Korean cushion foundations are all the rage in Japan

Missha “M Magic Cushion” [Photo provided by Able C&C]

Cushion foundations, a liquid foundation that is easy and light to put on the skin and is hugely popular among South Korean consumers, is also gaining traction in Japan.

According to mid-sized cosmetics manufacturer Able C&C Co. on Thursday, it sold an accumulated 30 million units of “M Magic Cushion,” a product of its flagship brand Missha, in Japan. The daily sales reached 11,046 units since the launch in the Japanese market in September 2015. The cumulated sales reached 20 million units in December 2020 and demand was steady even during the pandemic.

Cushion foundations are a type of liquid foundation housed in a sponge-like cushion in a compact. They have gained huge popularity for their convenience. Korean cosmetics giant Amorepacific Corp. was the first in the industry to introduce the cushion foundation, “IOPE Air Cushion,” in 2008.

Able C&C attributed the robust sales to its strategy of offering a product of good value for money to Japanese consumers. Missha, in particular, sold items mainly at its own stores in the beginning of advancing into the Japanese market. The brand, however, expanded sales channels and sold items at local health and beauty stores from 2017.

Able C&C, in particular, boosted brand awareness by introducing products specifically targeted at Japanese consumers in collaboration with Walt Disney Co. in November last year.

“Sales of our Japanese entity increased by an annual average of 9 percent between 2020 and 2022,” said an unnamed official from Able C&C.

Missha isn’t alone.

The Korean beauty industry has recently been advancing into the Japanese market more aggressively to move away from its heavy dependence on China. Korean cosmetics products have lost popularity in China to the local rivals after China’s ban on Korean content and products.

Amorepacific is targeting the Japanese market with its flagship brand Laneige. It successfully launched the brand in the country’s largest beauty platforms Atocosme Online and Atocosme’s Harajuku branch in Tokyo in September last year. Laneige is rapidly expanding its market share with cushion foundations and sheet masks based on its know-how and technology. LG Household & Health Care Ltd. also established a microbiome center dedicated to research and development of microbiome cosmetics in Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan, in May last year.