Korean Cosmetics Export Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the ingredient, formulation, regulatory, packaging and trade terms you meet when sourcing Korean cosmetics — written for overseas B2B buyers.
A
Formulation
Acne patch (spot patch)
A hydrocolloid dot applied over a blemish to absorb exudate and stop picking.
Formulation
Ampoule
The most concentrated leave-on step in a Korean routine, typically sold in a small dropper bottle for short intensive courses.
Formulation
Anhydrous formula
A formula containing no water — balms, oils, sticks, powders.
B
Formulation
Baby and kids products
Products for children under three carry the strictest safety assessment, microbiological limits and ingredient restrictions in every major…
Formulation
BB cream
Blemish Balm — a tinted multi-function base combining light coverage, skincare and usually SPF.
Formulation
Body care
Lotions, washes, scrubs and body serums. The category skinification has pushed hardest into, with facial actives such as niacinamide and AH…
Formulation
Broad spectrum
A US labelling term certifying protection across both UVA and UVB, earned through a specific FDA test method.
C
Formulation
CC cream
Colour Correcting cream — lighter than a BB cream and aimed at evening out redness or sallowness rather than covering.
Formulation
Challenge test (PET)
A preservative efficacy test, usually to ISO 11930, in which the product is deliberately inoculated with microorganisms and monitored.
Formulation
Cleansing balm
A solid-to-oil first cleanser sold in a jar with a spatula.
Formulation
Cleansing foam
The water-based second cleanser, usually a tube-packed surfactant cream that lathers on contact.
Formulation
Cleansing oil
An oil-phase first cleanser that emulsifies with water so it rinses away cleanly.
Formulation
Concealer
High-coverage colour correction for a small area.
Formulation
Cream
The occlusive final skincare step, formulated to seal in the preceding layers.
Formulation
Cushion compact
A Korean invention: liquid base makeup held in a sponge and applied with a puff, usually with SPF.
D
Formulation
Deodorant and antiperspirant
Deodorant masks odour and is a cosmetic; antiperspirant blocks sweat with aluminium salts and is an OTC drug in the US and a quasi-drug in…
Formulation
Double cleansing
The Korean two-step method: an oil-based cleanser to dissolve makeup and sunscreen, followed by a water-based cleanser to remove what is le…
E
Formulation
Efficacy test (clinical substantiation)
Instrumental or consumer-panel testing that substantiates a performance claim — improved hydration by corneometer, reduced wrinkle depth by…
Formulation
Emollient
An oil or ester that softens and smooths skin by filling the gaps between surface cells.
Formulation
Emulsifier
The ingredient that holds oil and water phases together in a stable mixture.
Formulation
Emulsion
A light milky moisturiser sitting between essence and cream — the Korean equivalent of a fluid lotion.
Formulation
Essence
A watery-to-slightly-viscous hydrating layer applied between toner and serum, and the format most associated with K-beauty routines abroad.
Formulation
Eye patch
Hydrogel or fabric under-eye patches, usually sold as 60 pieces in a jar, positioned for puffiness and fine lines.
Formulation
Eyeshadow palette
Multi-pan colour sets. Colour additive rules differ sharply by market — a pigment approved in Korea may be banned for eye-area use in the U…
F
G
H
Formulation
Hair essence and hair oil
Leave-in treatments for ends and frizz, one of the fastest-growing Korean export sub-categories on the back of the scalp-care wave.
Formulation
Hair mask and treatment
A rinse-off conditioning treatment, usually in a tub or tube.
Formulation
Hand cream
Small, cheap and highly giftable, which makes it the default GWP and travel-retail impulse SKU.
Formulation
Humectant
An ingredient that draws and holds water in the stratum corneum — glycerin, hyaluronic acid, panthenol, butylene glycol.
Formulation
Hydrogel
A gel-type mask or patch material that clings closely to the skin and releases actives slowly.
L
M
Formulation
Mascara
Eye-area colour cosmetic, subject to the strictest microbiological limits of any category and typically the shortest PAO.
Formulation
Men's grooming
All-in-one lotions, shaving and scalp products.
Formulation
Micellar water
A no-rinse cleanser using micelles to lift makeup and oil, wiped off with a cotton pad.
N
O
P
Formulation
PA rating
The Japanese-origin UVA protection grade, from PA+ to PA++++, used on Korean and Japanese sunscreens.
Formulation
Packaging compatibility test
Storing the finished formula in its actual packaging under stress conditions to check for leaching, discolouration, deformation or seal fai…
Formulation
Patch test
A dermatological skin-irritation test on human panellists, and the usual basis for "dermatologist tested" or "hypoallergenic"-style claims.
Formulation
Peeling gel
A rinse-off gel that balls up as it is rubbed, giving a visible exfoliation effect.
Formulation
pH
The acidity of a formula, controlled tightly in Korean skincare because it governs skin compatibility, acid efficacy and preservative perfo…
Formulation
Physical scrub
A rinse-off exfoliant with abrasive particles, now built on sugar, salt or cellulose after microbead restrictions removed plastic exfoliant…
Formulation
Primer
A base step that smooths texture and extends makeup wear, usually silicone-based.
S
Formulation
Serum
A concentrated, fast-absorbing treatment step positioned between essence and cream.
Formulation
Setting powder and setting spray
Products that lock makeup in place. Loose powders carry additional inhalation-related restrictions on some mineral ingredients, and sprays…
Formulation
Shampoo
Surfactant-based hair cleanser. Anti-dandruff and hair-loss claims move it into quasi-drug or OTC territory in Japan, Korea and the US, so…
Formulation
Sheet mask
A single-use fabric sheet soaked in essence, historically Korea's highest-volume export format.
Formulation
Sleeping mask (overnight mask)
A leave-on overnight treatment applied as the final step and rinsed off in the morning.
Formulation
SPF
Sun Protection Factor, the measure of UVB protection, determined by an approved in-vivo or in-vitro test method.
Formulation
Stability test
Accelerated and real-time storage testing that establishes shelf life and confirms the formula survives temperature cycling and packaging c…
Formulation
Sun stick
A solid sunscreen in a twist-up balm format, a Korean-led sub-category driven by convenience and reapplication over makeup.
Formulation
Sunscreen
Korea's strongest export category, built on elegant high-protection textures that solved the white-cast and heaviness problems Western suns…
Formulation
Surfactant
The cleansing agent in any wash-off product.
T
Formulation
Texture and sensory claim
How a product feels on application — the differentiator Korean formulators compete on hardest.
Formulation
Tone-up cream
A lightly whitening base cream that brightens the complexion optically, usually with titanium dioxide, and often with SPF.
Formulation
Toner
In Korean routines a lightweight hydrating step applied straight after cleansing — not the astringent alcohol-based product the word still…
Formulation
Toner pad
Pre-soaked cotton or fabric pads in a tub, delivering a toner or mild exfoliating acid in one wipe.
V
W
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