The Highly Competitive Society Of South Korea Is Pushing More Men To Buy Tons Of Beauty Products
Cosmetics Design Asia noted on July 17 that South Korea's cosmetics industry has an annual sale of $10 billion from brands such as Missha, Nature Republic, Tony Moly and Etude House, with male products accounting for 10 percent of the domestic beauty sales.
"A lot of men don't choose their own products, they just take what their girlfriends give them," noted Lim Chae Dok, marketing executive of South Korean skincare brand, Innisfree.
Men in South Korea are starting to sign beauty campaigns and gradually taking over the cosmetics advertising world, with beauty and cosmetics companies enlisting celebrities and K-pop icons as their ambassadors to boost their companies and keep up with global cosmetic giants such as L'Oréal and Unilever.
The Washington Post noted on May 10 that some the popular beauty products among men include essences, toners, lotions, BB cream and pencil kits for eyebrows.
South Korean men are now the top consumers of skincare products in the world, four times more in purchases than the world's runner-up Denmark, noted Fox 4 News on Oct. 4. The world's grooming industry is worth over a billion U.S. dollars and is expected to grow nearly 50 percent in the next five years.
Among the popular international cosmetic brands are Biotherm and Lab Series, but Euromonitor analyst Minji Kim also recognized the efforts of local companies to compete for the male market.
"Almost all domestic players have launched men's lines," pointed Kim, who emphasized the success stories of South Korean brands LG Household & House Care and AmorePacific.
South Korean society has been known for their highly competitive nature, whether in school, at work or in their day-to-day lives.
"Korean society is very competitive, and for young men to improve their career chances and while looking for a girlfriend, looking good helps their competitiveness," said Kang, a 48-year-old Korean who uses mask packs to care for his skin.
"In South Korea, being young and active are considered very attractive qualities," said Eric Min, the deputy editor in chief at Luel magazine that features a whole section on grooming. "Youth equals ability. So you get plus points here if you look younger."