Indie cosmetics brands offer luxury lines as trends shift

Jysandal‘s ceramic slick cream and serum

South Korean indie beauty brands are expanding their presence in the luxury and premium cosmetics sector by launching high-functional items with upgraded raw materials and packaging.

According to multiple sources from the cosmetics industry on Wednesday, indie cosmetics brands, which previously focused on cost-effective products with large quantities, are expanding into luxury cosmetics.

Companies are launching high-functional cosmetics lines in areas such as exfoliation, elasticity, and moisturization, while upgrading raw materials and product packaging.

Consumers who purchase the products are also offered additional services such as personalized skin consulting via beauty apps.

A local startup, for example, launched a luxury aging care brand, Jysandal, in 2024. Its ceramic slick cream and serum contain micro-sphingolipids, a type of micro-needle, and extracts from three plants indigenous to Korea, which work together to enhance antioxidant effects.

There is a tingling sensation when applying the cream, which increases the skin’s absorption rate by over 60 times. The cream alone costs 78,000 won ($58), and the serum and cream set costs 150,000 won, placing it in the high-price range among indie beauty products.

FM Biohealth‘s Latov Prestige Nutrition Cream

FM Biohealth Co. also released Latov Prestige Nutrition Cream, whose main ingredient is ginseng fruit, in February 2024. Ginseng fruits have a much higher saponin content than ginseng roots, as well as placental extracts and hippocampal extracts.

Although the cream’s price is 317,000 won, which is higher than the price of most cosmetic sets, it is set to be exported to the United States based on its popularity in Korea.

Indie cosmetics companies are paying attention to the premium market because the market for small brand cosmetics is maturing.

The trend of small luxury consumption among young people has also fueled the exploration of the premium market.

Consumers prefer products that allow them to indulge in small luxuries at relatively lower prices than those offered by luxury brands and are also willing to open their wallets for products that match their tastes and values.

Vegan beauty startup Talitha Koum is also focusing on premium lines in its cosmetics offerings, with the face cream alone costs 58,000 won and a set of four brightening skincare products sells for 170,000 won.

Talitha Koum’s main products are made from white dandelion raw materials, which have excellent anti-inflammatory effects. They are harvested, cultured, and extracted domestically in Korea, and then produced in California.

“As the market matures, consumers tend to choose brands that suit themselves rather than aligning themselves with brands,” Talitha Koum chief executive officer Choi Moon-sun said. “These movements are also beginning in Korea.”

In line with these changes in consumer trends, existing indie brands that pursued cost-effectiveness are also shifting their direction towards targeting the high-end market.

D’Alba, which saw sales of its serum in spray form top 27 million bottles, recently launched various high-end functional new products. The White Truffle Double Serum & Cream and Ampoule Night White Truffle Anti-Wrinkle Cream are each priced at 78,000 won.