco.com now lists more than 50 K-beauty brands.⁵ Target opened its Target Beauty Studio in 611 stores on September 10, 2026, with about a dozen Korean brands among its 90.⁹ And Olive Young, Korea's largest health and beauty chain, opened its first U.S. store in Pasadena in June 2026, alongside a U.S. online shop.¹⁰

More national chains carrying K-beauty means more customers who already know what they are looking for when they walk into an independent store.

Five categories to watch in 2026

Sunscreen

Sun care is one of K-beauty's strongest U.S. categories, but it is also the hardest to import. In the U.S., sunscreen is an over-the-counter drug, so many Korean formulas have to be reworked before they can be sold here.⁵ In June 2026 FDA added bemotrizinol to the U.S. sunscreen monograph, the first new active ingredient in more than 20 years. An 18-month exclusivity period means most brands will not be able to use it until 2028.¹¹

Cleansers and everyday skin care

Cleansers, toners and serums are where most customers try a new brand. Cleansing products grew more than 10% in Korea's 2025 export data,² and they are dependable reorder items for a store.

PDRN and biotech ingredients

PDRN, originally derived from salmon DNA, has moved from Korean clinics into everyday skin care, and plant- and fermentation-based "vegan PDRN" is the newest twist. Spate data cited by BeautyMatter shows TikTok interest up 414% year over year. The same article notes that clinical evidence for topical PDRN is still limited, so we recommend keeping marketing to how a product looks and feels.¹²

Texture-led products

Jellies, gels and chewy "mochi" cleansers stand out on the shelf and on camera. Mintel has followed jelly textures and food-inspired formats as an innovation trend for several years.¹³

Hair and scalp

NielsenIQ names hair care as K-beauty's fastest-growing U.S. category.⁵ Scalp treatments and at-home hair color are a natural fit for salons and beauty supply stores.

Tariffs: a moving target

Duties on Korean goods have changed several times since early 2025:

• 2025. After an initial 25% proposal, a U.S.–Korea agreement set tariffs on Korean goods at 15%.¹⁶
• February 20, 2026. The Supreme Court ruled that the President lacks authority to impose tariffs under IEEPA. A temporary 10% global tariff under Section 122 followed four days later.¹⁴
• July 24, 2026. Section 122 tariffs expired and new Section 301 tariffs on 60 countries, including Korea, took effect. For most Korean products the new rate is 12.5% (including the standard duty), and Seoul says Washington has agreed to keep total duties within the 15% cap from the two countries’ trade deal. A second Section 301 investigation, into excess industrial capacity, is still open.¹⁵¹⁶

None of this has slowed demand so far: U.S.-bound exports still grew 41% in the first half of 2026.

What this means for independent stores

National chains are introducing millions of shoppers to Korean brands. Independent retailers and salons can use that awareness without competing head-on on the same viral products.

1. Start with everyday categories. Sunscreen, cleansers, toners and serums bring in first-time buyers and repeat orders. Hair and scalp products are a strong add-on for salons.
2. Carry brands the chains don't. Amazon, Ulta and Target compete on the same handful of viral SKUs. Brands with authorized U.S. distribution and a lighter mass-market footprint protect your margin and give customers a reason to visit.
3. Buy U.S.-compliant stock. Look for English labeling, FDA-permitted color additives and, for sunscreen, a U.S. Drug Facts panel. Buy from authorized importers, not gray-market resellers.
4. Show the product. Texture demos, short videos and in-store skin consultations turn online curiosity into store visits.
5. Leave room in your pricing. With duties still changing, build in a buffer and ask suppliers how they handle cost changes.
6. Keep claims cosmetic. For trend ingredients such as PDRN or exosomes, talk about appearance and feel. Claims about treating or repairing skin can turn a cosmetic into a drug in FDA's eyes.