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
Ingredients
Adenosine
The nucleoside designated by Korea's MFDS as an approved active for anti-wrinkle functional cosmetics, normally at 0.04%.
Ingredients
AHA / BHA / PHA
Exfoliating acids: water-soluble alpha hydroxy acids such as glycolic and lactic; oil-soluble salicylic acid (BHA) for pores; and larger, g…
Ingredients
Alcohol denat.
Denatured ethanol used as a solvent and for a fast-drying finish, common in Korean toners and sunscreens.
Ingredients
Allantoin
A soothing and keratolytic ingredient used at low percentages in sensitive-skin and after-sun formulas.
Ingredients
Aloe vera
A soothing, cooling humectant with near-universal consumer recognition, central to after-sun and sensitive-skin lines.
Ingredients
Arbutin
A brightening active derived from bearberry, used in Korean whitening functional cosmetics at defined concentrations.
Ingredients
Azelaic acid
An acid used for blemish-prone and uneven-tone claims.
B
Ingredients
Bakuchiol
A plant-derived ingredient marketed as a gentler alternative to retinol for smoothing and tone claims.
Ingredients
Beta-glucan
A polysaccharide, usually oat- or yeast-derived, used for soothing and moisture-retention claims.
Ingredients
Bisabolol and chamomile
Soothing actives derived from chamomile or candeia, used where a calming claim must hold up on sensitised skin.
Ingredients
Butylene glycol / propanediol
Solvents and humectants that carry botanical extracts into a formula.
C
Ingredients
Caffeine
A vasoconstrictor used in eye and body formulas for puffiness and firmness claims.
Ingredients
Centella asiatica (Cica)
A soothing botanical and the signature ingredient of Korea's "cica" category, standardised into actives such as madecassoside, asiaticoside…
Ingredients
Ceramide
A lipid naturally present in the skin barrier, added to replace what dry or compromised skin lacks.
Ingredients
Cholesterol and fatty acids
The other two components of the skin barrier lipid matrix alongside ceramides.
Ingredients
Collagen (topical)
A structural protein used topically as a humectant and film-former; hydrolysed or low-molecular-weight forms are common in Korean products.
Ingredients
Copper tripeptide-1 (GHK-Cu)
A well-known firming and repair peptide. It is blue-green and reacts with vitamin C and some acids, so it usually sits in a standalone ampo…
Ingredients
Cypress and pine extracts
Korean forest-derived botanicals used for calming and sebum claims, often marketed around phytoncide.
E
Ingredients
Ectoin
A bacterial-derived osmolyte used for barrier protection and anti-pollution claims.
Ingredients
EGF and growth factors
Bio-engineered proteins positioned for regeneration claims in premium Korean lines.
Ingredients
Essential oil
Volatile plant extracts used for scent and marketing appeal.
Ingredients
Exosome
Vesicles derived from plant or cultured-cell sources, used in premium Korean regenerative-positioning products.
F
Ingredients
Fermented ingredient (ferment filtrate)
Botanical or yeast material processed by fermentation, appearing on INCI as a ferment filtrate, ferment lysate or ferment extract.
Ingredients
Fragrance / parfum
A collective INCI term covering a proprietary scent blend, which is why a single word can hide dozens of individual materials.
G
Ingredients
Ginseng (Panax)
The anchor ingredient of Korea's premium anti-ageing segment, used as white, red or black ginseng and often as a ferment.
Ingredients
Glutathione
An antioxidant tripeptide used in brightening positioning, strongest as a consumer story in Southeast Asia.
Ingredients
Glycerin
The most widely used humectant in cosmetics, cheap and effective.
Ingredients
Green tea extract (EGCG)
An antioxidant botanical used for soothing and sebum claims, standardised on EGCG.
H
Ingredients
Hanbang
Korean traditional herbal medicine, and by extension the skincare tradition built on ingredients such as ginseng, mugwort, licorice root an…
Ingredients
Heartleaf (Houttuynia cordata)
A Korean botanical used in soothing and blemish-prone lines, frequently at very high extract percentages as the base of a toner or essence…
Ingredients
Honey and royal jelly extracts
Bee-derived humectant and soothing ingredients used in glow and nourishing lines.
Ingredients
Hyaluronic acid
A humectant that binds water in the upper skin layers, appearing on INCI as hyaluronic acid or sodium hyaluronate.
J
L
M
N
P
Ingredients
Panthenol
Provitamin B5, a humectant and soothing agent common in barrier-repair and post-sun formulas.
Ingredients
PDRN / polynucleotide
Polydeoxyribonucleotide, a DNA fragment ingredient — usually salmon-derived — that moved from aesthetic clinics into Korean skincare and be…
Ingredients
Peptide
Short amino-acid chains used for firmness and wrinkle claims — copper tripeptide-1, acetyl hexapeptide-8, palmitoyl tripeptide-1 and many o…
Ingredients
Polyglutamic acid
A fermentation-derived humectant, often positioned as holding more water than hyaluronic acid and forming a light surface film.
Ingredients
Preservative system
The ingredients preventing microbial growth over a product's shelf life — commonly phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglycerin, organic acids, or 1,…
Ingredients
Probiotic and postbiotic ingredients
Lactobacillus and bifida ferment lysates used for barrier and microbiome claims.
Ingredients
Propolis
A bee-derived resin used in Korean glow and soothing formulas, often in high-percentage "ampoule" positioning.
R
Ingredients
Retinol and retinoids
Vitamin A derivatives used for wrinkle and texture claims, ranging from gentle retinyl esters through retinol to stronger retinal.
Ingredients
Rice extract and rice water
Rice bran, rice ferment filtrate and rice water used for brightening and softening claims.
Ingredients
Rosehip oil
A polyunsaturated oil rich in linoleic acid and natural trans-retinoic acid traces, used in regenerating and tone claims.
S
Ingredients
Salicylic acid restrictions
Beyond concentration caps, the EU requires specific warnings and restricts use in products for children under three.
Ingredients
Sea buckthorn
A carotenoid-rich oil used for barrier and radiance claims.
Ingredients
Shea butter
A rich occlusive and emollient used in balms, hand and body care.
Ingredients
Silicones (dimethicone, cyclopentasiloxane)
Film-forming ingredients that give the slip and blur of primers and base makeup.
Ingredients
Snail secretion filtrate
A humectant and film-forming ingredient popularised by Korean essences, declared on INCI as snail secretion filtrate.
Ingredients
Squalane
A lightweight, highly stable emollient, now usually derived from sugarcane or olive rather than shark liver.
T
Ingredients
Titanium dioxide
A mineral UV filter and white pigment, and the main cause of white cast in mineral sunscreens.
Ingredients
Tranexamic acid
A brightening active used for pigmentation and post-inflammatory marks.
Ingredients
Trehalose
A sugar-derived humectant valued for protecting cell structures against dehydration.
Ingredients
Tremella (snow mushroom)
A polysaccharide-rich mushroom extract used as a plant-based humectant, frequently positioned as a vegan alternative to hyaluronic acid.
U
V
W
Z
Search 64 terms
Type a term, an acronym such as MOQ or INCI, or pick a category above.
No terms match that search
Try a shorter word, an acronym such as MOQ or INCI, or browse a category above.
Know the terms. Now source the products.
Request a quote →